manchester@123

Anyone out there made the decision to return to the UK after emigrating to Canada and realised they regretted it, and went back? Would love to hear how you got on from there......................

ChrisBan

I was there for just over 2 years on a working holiday so had to come back. Unfortunately I pretty much hate my life right now, 4 months in still don't have a job.

BristolUK

It crops up from time to time.

Here's a recent one

I think I've seen threads on the moving back to the uk section too.

paw339

Manchester I spent a few years in New Zealand and "ping pong" Brits was not a rare beast. FWIW those that went back to the UK and then returned to NZ seemed to settle in well the second time and didn't regret their decision.

nativenewyorker

Friends of ours lived in Calgary for 6 months went back to the UK and realized they wanted to be in Canada. They came back and have made a good life for themselves and became citizens last week!

Edo

For some reason every single Brit that I have met in Canada has regretted returning to the UK, even if it was for a visit.

BritInParis

Whereabouts in the UK did you move back to? Somewhere familiar or somewhere new?

earth2momma

We went for a three week vacation in August 2014. It was so dirty, crowded, expensive. So ya, never go back there for good. That was my first visit back in 4 years and I was pretty horrified.

That was the first trip for the kids too - they couldn't wait to get back to Canada! They all noticed the dirtiness, the garbage everywhere, traffic jams were constant... They're not fussed about going back lol

Mrs A and Co

Hey, yep we lived in Canada for 6 months in 2010, moved back to the UK due to parent illness. After a year we eventually admitted that we both wanted to move back and currently about to set a date to book a container again! It may not be forever.. I'm sure Canada is but happy to move about once we get settled in Calgary to start.

Mrs A

Juggernaut1064

I was back in the UK for two weeks recently for a family wedding, that was after 7 years of not going back, really enjoyed getting together with family but man was i glad to get on a plane home to Canada. Didn't feel like home there anymore, i felt like an outsider, detached etc. Place seemed grubby with trash everywhere. I'll always have happy memories there but the only way i'll go back for good is in a big jar lol

manchester@123

Thanks for the replies guys!
We moved back to Manchester where we were from, same town............. really cant wait to head back now decision made!

Just so daunting that we have to start again, buy a house, find jobs etc etc list is endless but at least we know now what we are going back to. We will return to London Ontario. Unfortunately our PR cards expired whilst we have been back in the UK so we are now having to apply for Travel Documents ..............more form filling!!!

dbd33

I haven't regretted any visits, ones in March are difficult to return from because it's snow here and flowers there. I don't think my children hated their visits to London either; one emigrated from Canada to Tower Hamlets.

Pulaski

BritWhore (USC) moved with her husband (UKC) and regretted it, so they moved back but didn't like that either, so they moved again, and decided they still weren't happy; they are in the process of moving again. I am now totally confused about where they are and in which direction they are travelling.

BlueGrassLass also made several "permanent" trips across the Atlantic, and I think is back in the US at the moment.

MikeUK

You know... that's not true for me....

back for a year+.. looking at the weather in Ontario, & struggling to understand why I stayed as long as I did .... (and I have citizenship)

It all comes down to where you left, where you came back too, and what you expect out of life....

ChrisBan

Haha yep, I worked with contractor, a Welsh guy who emigrated in the 60's. We'd always talk about my trips back to the UK for a long weekend and he'd always say he can totally understand why I didn't want to spend much time there. He's not been back in almost 20 years and has no plans on changing that anytime soon.