I know moving so far from my family will be hard, but this sentiment:

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

sums up my own. Yes, I could stay here because I am worried about leaving my family, who I am close to. But I am not happy here. I believe there are better opportunities for the sort of career I want and life I want if I go to Canada. I could be wrong, but I won't know until I go. I need to live for me as well as my family, and one thing I do know is that they want me to be happy. If I stay here they are closer... to grumble to. I'd rather be excited and effusive through a webcam than grumbling about being fed up in person.
If it doesn't work, I can always come back. My parents are not too old and frail yet (both in their 60s). I have no intention of having children, so there are no 'losing their grandparents/grandchildren' issues to consider!

Jan I'm sorry it hasn't worked out for you, but as others have said, things that were wrong for you might be right for other people....

Don't you think moving to another country away from the support of family and friends might exacerbate your unhappiness? Just a tip, but swapping your geography rarely works on emotional problems, you tend to bring them with you.

I joined BE a couple of years ago when me and my OH were talking about moving to Alberta. When we mentioned our plans to my mum and dad they were very unhappy and my dad said I would break my mums heart if we moved. In the end after a lot of emotional upset we decided to stay in the UK. My OH has always wanted to move to Canada as he lived in Canada for a short time as a child and has relatives in Alberta and BC. I work in a job supporting families after they have had a stroke. Everyday I see people that have made plans for the future that they will now never get chance to do. Some of the people I support are only in their 40's and were saving for retirement to 'do the things they wanted to do'. We never know what is around the corner and even though I am really worried about how my mum and dad will deal with it we are now looking into moving to Nova Scotia. I know its going to be hard and I am sure my mum will use emotional ways to try and persuade my 8 year old daughter that she doesn't want to go.
It is really great to hear that I am not the only one going through this! Sorry to waffle on!!!!

So many strong opinions!

For some it takes a move away to realise and value what they had in the first place.

For others it takes a move away to live the life they've always dreamed of.

Personally we love it here!
Life is a journey people, enjoy the ride!

Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.

Moved 20 years ago, with the full support of my parents and siblings. They visited every year in summer, and we visited London every alternate year too, or met up for holidays in europe etc. Turned out to be very expensive, but enjoyable. Now however, they are too old to travel, medical insurance is not available at their age, incomes have dropped for all of us, kids have their own agendas. I have to say that I really do miss the whole family and friends and general community of UK. If there has been any gain in having moved, it is in the experience only. The most marked of the experiences, is that you leave folk who know you for folk who dont know you. That in itself has to be the main reason for leaving family. If it isnt one of the main factors in moving, you should keep it uppermost in mind for the years until you have 'settled' into the new environs.

awww you poor chap, are you OK???

This post is the one that sums it all up in my opinion and tells it like it is. Everyones circumstances are so different, some people leave behind family and close friends, and find that what ever life offers in Canada could never be enough to replace those close friends and family, but it takes the move to make them realise what they really do miss and is important in their lives.

Others might not have close or any family and no real established life long friends, in which case they have everything to gain, by starting a life in a new country such as Canada and all that it offers. I feel its one of those situations that you wont know which of those two catergories you fall into until you actually do it, we all think were the latter, but after making the move some realise that what they actually left behind was far more important and dear to them than they originally thought it was.

Its human nature to look for that greener grass, some find it, some find they were sitting on it all along, but not in the way they had imagined it.

I personally have been here 7months, and things have far from gone to plan, so I suppose I cant make that decision yet, its too early to make an assessment, as I havent really lived life here yet, merly existed (still unemployed and looking for work) However I do understand people who say they are deeply missing family and friends, you obviosuly miss them even more so when things arnt going to plan, which can cloud your judgment. Its a tough one.

Paul

The only time that my mum will talk about Canada is when she is telling me how i am hurting her or doing wrong by my Son by taking him away from his Nannies or how i am breaking my Grandads heart because he will never see his great Grandson again...(when i spoke to my Grandad, he wasn't aware that he had said that!) I think she will continue to think up ways of guilt tripping me out of going but she will eventually realise that it is not working and will start to accept it - that's what i'm hoping anyway My OH's parents haven't really said alot, they have said they don't want us to go but that they also want us to be happy.
My mum is doing my head in but i understand she is upset and so i am making an effort not to go on about it all the time, once she slows down with the guilt trips or stops them all together, i'll know it's safer to talk to her about it!