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Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Old Feb 23rd 2015, 10:55 pm
  #61  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by sallysimmons
i'm so glad to hear you're feeling more settled and I hear you on Spring ... there are bulbs coming up in my garden and buds on the trees. And even though the wind is whistling outside tonight and we had hail this afternoon, it still feels like Spring is round the corner. Whereas in my old home of New York, everyone is buried in snow. No thanks!

Plus, while the wind was whipping up here on the moors this afternoon, we were sitting in a cosy pub in front of a log fire having Sunday lunch. Does it get any better than that?
Dear Sally,

F**k right off. It's -24C here tonight and there's MORE bleeding snow in tomorrow's forecast.

<But this is my last year here so I look forward to posting something similar to your message next "spring">.
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Old Feb 24th 2015, 12:13 am
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
Dear Sally,

F**k right off. It's -24C here tonight and there's MORE bleeding snow in tomorrow's forecast.

.
Bloody freezing here too and we had a ton of snow over the weekend. It's going to probably be the coldest February on record. I had frozen pipes last week - even though I keep my heating on at night and the taps dripping - the pipe coming in from the street to my condo froze. Very badly designed I guess. Oh I would give anything to be back in England's green and pleasant land right now! I truly hate the winters here. I feel that I don't live in Ohio in the winter - I just survive!!
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Old Feb 25th 2015, 2:25 pm
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by sallysimmons
i'm so glad to hear you're feeling more settled and I hear you on Spring ... there are bulbs coming up in my garden and buds on the trees. And even though the wind is whistling outside tonight and we had hail this afternoon, it still feels like Spring is round the corner. Whereas in my old home of New York, everyone is buried in snow. No thanks!

Plus, while the wind was whipping up here on the moors this afternoon, we were sitting in a cosy pub in front of a log fire having Sunday lunch. Does it get any better than that?
No it certainly doesn't, sounds like you are really settled in.
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Old Mar 4th 2015, 12:56 pm
  #64  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

HI 56 and planing on moving home after 36 years in Montreal Canada ,anyone have advise on shipping cost etc, also cost experiences of bringing my cat home.
I am originally from Hull but plan to move south ,I work here as a child youth family service worker any and all advice would e welcome . very scary after all these years.
dont have any friends there and not much family but been closer to my mum in old age is a plus, although ive been gone so long ,i fear we have nothing in common
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 8:09 am
  #65  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by Derrygal
Bloody freezing here too and we had a ton of snow over the weekend. It's going to probably be the coldest February on record. I had frozen pipes last week - even though I keep my heating on at night and the taps dripping - the pipe coming in from the street to my condo froze. Very badly designed I guess. Oh I would give anything to be back in England's green and pleasant land right now! I truly hate the winters here. I feel that I don't live in Ohio in the winter - I just survive!!
Honestly, it's pretty brutal here right now. Grey, grey, grey and so much biting cold wind. I am getting VERY tired of it and I'm usually really upbeat. Yes, there is green grass outside but that WIND!! (Mind you, it's my own fault for living up in the Pennine Hills. That's just how it is here in the winter - and half of the summer!)
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 8:29 am
  #66  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

To me, it feels like we have gone straight from autumm to spring!

We did see some skiers in the lake district one day. Here in Lancashire there was one day when the village pond was iced over and we went for a run in less than an inch of snow up on the hill. So I guess that was winter.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 8:45 am
  #67  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

We are still in winter up here in Scotland. Had about 6 inches of snow up here in the village one day last week. Daffodils started appearing over Christmas (hurrah), but we have had so many bouts of snow, frost, ice, that I wonder if they will just give up the ghost before they get the chance to actually bloom.
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Old May 19th 2015, 8:32 am
  #68  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by CalgaryPete
To me, it feels like we have gone straight from autumm to spring!

We did see some skiers in the lake district one day. Here in Lancashire there was one day when the village pond was iced over and we went for a run in less than an inch of snow up on the hill. So I guess that was winter.
Spot on. That's what I notice between Canadian winter and British winter, that relatively speaking, we have nothing to complain about. In my view any move takes two full years to start to feel settled, and there's almost always reverse culture shock in some way.
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Old May 19th 2015, 12:12 pm
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

There is no God-given right to be happy. The PURSUIT of happiness, perhaos !

Last edited by scot47; May 19th 2015 at 1:51 pm.
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Old Aug 3rd 2015, 9:24 pm
  #70  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by CalgaryPete
I moved back to the UK in March after 14 years in Canada. Moving back hasn't made me any happier and hasn't resolved the uncertainty I had over where to live. This is unexpected.

The practical side of the move went according to plan, with no surprises or significant problems. I was prepared for things like traffic and rain. What surprised me was that the things I had been looking forward to, including hiking in the Lake District and visiting family and friends have not felt as rewarding as I expected. I am hoping this may change as we become more settled, particularly when we get our own place with a garden for my dog, Nyla.

During the last few years in Canada I sometimes felt envious seeing other people getting on with their lives while I struggled to decide whether to stay or leave. Looking back, I now think that if I had put the time and money that I spent planning and preparing for moving back to the UK into building a more complete life in Calgary, the overall result might have been as good as, or better than, my current situation.

I undervalued the things we already had in Calgary. We were settled, we had a home, good dog walking, daycare and nice weather. Instead of appreciating those things, I focussed on the things we didn't have. Now that we have those things, I find I am focussing on other wants, some of which are things we had in Calgary! The pursuit of happiness is starting to seem unwise, like chasing a rainbow. Instead, I think I should try to to adapt to and accept situations, appreciating what we have and making the most of it.

I am not unhappy, and there have been times when being in the UK helped. Leaving family, in Devon, to return to the place we are renting in Lancashire is far less upsetting than it was when we were living in Canada knowing we would not see them for another year. Even so, there have been days when I considered moving back to Calgary and building a more complete life there. I still haven't ruled that out, although I think I ought to see the current plan through and give us more time to get settled in the UK. One difficulty is that buying a home of our own would make us feel settled, but it also commits us to staying in that location and I don't feel ready to do that.
Hi CalgaryPete,

Just wondered how it's going at this point as we stroll into August? Will you continue in Lancashire? Lots of nice places there and cheaper than South of England of course if you decided on a house.
I see lots of similarities with my own situation. I can relate to the notion of returning to the UK due to family, like so many. But at the same time enjoying and appreciating the many fine points about Canada - Calgary/Banff etc. in your case, which gives you further thought about crossing the pond again.

As ever living and enjoying each day is the key wherever we are.
Wishing you and your four legged friend all the finest
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Old Aug 20th 2015, 10:02 am
  #71  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

I went to the bank last week to get pre-approved for a mortgage (a decision in principle). This is motivated mostly by the thought of grabbing a fixed rate before interest rates rise. I don't feel the usual enthusiasm and excitement at the idea of buying a place as I have in the past. This could just be because houses here in the UK seem overpriced.

Spring was very nice. We get up to the lake district most weekends and we are still finding new valleys and corners to explore.
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Old Aug 20th 2015, 12:10 pm
  #72  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by CalgaryPete
I went to the bank last week to get pre-approved for a mortgage (a decision in principle). This is motivated mostly by the thought of grabbing a fixed rate before interest rates rise. I don't feel the usual enthusiasm and excitement at the idea of buying a place as I have in the past. This could just be because houses here in the UK seem overpriced.

Spring was very nice. We get up to the lake district most weekends and we are still finding new valleys and corners to explore.
Good luck with this, Calgary P! Sorry you don't have the usual excitement--but it sounds as if there is no particular house in mind yet, this is just pre-approval? Maybe if you find a house you like, the enthusiasm will come…

you are right, they are so expensive in UK, but the there is no point in comparing with elsewhere (as I kept telling my OH when we were looking) —that way madness lies! Thinking of the vast mansion you could get in US for same price as flat in UK—no point to it!

It's not just about the house, it's about living in the whole country.
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Old Aug 20th 2015, 12:14 pm
  #73  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by between two worlds
Good luck with this, Calgary P! Sorry you don't have the usual excitement--but it sounds as if there is no particular house in mind yet, this is just pre-approval? Maybe if you find a house you like, the enthusiasm will come…

you are right, they are so expensive in UK, but the there is no point in comparing with elsewhere (as I kept telling my OH when we were looking) —that way madness lies! Thinking of the vast mansion you could get in US for same price as flat in UK—no point to it!

It's not just about the house, it's about living in the whole country.
Yes, it's always about trade-offs, and what happens to be important to you at a particular time.
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Old Aug 20th 2015, 1:27 pm
  #74  
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Default Re: Back ten months. No happier. (Sorry !)

Originally Posted by Shard
Yes, it's always about trade-offs, and what happens to be important to you at a particular time.
Indeed! And sometimes sorting that out is hard.
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