Sophia Huang (right) and her partner in London, U.K. Ms. Huang recently moved there after a six-year long distance relationship.Supplied
At just 24 years old, Sophia Huang has already asked herself some tough questions about what she wants in her career and personal life.
Ms. Huang has lived in Toronto, Montreal and London, all while maintaining a long-distance relationship with her partner over the past six years. The couple has lived in different cities for the majority of their relationship, but now, Ms. Huang has made the major decision to move to the U.K. permanently to be with him.
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Here, Ms. Huang talks about the care and attention she took to ensure she made the right decision.
You and your partner started dating at 17, then began living apart a year later. Why did you live apart at that stage?
I think even then, we were both pretty firm about not wanting to sacrifice certain goals for our relationship. He knew what he wanted out of his university experience. He went to [University of] Waterloo. I went to McGill [University]. I loved the big city energy there. Maybe it was naivete at 17, as opposed to a belief in our relationship.
How did you ensure that you still saw each other on occasion?
Our friends thought we were kind of crazy, but at the time Via Rail sold a student pass so it was ‘X’ number of dollars for a semester. We would take turns taking an eight-hour train ride to see each other. At that point we were only a year or two into our relationship, but I think we have always had a certain level of intensity and commitment.
After you graduated, you lived together briefly in Montreal and Toronto. How did your partner end up in the U.K.?
In 2023, he graduated and initially received an offer that would have taken him to the U.S., but visas are a bit tricky and they ended up moving him to the U.K.
At the time, you were working in PR, first with boutique firm Chimera Collective and then car-sharing company Turo. Is that why you decided not to move to the U.K. at that time?
I felt conflicted. I would have loved to move there, but I was only six months into my job at Turo. Simultaneously, I’m a romantic but I’m also extremely pragmatic, so I did feel a bit of resistance to dropping everything for my partner.
How did you come to the decision to make the leap across the pond?
It took me over a year to come to this decision.
I had to shut out that I should be doing [this or that]. I didn’t want to be like, should I be moving to the U.K. because my partner is there? Or I should stay in Toronto because my current job is here? It took me that period of time to consider how the different the pieces fit together. I think that’s why I feel very confident in this move.
How did you arrange to have work in the U.K. once you arrived?
I always had a great relationship with [my boss] at Chimera Collective. They gave me a lot of independence and flexibility. I didn’t want to feel like I was sacrificing my career to move to the U.K., so I got back in touch with them and I asked, ‘How do you feel about me doing some contract work for Chimera?’ It gives me some flexibility and I am able to provide support to the team. It will benefit both parties.
What are the challenges adjusting to a new city and different culture?
I worked remotely from London for a few short stints before, so I feel lucky about not going into it blind. My primary challenge is, how do I build a community here? I don’t really know anyone besides my partner. In London, they have these park runs where you run 5K, so maybe I’ll join that.
I am very open to the idea to kind of putting yourself out there and joining group activities I might not have done in Toronto. It’s a challenge, but I don’t think it is impossible to overcome.
How do you see your relationship evolving? What will it be like to be living in the same place permanently?
I think we wanted to move because marriage is on the horizon. I don’t know if I could take that step not having lived in the same city as this person. I want to make an informed decision when that happens.
What would you tell others who are considering making a move like this?
I think taking the time you need [is important] – to really evaluate and determine what your priorities are.
