Background: Spinal cord injuries invoke enormous life changes for the individual, with impacts not just on physical functioning, but social and psychological well-being. Individuals learn to deal with these changes, and handle these new stressors in different ways. Extant literature suggest the majority of people eventually attain a quality of life (QoL) simular to able-bodied individuals. We sought to validate these observations in a contemporary cohort and specifically explore how patients’ perceptions evolve over time. Methods: We conducted hour-long semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals living with cervical spinal cord injuries. Interviews took place over the telephone or virtually via MS Teams. Interview transcripts were then analyzed using an iterative coding process and thematic analysis (NVivo). Results: The over-arching journey that most participants described was a continuous evolution in QoL, as they learned to adapt and function with their injury. However, these trajectories were disparate and heavily reliant on personal supports and resources available, their psychosocial enviornment and inherent coping strategies. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the unique nature of each person’s journey, and not all people attain a satisfactory QoL. Our approach needs to be individualized, adjusting to specific circumstances, in order to provide more inclusive and supportive care.