Breaking up, or actually living your own life, meeting your own ambitions and not being inhibited or constrained by your relatives?

Perhaps for you - for others this statement may be completely untrue.

Another generalization that is pretty meaningless - individual circumstances, qualifications, job prospects and what they choose to spend disposable income on determine whether a particular location/lifestyle is affordable.


That assumes that Grandma was local (or alive) in the UK. Being an 8hr drive from relatives is just as inconvenient as needing to get on a flight.

Quit with the generalizations - they're not all that long, and believe it or not, some places actually rarely get snow.

It's not compulsory to buy big and/or cheap. It's actually possible to have visitors and friends share the space on occasion.

We're all aging. If worrying about it is your primary focus, good luck.

Jan, we all have our own reasons for moving abroad, or returning to wherever we came from, but if you're going to post your experiences, at least be balanced in your experiences and opinions. It'll make them more valid.

Salt - once every couple of months, at a cost of perhaps 10 minutes of your time. Yep, that's a real chore.

Oh boy, that's a hardship too.

Just like in the UK, or if you own an oil fired heating system too.

All houses need maintenance - re-roofing every 20+yrs is hardly a daily worry.

Whereas in the UK, it doesn't? Buy a smaller plot, or landscape differently if it's an issue.

Etc...etc....

C'mon - you're not really helping your cause here.

Couldn't agree more. The geographical approach to personal issues does seem to create a lot of family problems. It'll be great to have your children grow up near their family.

Of course you'll run into the tired defensiveness of those who have burnt their bridges.

What he said!

Some of us are not close to our families anyway and we don't all want to move miles from anywhere.

One of the best things about Canada, in my opinion, is that you can live quite close to a major city for employment but you are never far from nature and spectacular views.

These are rural issues,. someone living in a condo downtown would have no such worries; they're not about Canada.

This is about living abroad

"parents passing away whilst we are so far away"

but seems an odd concern to me. My Father had a heart attack while I was in Canada, I caught a plane and went to the funeral, same as my brother who was working in Lancashire at the time; there was no practical difference in actions or options due to being overseas.

Well aren't you just a little ray of sunshine....I don't know your personal situation but how much research did you do before you moved to this awful place known as Canada.

Sorry you've obviously had a crap time, but don't tar everyone with the same brush.

My family was scattered to the four winds long before moving here. My parents moved around a lot while I was growing up, there's no extended family round the corner to go visiting anyway.

I had a job before I came here - that's what brought me here in the first place. Sure, quality of life is broadly equivalent and possibly a little pricier, but for me at least the bucket is slightly shinier even if the contents are the same merde.

As for the list of woes in your second post - do you really mean to tell us that any of these were a surprise to you? So snow needs shovelling in winter - who knew? Places are further apart in a country that covers 5 time zones - wow, pull the other one. Your country living hassles (propane tank, well water, re-roofing) sound a great deal like the seasonal challenges of my parents in their thatched cottage in a Hampshire village, and by no means unique to Canada.

Your recent posts sound as though you regret your decision to move here in the first place. I wish you well on your return to the UK, and hope that you can come to a place where you don't regret this adventure for its ultimate unhappy end, but can enjoy the memories of the good bits in between.

I don't usually post on this type of thread - so please don't jump on me - I am asking nicely.

Jan - it appears to me that you are somewhat down with your life here and need some positive thoughts. In the nicest possible way you are looking at things half empty and not half full. You have made the decision to go back and that's fine. Please don't say life is full of regrets - life is full of opportunities - many people strive for the chance to come to Canada and never make it. You have. OK it wasn't right for you but that doesn't mean that it isn't right for others.

You need to be more accepting of your decision to return. It is your choice where you live and what you want to do with life but having regrets will just make you wrinkly.

My kids are very happy here and I wouldn't change my life here for anything.

As I said, I don't normally post on this type of thread, but you do need a few positive thoughts.

Perhaps this is the aging process to which she refers?

I got very lucky, but i'm the daughter of 2 immigrants (they took me to holland at 11 months. ) I had all my arguments lined up incuding 'if you did it, why can't you support me doing it?' but I told them I'd applied and my mother simply asked when and if she could come and stay for a few months. My father turned around and wanted to go t hrough the economics of it all to make sure I'd covered all the bases and my brother's reaction was one of envy.

When I got my visa I think my mother's phrase was 'you lucky cow!' in an very friendly type way. We're planning their first visit. I landed in march. I'm already better off now than I was in the UK.

Some people must have had truely crap lives to think Canada is a better option.

I'm an only child and my mother is 80 and a widow. There is a lot more to life for both of us (in her case it is mainly Mediterranean cruises!)

FYI,
I dont have a crap life, I just want to try something different, start afresh, give the kids a new perspective on life. I posted on the thread because I wanted to express my parents concern and to give me an idea on how to couch it with them. Didn't ask for you to piss on my bonfire LOL.
They have taps not wells in Vancouver and in White Rock theres not much snow. UK is covered with snow for the last 3 weeks. The country has ground to a halt.
Look on the bright side at least you will be able to turn round and say I told you so, if we come back. Until then, if its alright with you, I'm going to keep positive and hope for a new life with friends in Canada.

Thanx for everyone elses support

Because a certain poster likes to whine as much and as often as possible.

Don't be too down on yourself, Butch.