Paul_Shepherd

Well.....6 years today I arrived at Pearson airport!

Some of you may remember my post last year, I wasn't happy with things and where my life was going and wasn't sure what to do about it. I felt settled in Canada, it was just my location in Canada I felt was the issue, Peterborough is a nice town for the most part....if you have a family or are in a stable relationship, but if your not, like myself, Peterborough really is not the place to make that happen, it has some very strange demographics, and is very slim pickings on the meeting that someone special someone front! so I did consider moving to another part of Canada.....I had some thinking to do.

So not long after and following some deep soul searching, i decided to take a different perspective on my situation. I counted what I had here, and importantly what I could lose if it did decide to move with no guarantee of what I was going to (my move is dictated where my line of work is available) Here in Peterborough I had a decent job (not one I particulary like) but salary is pretty decent and I work with a great bunch of guys which counts for a lot, I have a nice house, and I have made some close friends who I have meaningful relationships with, and I have a great social life.

In addition to what I have said above, one thing I actually do love about Peterborough is its geographical location....its in such a place that offers everything that drew me to Canada in the first place, namely the outdoor recreational stuff, I enjoyed this in the UK but I don't think the UK touches Canada for an outdoor play ground, but my location was still close enough to Canada's biggest city too if i wanted a piece of city action.

I decided this wasn't coming to me, so I decided to buy a boat as a way of enjoying the outdoors myself, Ive never owned a boat before or anything to do with one, including driving one and even towing a trailer! but I work with a guy who is a keen boater and he has been so helpful, nothing is too much trouble, he has been and continues to be such a good friend in coaching me, and ive been adopted by his boating friends too.

Im just making final preparations to have it in the water hopefully this weekend...I am very excited but very nervous and scared sh!tless too! I have soooo much to learn, I hope I catch on soon as I have a few trips and many of the weekends booked to do stuff along with the boating crew I have been inducted into!

I feel a lot more settled than I did last year, just through changing my attitude and looking at whats actually important in life, nothing has changed from last year really, I am still single (except for a couple of very brief relationships that didn't work) but importantly I have realised what good friends I have and I am about to enjoy the summer and the outdoors on my boat with one of these friends and will probably make lots of new ones too.

I have placed a lot less emphasis on meeting a significant other now, I already have a full life, it would be nice, I have an open mind, but it is no longer a priority for me like it was. I am so glad I didn't decide to move....I will never know if that would have been the right thing to do or not, but if I consider life to be a game of Black Jack, I think I stuck at 20, if I had chose to twist, what was the chance of being dealt an ace? Not a chance I was willing to take, and am happy with that decision.

I have no remote thoughts of wanting to return to the UK, even though I get the impression many of my family and friends think i will for some reason? maybe that's why none of them except one friend has visited in 6 years. That is one of my disappointments, but what can you do? ive offered a cheap holiday, if they don't want to visit, there is nothing I can do, ive finally accepted that now, and no longer plan my holidays expecting someone to visit.

Even with that disappointment and the occasional and brief bit of homesickness (usually when things aren't going to well) which I always lift myself out of, Canada is my home now and for the foreseeable future, I have a happier life here, and I think I fit in better in a personal way much more than I did in the UK, so I was proud to become a Canadian citizen last year. I will always be proud of my British roots, and my British citizenship, but if I never achieve another thing in my life, moving from the UK to Canada was one my most successful achievements in my life, as anyone who has known me since a young age knows that moving to another country was not really in me, its just not me, I still wonder how I got here sometimes? Anyway there still a more life in the old dog yet for other achievements.... I hope!

Cheers,

Paul.

Jerseygirl

Very pleased to read this Paul. You sound much more settled and content. That special person will come along when you least expect it.

Will we be seeing you at Novo's leaving do?

magnumpi

That's the thing, the more u want to meet a SO the less it seems to happen. Chances are u will meet some one who love s u for your boat lol then later notices you ! :@)

We have also just got a water craft, a seadoo and have used it a handful of times already, I am a motorbike and flying guy so as you I was wurried, mostly about launching and retrieving with my little car. I went to watch a few guys launch and that helped.

Enjoy the boat pal, the girls will come soon enough and ruin all the fun

Steveh27wp

Paul.....made for a most interesting read. Great post. Many of us, I am sure, will recognise some of what you say as reflecting our own experiences.
Hang on in there and enjoy what you have.

Howefamily

very interesting read, so glad you are happier. Enjoy the boat!!!

MillieF

I too really enjoyed your post Paul, and it sounds like things are starting to fall into place for you. Sometimes it's just a change of perspective that does it. I used to have a boat, and I loved it, and would go out every weekend, with a tent on board and camp for the weekend, mostly on my own.

Love is like a bus, it won't come if you are looking. I was determined to live my life alone, and was very happy single, then got on a bus one day and sat next to a Canadian....and I'm still with him....

Very best wishes

Piff Poff

Nice to hear you're settled. Love will come along and blow your socks off!

Former Lancastrian

Errrrr isn't this a family friendly site with children reading posts

Congratulations to the OP I'm sure we have all felt down in the dumps at some stage for various reasons. Life can change on a whim for good or bad.

Novocastrian

I've just seen this Paul: the 19th?

Paul_Shepherd

Hi all,

Thankyou all very much for your replies and encouragement for the future! I am happy to enjoy what i have at the moment and see what ever happens.... with the boating chapter about to begin i have quite a busy schedule trying to run and maintain a house, learn and maintain the boat, and stay in touch with friends, im not too sure there is much room for a significant other anyway! lol

However i have an open mind to it so we will see, and Magnum you may have a point....it may ruin everything anyway!

Anyway talking of being busy I wont be able to make the meet up tonight in TO. I was hoping to, which is why i havent replied until now, but i am off on an extended weeked with a group of boaters....until i am more familiar with things id like to get experience with a group, so this weekend is my chance!

Im sure a good time will at the yard tonight, and id imagine there will be a good turn out tonight it being Novo's last. Novo all the best to you as you depart the great white north's shores and start afresh in the land of wine, baguettes and good cheese! We have had a few online tussles in the past, but it was good to meet you in person and was a very different experience!....ooh sorry i hope i havent ruined your tough online reputaion there! lol

Have a drink for me, Scotland yard wont know whats hit it!! I shall i have one for you all tonight..., after im all docked and tied off of course!, drinking and boating is not the done thing you know!

Thanks and cheers to you all!

Paul.

SchnookoLoly

Paul I've just seen this! I'm really glad you are feeling more settled and content, it certainly comes across in your post, that you are just so much happier, and I am very pleased to hear it. I'm hoping you'll make it out to a meetup soon! Good luck with the boating - you have a lovely summer ahead to learn all the ropes!

Novocastrian

Thanks for the good wishes Paul and all the best for your future as well.

G.

Stinkypup

Well finally we know the truth ...... It is either Gerald ............. Or......... (Sorry I can resist the punctuation...........God...... As I always thought! .... Thoughts from on high

Paul_Shepherd

Thanks Loly, I really do want to make it to a meet up, I think summer is going to be really busy for me, but if the next one is in fall some time then I will have a better chance!

Cheers,

Paul.