dishwashing

Mike, how is the house hunting going? Stressful? Still Coq? Good luck with it all!

scrubbedexpat091

It's just too packed and unless on a major bus route can be pretty unreliable. I took one route that ran 2 times per hour, so not a lot to choose from.

Standing in a moving sardine can for 40-50 mins is worse for me then driving the same distance, and that is the issue I have.

Downtown living has advantages I agree, I just really wan't a pond, a garden and a quiet private place to relax. That is why I desire a yard so much.

At the same time downtown renting requires a large income.

It may just be a depression thing, I just get really down knowing, I'll always be in a small box.

I also dislike public parks, and really need my privacy, just can't do that in a public park.

scrubbedexpat091

Vancouver is in my view the most over rated city in North America, there are several I would call nicer, prettier, and overall a better place to live.

I can't see the beauty in Vancouver or why it's so popular other then having mild weather compared to the rest of Canada.

I prefer city's like San Diego, or Washington DC and the smaller towns around Lake Ontario in Ontario. I loved Port Hope, just were not any jobs which is the problem with those quaint nice towns.

Suppose we all see beauty and comfort different ways.

The4BellsLondon

Cos we don't have a bloody great big highway ripping thru the middle of it

scrubbedexpat091

Doesn't really reduce quality of life, the in San Diego's case most of city built up around the free ways.

For a place like San Diego without free ways the place would be literal grid lock, the region is huge and there is no way to not have a free way.

San Diego region is 4,526 Sq miles in size, with a little over 3.2 million people.

Metro Vancouver is 1,110 sq miles approx with 2.4 million approx.

There is no way to not have freeways to move people, no way city's streets could handle that kind of volume. For large city's freeways are efficient in moving people and goods.

Overall San Diego has limited congestion, mostly just 2 hours in the AM 7-9 and 4 to 6 in the PM

Vancouver is a nice city but not worth the housing costs, one should not need a near 6 figure income just to have basic housing.

I'd like Vancouver if one could afford to live there, basically BC in general, but in our income range this is hands down the worst place in Canada to live. Housing is just out of control and wages do not go up fast enough to cover the increases in rent.

At the rate Squamish is going though, may end up needing to move to Vancouver to get more reasonable rent....lol

ExKiwilass

I know, but everyone else is not you. Plenty of people are having good lives here, hence the population growth. Not touching the highway thing cos it's been debated to death.

The4BellsLondon

Not what you says on the plebiscite thread.

scrubbedexpat091

If you have a high income pushing 6 figures you can. Nobody else can though unless you enjoy living in tiny rooms with multiple people because rent is so high nobody without a high income can afford a house or an apartment.

I'd like to be happy, but since I am poor, I cannot be happy and unless your poor you will not and cannot understand, and as far as I can tell, few if any one here are poor.

Try living on 12/hr in LM and be happy and stable financially with a future, its 100% impossible.

Almost Canadian

Could you please change the record. Many of us have been "poor" but, rather than complaining about everything and putting up excuses as to why the suggestions of others "don't work for me", have taken the advice of others and altered it to fit their own circumstances.

In all the years you have been posting here, I don't recall a single occasion when you have said something to the effect of, "That may work" There is always some excuse as to why it won't work.

I accept you have mental issues and I really hope that one day you will be happy. I simply can't see how you ever will.

plasticcanuck

Oi Vey and Jesus Wept.

ExKiwilass

Jsmith, in the gentlest possible way may I suggest you seem unusually negative lately?

I know things are tough but there are always options, but if you are depressed I also know it's hard to see them because your mind is leading you astray.

All i will say is this: it's not as bad as you perceive. Trust.

scrubbedexpat091

I've tried more the most will realize, I haven't moved around the contient for fun, it was all on the advice of someone to try a lower cost of living place, problem was my income always went down, so in the end there was no net gain.

I also tried school on multiple occasions, but struggled and then got into student loan debt which prevented me from going back for numerous years. That debt is now paid off.

The root source of the issue is employment and obtaining a job that isn't 12/hr, which is something I haven't figured out how to do yet.

I go through extreme lows and highs with a mix of okay mixed in.

MSP doesn't cover the appropriate treatment and as there is no approved medication, I pretty much have to try and fix myself the best I can with the knowledge I have.

Until MSP covers all mental health stuff, people will fall through the cracks. Mental health units largely only have the ability to deal with issues that can be managed with medication.

dishwashing

JSmth - FWIW I can be pretty negative but you have to try to see it I think, as well.

Negativity is sometimes a state of mind, but in my opinion, it is also a convenient excuse.

What is that slogan of caretaker? 'I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.'

I'm not saying that everything is right, but I hope you can find your happiness.

Mikeypm

Put on hold till later in the year, thinking we might look further a field. Now I work from home and have a company car we can live literally anywhere within the lower mainland.

Moses2013

I just think you have to move away, otherwise nothing will change. As mentioned before, the UK might be an option for you. The great thing now is that you know what you want and that seems to be a house with garden if I'm right? Ok I'm in Ireland, but most people I know don't earn more than €30K and they all have a house (owned/rented), go on holiday 2-3 times a year. I'm sure there are plenty of locations like that in the UK too, so I would really consider a move now.