British Expats

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-   -   A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!! (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/question-all-you-people-now-living-canada-585081/)

act1980 Jan 17th 2009 10:48 pm

A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
I was talking to someone today and telling them how I plan to live in Canada one day.

They told me that you never really settle when you move and that the grass is always greener....

I would just like to know how true that statement is? How many of you out there feel more at home than you ever did in the UK? And how many of you just don't feel like you have settled at all?

I look forward to hearing your experiences.:)

Steve_P Jan 17th 2009 10:51 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
I'm probably not a good example as I came to Canada when I was 16 in 1963, you do the math. :p

But this is very definitely home to me, I have absolutely no desire to live anywhere else.:thumbup::)

AmyDavid Jan 17th 2009 10:51 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 

Originally Posted by act1980 (Post 7181973)
I was talking to someone today and telling them how I plan to live in Canada one day.

They told me that you never really settle when you move and that the grass is always greener....

I would just like to know how true that statement is? How many of you out there feel more at home than you ever did in the UK? And how many of you just don't feel like you have settled at all?

I look forward to hearing your experiences.:)

After 18 months I can finally say I feel settled here. I would never think about moving back to the UK - I just love it! It took a while to get the hang of everything (and find the right place in Canada for us to live) but it is definately greener for us :)

BristolUK Jan 17th 2009 10:52 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 

Originally Posted by act1980 (Post 7181973)
They told me that you never really settle when you move and that the grass is always greener....

It's white much of the time. ;)

But plenty of us settle just fine.

tinytears Jan 17th 2009 10:52 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
I have spoken extensively to my family who are out there about this and they absolutely love it there and have always felt it was home. They hate coming back to the UK and only do so to see family.

I know I'm not speaking about personal experience but it is something we all discussed at length over dinner one evening.

ramac Jan 17th 2009 11:05 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
We have lived here for almost 10 years and I still feel unsettled:unsure: I still think about Scotland as home and more and more I think and talk about going home.
Hey, but thats just me!!

I know lots of expats here who LOVE it.

dbd33 Jan 17th 2009 11:10 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
Not settled. Perhaps just not a settled type of person.

Edna Bucket Jan 17th 2009 11:18 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
I wouldn't want to live anywhere else

ann m Jan 17th 2009 11:18 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
Happy enough - feeling more settled. Nothing mega specific but not 100% sure this would be a long-term (ie, lifelong) option - but then anyone could say this about anywhere. Nothing in the rule book that says you have to stay anywhere forever ....

I think it's makes for a healthier state of mind to say "we'll do this for a few years and see how it goes" - rather than "this is for life and I'm never going back to the UK".

Cookie Jan 17th 2009 11:19 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
We love it here too and have done since they day we landed 2 years ago. :thumbsup:

We had a good life (financially) in the UK but wanted the adventure and having visited Canada several times we felt a definite pull.

A major mistake some people make, especially moving to another English speaking country is thinking its the same as the UK but maybe with more sun, wide open spaces, etc. Whether its Canada, USA, OZ, NS etc, each country has it's own customs, people, food, etc - if you can't learn to embrace those differences you will struggle no matter where in the world you move to.

Research, research and research some more. :thumbsup:

Someone in this forum is heading back to the UK after a living here a few months stating one of their reasons was the cold winter climate - in Canada............... really, who would have thought it ??????????????? :blink:

Steve_P Jan 17th 2009 11:22 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 

Originally Posted by ann m (Post 7182049)
Happy enough - feeling more settled. Nothing mega specific but not 100% sure this would be a long-term (ie, lifelong) option - but then anyone could say this about anywhere. Nothing in the rule book that says you have to stay anywhere forever ....

I think it's makes for a healthier state of mind to say "we'll do this for a few years and see how it goes" - rather than "this is for life and I'm never going back to the UK".

If your kids marry here and have families I'll bet that's a far greater pull than going back would be. :)

G77 Jan 17th 2009 11:32 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 

Originally Posted by ann m (Post 7182049)
Happy enough - feeling more settled. Nothing mega specific but not 100% sure this would be a long-term (ie, lifelong) option - but then anyone could say this about anywhere. Nothing in the rule book that says you have to stay anywhere forever ....

I think it's makes for a healthier state of mind to say "we'll do this for a few years and see how it goes" - rather than "this is for life and I'm never going back to the UK".

I'm in that camp too - happy enough here and don't regret it for one minute, but never say never, who knows what's around the corner.... I'll feel more settled once I get PR (currently on TWP) and don't feel like I have a ticking time bomb around my neck...

flashman Jan 17th 2009 11:43 pm

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
Been here 40 years so not really qualified since I've outgrown homesickness.

However in the early years my view of the UK was nostalgic based on romantic memories (Bobbies on bicycles etc.) I started to experience claustrophobia when I last visited in '99 due to lots of people, crowded roads, tiny rooms etc. and depressing cloudy skies.

Give me the Canadian space and blue skies any day even if it's cold.

windward Jan 18th 2009 12:13 am

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
It's more down to the individual. Canada certainly doesn't feel more homey to me than England did.

Have you always wanted to travel? Are your plans for Canada more about adventure than feeling drawn to the people/place?

Novocastrian Jan 18th 2009 12:22 am

Re: A question for all you people that are now living in Canada!!
 
What is the point of yet another of these threads?


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