Originally Posted by Jackiedelrey

I guess i'm just writing this to get it off my chest and see what everyone else has felt since leaving home.

I am originally from just outside glasgow, scotland.

flights to go back i am wishing these next 5 months to go in as fast as possible! I can't wait to be back in friendly glasgow, the working class city where people laugh and don't take themselves too seriously!

I guess i'm just writing this as a warning to people coming on their own to Vancouver. I can't speak for all of canada, but be assured that everyone here knows how hard it is to make friends, and it's well known for being a cold city.

If you're a kind of person who loves banter and making solid friendships, be aware it is hard here and takes alot of work.

All i have to say now is i'm exhausted in the attempts of hoping it will get better, but unfortunately it didn't.

Can't wait to get back to scotland :-)

Originally Posted by Shard

Great post, have tried Van twice and can totally relate. Glasgow has heaps of soul, even if it is a bit 'unaesthetic'. And you're right many people find Van very unfriendly.

Originally Posted by MarylandNed

You have to do what you have to do. I think you should be proud that you made the move to Vancouver and tried it out. Sounds like you've given it a go but it's just not for you. To be honest, I have never been a big fan of the place. We actually moved there (from Toronto) for a few months in the early 90s but neither of us liked Vancouver that much and we returned to Toronto.

My wife and I (and 2 kids who were born while we were in Canada) returned to the UK in 1996 after 7 years in Toronto. We liked Toronto but, even so, I'm glad we did move back to the UK because we got to be closer to family and friends and I think the move back was something we had to get out of our system at some point. We lasted 2 years in London (where neither of us are from but which we both liked well enough) before getting itchy feet again. We wanted to move back to Canada but I was offered a job in Maryland and we've been here ever since.

I think both my wife and I are restless people who want to rebel against settling down. We both feel like we've been in Maryland far too long but it's harder to move when kids (we have 4 now) have grown a bit, made friends, joined sports teams, settled into school, etc. We have 3 in college now and when the 4th one leaves home for college (in under 4 years) I am pretty sure that we'll move again.

Good luck in Scotland. Although that might not be your last move.

Originally Posted by Shard

Great post, have tried Van twice and can totally relate. Glasgow has heaps of soul, even if it is a bit 'unaesthetic'. And you're right many people find Van very unfriendly.

Originally Posted by Jackiedelrey

That's what i love about glasgow, i keep telling my other half about the buzz that glasgow has. Comfort in your post that you can relate to what i've felt, sometimes you wonder if it's something wrong with yourself!

Originally Posted by Jackiedelrey

That's what i love about glasgow, i keep telling my other half about the buzz that glasgow has. Comfort in your post that you can relate to what i've felt, sometimes you wonder if it's something wrong with yourself!

Originally Posted by Souvy

You want to be a bit careful about that notion.

I grew up in Brighton, which most certainly has a buzz. I haven't lived there for years and when I do/did go in recent years I feel/felt very out of place.

Originally Posted by Souvy

You want to be a bit careful about that notion.

I grew up in Brighton, which most certainly has a buzz. I haven't lived there for years and when I do/did go in recent years I feel/felt very out of place.

Originally Posted by Oink

Don't, he'll resent it. That "buzz" is not something Canadian value, especially those on the west coast. All he'll interpret is that you're indirectly putting down Vancouver/Canada. And there's one thing Canadians really understand and that is being indirect.

Originally Posted by Jackiedelrey

I didn't grow up in glasgow, i grew up 40 minutes in a town outside of it.

I returned home for 4 weeks in october, and i didn't feel like i was out of place at all. It felt like home and it felt right.

Originally Posted by Jackiedelrey

I returned home for 4 weeks in October, and i didn't feel like i was out of place at all. It felt like home and it felt right.

Originally Posted by not2old

With a positive twist

After being away only 3 years, one would think that you should be able to fit back into where you left off - then again, look at what you have learned & accomplished in the past 3 years that would have changed your outlook on all things that won't seem as rosy once you start back to work & the daily grind of Scottish life... just saying.

Be interesting to get your feedback at the end of 2016 on how it all panned out, so do keep us posted.

Originally Posted by Shard

That's because you're a fri?ing Quebecker now. Tabarnak.

Originally Posted by Jackiedelrey

I love to travel, and i will continue to do travelling. I just want my hub to be scotland :-)

The main thing is not making friends here, i have thought about that too, the grind, the jobs, all the same worries, believe me i've went over this in my head so many times.

What makes that daily grind and life not so bad is when you have good people around you who make you laugh. People who help you get through it, that's what i miss.

It will definitely be interesting to see where im at the end of 2016.
I've learned alot since leaving scotland, and a big thing is learning to travel on my own. I'm really glad to take that away from this experience.