januarymix

Isn't that a form of regret though?

jkgoulds

Im 22 and been here 2 years and im in the process of moving back to the UK - i have a great paying job here but its the lifestyle and the 'way of life' i dont like.. I can't say i regret it because if i hadn't of done it then I would always be wondering but I know now its not for me and your right, its not what you think it will be, its not all i hoped for, the big canadian dream is not what i expected and the grass isnt always greener! definatly not here in calgary anyway! all i know is i can't wait to be back on home turf

Shard

What aspects of the lifestyle did you find different from your expectation?

jkgoulds

honestly,,, everything. its so hard to adapt, the first few months are fine because everything is so new and exciting but then you have to tell yourself this is it, this is life now and when it settles in its kind of upsetting and its a struggle of everyday life

jkgoulds

main reason we're going back! canadians live to well work, its all work work work and very little enjoy life - apart from the people who have retired....

10 days unpaid holiday allowence a YEAR from 28 days PAID is a big thing, especially because you have to plan your holiday carefully because everything is so wide spread and apart, majority of your holiday would be travelling to the destination!

Shard

If you like travel, being based in Britain is better (especially if you lack decent holidays in Canada).

JonboyE

You should have a word with Labour Standards.

Mikeypm

What was so hard?, meeting and making friends?, lifestyle?

jkgoulds

back in the uk i had a wide variety of social activies/social life and plenty of true friends and aquentances, always was busy and bumping into people so on and so forth here after 2 years i have made no friends! only people through work and thats not something to live for ! alot of british people ive spoke to struggled to find friends , you cant just nip to the pub and have a game of pool because well the pub isnt in walking distance!

jkgoulds

exactly, so close to europe for starters! can just jump on the chunnel or drive an hour and your in a new town/city with things to see and do here, you have to plan all the time in advance and driving somewhere decent, or flying, takes up the majority of the journey

RubyRose

I have two months holiday which is unpaid. I am a teacher and my salary is paid over ten months.Of course I have to save to cover those two months, nevertheless I am on a much better salary here as compared to the UK. However, I find it much more expensive here so the money just doesn't last. Do I have any regrets moving here? No, because my son has settled in well and I am settling in. I still have difficulties with certain aspects of the way of life here on the west coast, but all in all I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ruby

Shard

How do you find the standard of schooling (as a teacher and as a parent) between BC and where you were in Britain?

Shard

One thing to remember is that your friends in Britain were accumulated over a lifetime, whereas in somewhere new it usually takes a couple of years before you START to find real friends. Lack of pubs in Calgary in not ideal, Vancouver is a bit better with walkable pubs and cafes.

Piff Poff

Yes, definately have a word with labour standards, the minimum paid holiday is 10 days.

jkgoulds

We get 4% of every 2 weeks pay put into the 'holiday wage' which only works out to like $15 a day of each of those ten daya off... it all legal, the company has the choice to do it that way...