British Expats

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-   -   I'm off (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/im-off-789976/)

Hawk13 Mar 9th 2013 3:08 am
I'm off
 
Close so very close. Almost made it back to Scotland, had a job offer but couldn't make the $'s work (about to put my daughters through Uni).

But I've had enough of the Okanagan so it's off to the Island (Victoria) instead.

Oink Mar 9th 2013 4:13 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Hawk13 (Post 10593755)
Close so very close. Almost made it back to Scotland, had a job offer but couldn't make the $'s work (about to put my daughters through Uni).

But I've had enough of the Okanagan so it's off to the Island (Victoria) instead.
Everyone who has moved there says its such a magnificent place to live. Why are you moving?

Theoldfields Mar 9th 2013 5:29 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Hawk13 (Post 10593755)
Close so very close. Almost made it back to Scotland, had a job offer but couldn't make the $'s work (about to put my daughters through Uni).

But I've had enough of the Okanagan so it's off to the Island (Victoria) instead.
What don't you like about the Okanagan. We considered both the Okanagan and Victoria when looking at where to move to and chose the Okanagan after three trips out there. What should we look out for / avoid?

jossie Mar 10th 2013 8:54 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Theoldfields (Post 10593926)
What don't you like about the Okanagan. We considered both the Okanagan and Victoria when looking at where to move to and chose the Okanagan after three trips out there. What should we look out for / avoid?
If you are active, into the outdoors and into such things as golfing, skiing, snow shoeing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, water skiing, relaxing on the beach, Atving, snowmobiling, touring wineries, hunting, rock climbing etc then you will love it here. It is a great location for travelling and exploring places such as the Oregon coast, Vancouver, Vancouver island, Banff, Jasper, Waterton, the Kootenays etc. Also places like Yosemite National park, the Grand canyon, Disneyland, California etc are all places within travelling / camping distance if you are adventurous and like to get out exploring. If you are into shopping, designer clothes, pub culture, staying indoors then there is a chance you might not like it in the Okanagan. Climate is very mild. People already golfing down around town for the past couple of weeks but the ski resorts are also still open up in the mountains.

Tangram Mar 10th 2013 9:15 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10595699)
If you are active, into the outdoors and into such things as golfing, skiing, snow shoeing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, water skiing, relaxing on the beach, Atving, snowmobiling, touring wineries, hunting, rock climbing etc then you will love it here. It is a great location for travelling and exploring places such as the Oregon coast, Vancouver, Vancouver island, Banff, Jasper, Waterton, the Kootenays etc. Also places like Yosemite National park, the Grand canyon, Disneyland, California etc are all places within travelling / camping distance if you are adventurous and like to get out exploring. If you are into shopping, designer clothes, pub culture, staying indoors then there is a chance you might not like it in the Okanagan. Climate is very mild. People already golfing down around town for the past couple of weeks but the ski resorts are also still open up in the mountains.
??????? Yosemite and Disneyland in LA are within travelling distance ? On that basis the whole world is within travelling distance ?!?

jossie Mar 10th 2013 9:37 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Tangram (Post 10595743)
??????? Yosemite and Disneyland in LA are within travelling distance ? On that basis the whole world is within travelling distance ?!?
Yeah, we camped our way down the Oregon coast to Disneyland and came back though Yosemite. Like I said if you are adventurous and like to get out exploring these places are less than 24 hours away by car and are nice destinations for a 2 week vacation as you can hop from one US state park to another spending a couple of days here and there along the way. Forgot to mention the redwood forests on this route also.

MarkG Mar 10th 2013 9:38 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Tangram (Post 10595743)
??????? Yosemite and Disneyland in LA are within travelling distance ? On that basis the whole world is within travelling distance ?!?
You could easily fly there for a weekend. You couldn't say the same about Australia.

jossie Mar 10th 2013 9:56 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by MarkG (Post 10595813)
You could easily fly there for a weekend. You couldn't say the same about Australia.
True enough, we usually fly to Disney for our youngest ones birthday for a long weekend and its quick and cheap to get there. Also there are direct flights from Kelowna to Mexico.

Tangram Mar 10th 2013 1:10 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by MarkG (Post 10595813)
You could easily fly there for a weekend. You couldn't say the same about Australia.
You could pretty much fly anywhere in the continental US for the weekend.

geedee Mar 10th 2013 1:17 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Hawk13 (Post 10593755)
Close so very close. Almost made it back to Scotland, had a job offer but couldn't make the $'s work (about to put my daughters through Uni).

But I've had enough of the Okanagan so it's off to the Island (Victoria) instead.
Won't it be far cheaper to put your daughters through Uni in Scotland than here?

dbd33 Mar 10th 2013 1:20 pm
Re: I'm off
 
When I lived in the east end of Toronto, I drove to Ventura Beach, camping all the way. We drove through the drive-thru tree! I also drove to Cape Breton and camped all around there. Both times I was driving a Mustang convertible with a large dog in the back seat. I went to California with a daughter, to Cape Breton with an American woman. I wonder now, am I Okanagan material or am I just like everyone else in North America who has a car and a couple of weeks off work?

Hawk13 Mar 10th 2013 2:23 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Oink (Post 10593831)
Everyone who has moved there says its such a magnificent place to live. Why are you moving?
Originally Posted by Theoldfields (Post 10593926)
What don't you like about the Okanagan. We considered both the Okanagan and Victoria when looking at where to move to and chose the Okanagan after three trips out there. What should we look out for / avoid?
Depends on what you looking for I guess. I prefer being by the ocean, don't mind rain, am done with snow, don't like the dry dustbowl summers, have a better paying job and several great friends that live on the Island and lastly, I can mountain bike all year round.

Like all the discussions on here, what fits my needs may not fit others, so, there's nothing that I would say to look out for - it's just different strokes for different folks.

Hawk13 Mar 10th 2013 2:35 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by geedee (Post 10596083)
Won't it be far cheaper to put your daughters through Uni in Scotland than here?
Don't think so and didn't really look into it (thought I (we) had to live there for three years before you get access to free Uni?)

jossie Mar 10th 2013 3:46 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 10596087)
When I lived in the east end of Toronto, I drove to Ventura Beach, camping all the way. We drove through the drive-thru tree! I also drove to Cape Breton and camped all around there. Both times I was driving a Mustang convertible with a large dog in the back seat. I went to California with a daughter, to Cape Breton with an American woman. I wonder now, am I Okanagan material or am I just like everyone else in North America who has a car and a couple of weeks off work?
That's kinda what I'm sayin? Great places to explore within a 24 hour drive. Sounds like you had some great adventures. Did you drive all the way from Toronto to California as this would be quite a trek to do in a couple of weeks. You must have passed through some cool places along the way? Mustang Convertible could mean you aren't Okanagan material though :rofl:

jossie Mar 10th 2013 3:52 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Hawk13 (Post 10596143)
Depends on what you looking for I guess. I prefer being by the ocean, don't mind rain, am done with snow, don't like the dry dustbowl summers, have a better paying job and several great friends that live on the Island and lastly, I can mountain bike all year round.

Like all the discussions on here, what fits my needs may not fit others, so, there's nothing that I would say to look out for - it's just different strokes for different folks.
Good luck on the Island - it's a beautiful place.

Tangram Mar 10th 2013 10:44 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10596206)
That's kinda what I'm sayin? Great places to explore within a 24 hour drive. Sounds like you had some great adventures. Did you drive all the way from Toronto to California as this would be quite a trek to do in a couple of weeks. You must have passed through some cool places along the way? Mustang Convertible could mean you aren't Okanagan material though :rofl:
You missed his point.

dbd33 Mar 11th 2013 12:05 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10596206)
That's kinda what I'm sayin? Great places to explore within a 24 hour drive. Sounds like you had some great adventures. Did you drive all the way from Toronto to California as this would be quite a trek to do in a couple of weeks. You must have passed through some cool places along the way? Mustang Convertible could mean you aren't Okanagan material though :rofl:
Yes, we drove all the way. I had a job to do in Vegas so we stopped there for the best part of a week. As Tangram indicates, my point was that starting in the Okanagan wouldn't have made much difference. Driving to either coast from there or from here requires more time than most people can take off work.

rivingtonpike Mar 11th 2013 4:49 am
Re: I'm off
 
Welcome to the land of Island Time!!

Hawk13 Mar 11th 2013 5:09 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by rivingtonpike (Post 10597382)
Welcome to the land of Island Time!!
Thanks. Are you still running the store with ice cream (or ice cream store - hope I have this right) in Mill Bay? May have to stop in after a bike ride at Tzouhalem this summer.

Oink Mar 11th 2013 5:11 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10596206)
That's kinda what I'm sayin? Great places to explore within a 24 hour drive. Sounds like you had some great adventures. Did you drive all the way from Toronto to California as this would be quite a trek to do in a couple of weeks. You must have passed through some cool places along the way? Mustang Convertible could mean you aren't Okanagan material though :rofl:
It doesn't have to, you’ve just got to get on it. I drove From NYC or Eugene, Oregon, left at 9:30am Monday got into Eugene at 10:30pm on the Wednesday in time for a pint. And I stopped two nights in a motel. And its about 400 miles further.

dbd33 Mar 11th 2013 5:18 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Oink (Post 10597423)
It doesn't have to, you’ve just got to get on it. I drove From NYC or Eugene, Oregon, left at 9:30am Monday got into Eugene at 10:30pm on the Wednesday in time for a pint. And I stopped two nights in a motel. And its about 400 miles further.
San Diego to Detroit with a supertoked cat stretched across the dashboard, stopping only for petrol, to pee and to watch the finale of "The Bachelorette" in a bar. A couple of days. The why of it escapes me now.

Oink Mar 11th 2013 5:21 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 10597435)
San Diego to Detroit with a supertoked cat stretched across the dashboard, stopping only for petrol, to pee and to watch the finale of "The Bachelorette" in a bar. A couple of days. The why of it escapes me now.
Probably repressed memory. I'd leave sleeping dogs lie. ;)

rivingtonpike Mar 11th 2013 6:37 am
Re: I'm off
 
1 Attachment(s)
Originally Posted by Hawk13 (Post 10597415)
Thanks. Are you still running the store with ice cream (or ice cream store - hope I have this right) in Mill Bay? May have to stop in after a bike ride at Tzouhalem this summer.
We don't have a store, but we do manufacture the ice cream just off the Malahat at our factory there. There are a few outlets for it in Mill Bay - most of our sales are in Greater Victoria and the Saanich Peninsular.

jossie Mar 11th 2013 6:58 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 10596804)
Yes, we drove all the way. I had a job to do in Vegas so we stopped there for the best part of a week. As Tangram indicates, my point was that starting in the Okanagan wouldn't have made much difference. Driving to either coast from there or from here requires more time than most people can take off work.
Starting from the Okanagan to California vs starting from Toronto to California wouldn't make much difference :confused: It's approx 40 hours round trip difference. There comes a point where you would be driving more than you would be doing anything else doesn't there? My point was that I like where the Okanagan is located because within a 6 hour radius you can drive to Banff, Jasper, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, The Kootenays, Leavenworth etc.. so a good selection of destinations for a long weekend and then if you expand that radius to 24 hours for 1 or 2 week camping vacations you can get to California, Disneyland, Los Angeles, Yosemite, Oregan coast etc. for that reason I like where the Okanagan is located. If you apply the same reasoning to Toronto you will have a different list of places - New York, Quebec etc.

Hawk13 Mar 11th 2013 7:02 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by rivingtonpike (Post 10597563)
We don't have a store, but we do manufacture the ice cream just off the Malahat at our factory there. There are a few outlets for it in Mill Bay - most of our sales are in Greater Victoria and the Saanich Peninsular.
Free samples on a sunny day then? ;)

dbd33 Mar 11th 2013 7:15 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10597593)
Starting from the Okanagan to California vs starting from Toronto to California wouldn't make much difference :confused: It's approx 40 hours round trip difference. There comes a point where you would be driving more than you would be doing anything else doesn't there? My point was that I like where the Okanagan is located because within a 6 hour radius you can drive to Banff, Jasper, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, The Kootenays, Leavenworth etc.. so a good selection of destinations for a long weekend and then if you expand that radius to 24 hours for 1 or 2 week camping vacations you can get to California, Disneyland, Los Angeles, Yosemite, Oregan coast etc. for that reason I like where the Okanagan is located. If you apply the same reasoning to Toronto you will have a different list of places - New York, Quebec etc.
Surely if the point of living somewhere is to be able to go elsewhere the place to live is London. Once you're not it in London it doesn't really matter if you're in Toronto or the Okanagan or Liverpool; you'd have to choose those places on the basis that travel is terribly important.

That said, your original point was that the merit of BC was proximity to CA. Well, people can get to CA from Toronto, even to Newfoundland. I don't see that BC is better in this respect than anywhere else. Chicago would probably be the very best, there or Indiana.

Theoldfields Mar 11th 2013 9:27 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10595699)
If you are active, into the outdoors and into such things as golfing, skiing, snow shoeing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, water skiing, relaxing on the beach, Atving, snowmobiling, touring wineries, hunting, rock climbing etc then you will love it here. It is a great location for travelling and exploring places such as the Oregon coast, Vancouver, Vancouver island, Banff, Jasper, Waterton, the Kootenays etc. Also places like Yosemite National park, the Grand canyon, Disneyland, California etc are all places within travelling / camping distance if you are adventurous and like to get out exploring. If you are into shopping, designer clothes, pub culture, staying indoors then there is a chance you might not like it in the Okanagan. Climate is very mild. People already golfing down around town for the past couple of weeks but the ski resorts are also still open up in the mountains.
Thanks for the reply - it sounds like we should fall firmly into the we'll love it category. Less than three months to go now....

And if we don't love it we can always test out the theories on how long you need for a road trip to California!

jossie Mar 11th 2013 9:33 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Theoldfields (Post 10597859)
Thanks for the reply - it sounds like we should fall firmly into the we'll love it category. Less than three months to go now....

And if we don't love it we can always test out the theories on how long you need for a road trip to California!
Great - I'm sure you guys will love it here. 3 months - weather should be nice and hot for you by then. I sometimes miss that whole feeling of nerves mixed with exitement that you get leading up to the move. I wish you all the best :thumbsup:

Theoldfields Mar 11th 2013 9:40 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10597870)
Great - I'm sure you guys will love it here. 3 months - weather should be nice and hot for you by then. I sometimes miss that whole feeling of nerves mixed with exitement that you get leading up to the move. I wish you all the best :thumbsup:
Thanks. I'm not convinced we'll look back too fondly on these 3months as although the mixture of nerves and excitement has it's moments the 'goodbyes' are no fun at all and we've lived abroad before!

jossie Mar 11th 2013 9:47 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 10597622)
Surely if the point of living somewhere is to be able to go elsewhere the place to live is London. Once you're not it in London it doesn't really matter if you're in Toronto or the Okanagan or Liverpool; you'd have to choose those places on the basis that travel is terribly important.

That said, your original point was that the merit of BC was proximity to CA. Well, people can get to CA from Toronto, even to Newfoundland. I don't see that BC is better in this respect than anywhere else. Chicago would probably be the very best, there or Indiana.
I don't think the point of living somewhere is to be able to go elsewhere. Just the opposite in fact - pick a place that ticks all of your boxes that way you can enjoy what's on your doorstep every day. I think it's a bonus for us all though that we can drive to some pretty cool places within Canada and the USA.

jossie Mar 11th 2013 9:49 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Theoldfields (Post 10597881)
Thanks. I'm not convinced we'll look back too fondly on these 3months as although the mixture of nerves and excitement has it's moments the 'goodbyes' are no fun at all and we've lived abroad before!
Where abroad did you guys live before - was in in North America?

Theoldfields Mar 11th 2013 9:54 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10597896)
Where abroad did you guys live before - was in in North America?
We lived in Germany and the Netherlands so to be fair this one is a bit further and the others were for two or three years whereas this is open ended so I guess it is a bit different for the mother in law.

jossie Mar 11th 2013 10:48 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Theoldfields (Post 10597906)
We lived in Germany and the Netherlands so to be fair this one is a bit further and the others were for two or three years whereas this is open ended so I guess it is a bit different for the mother in law.
Yes - the whole goodbye thing aint so nice! My hubby was lucky as he ended up having to move out 2 weeks ahead of me and the kids so he missed most of the goodbyes! Most of our family have been out to see us on various occasions and we have found that the time spent with them has been quality time so this has helped. My Father has been out for 3 separate visits - 5 months at a time so I have seen him more since we moved here than I did in the UK!

Theoldfields Mar 14th 2013 11:03 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by jossie (Post 10597989)
Yes - the whole goodbye thing aint so nice! My hubby was lucky as he ended up having to move out 2 weeks ahead of me and the kids so he missed most of the goodbyes! Most of our family have been out to see us on various occasions and we have found that the time spent with them has been quality time so this has helped. My Father has been out for 3 separate visits - 5 months at a time so I have seen him more since we moved here than I did in the UK!
Sounds like it's all worked out pretty well. My parents are coming for a visit in September already which is good news. Whereabouts in the Okanagan are are you to be golfing already?

jossie Mar 14th 2013 1:32 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Theoldfields (Post 10604506)
Sounds like it's all worked out pretty well. My parents are coming for a visit in September already which is good news. Whereabouts in the Okanagan are are you to be golfing already?
Penticton, the golf course opened up a few weeks ago now. 15 degrees at the moment so the golfers are pretty happy.

NessieOggy Mar 14th 2013 1:45 pm
Re: I'm off
 
The golf courses are open in Kelowna too - I think most in the valley are now.

james.mc Mar 15th 2013 9:15 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by rivingtonpike (Post 10597563)
We don't have a store, but we do manufacture the ice cream just off the Malahat at our factory there. There are a few outlets for it in Mill Bay - most of our sales are in Greater Victoria and the Saanich Peninsular.
Spotted your ice cream in a store near us the other day (Red Barn Market, Brookside Road)... A wee tub of it is now lurking/quaking in our freezer... it must know it does not have long to live! :)

getoutofbritainquick Mar 15th 2013 4:03 pm
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by Hawk13 (Post 10596143)
Depends on what you looking for I guess. I prefer being by the ocean, don't mind rain, am done with snow, don't like the dry dustbowl summers, have a better paying job and several great friends that live on the Island and lastly, I can mountain bike all year round.

Like all the discussions on here, what fits my needs may not fit others, so, there's nothing that I would say to look out for - it's just different strokes for different folks.
If you come to the LM or the Island expect 8 months of perpetual rain. More depressing than the UK because it is usually cold rain. Give me the Okanagan climate any day. The sea brings cloud and rain and is bloody cold. If you like the sea go to Maui!;)

Theoldfields Mar 16th 2013 11:40 am
Re: I'm off
 
Originally Posted by getoutofbritainquick (Post 10606686)
If you come to the LM or the Island expect 8 months of perpetual rain. More depressing than the UK because it is usually cold rain. Give me the Okanagan climate any day. The sea brings cloud and rain and is bloody cold. If you like the sea go to Maui!;)
That's ok then!


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