alcat2010

So, having one of those moments...

What my wife and I have/could potentially have here in the uk, in the cold light of day is.... pretty ok

We are pursuing a life in Canada. (for all the reasons most people emigrate for....) i.e. "cos its better!"

But will it really be that much better and worth all the years of stress... and money ??

What we want from Canada is to secure good careers, give ourselves and our kids a nice house, in a nice part of town, access to the outdoors and to a city etc...

But we actually have that HERE ! And its just not 'enough'...

So why are we not satisfied? Is it because we have been villifying this place so much over the years we rarely see the good?
Am I the only one in the history of immigration that is chasing something that doesnt exist?


To the people with the experience and hindsight....

HOW do I get these rose tinted glasses off and dampen the adventurous feeling that 'something out there is better' ?!

scribe123

No experience and hindsight to offer as I'm not in Canada yet, but ...

.... (I'm sure you know this) you probably need to sit down and work out what you really want and find out if you can get it elsewhere in the UK. The lake district may give you a lot of what you list (if you can secure the right job locally).

For me (not speaking for my wife), part of wanting to go is the adventure of it.

Hope you find your answer

iaink

How much time have you actually spent here in Canada?

I like it here, Im happy. I dont know how much better it is, its just different. The main thing for me I guess is the lower population density living "semi rural" suits me better, but Id hate to live in the burbs of one of the big cities here or in the UK I guess. The key is getting a decent paying job with benefits.

Anyway, Id say to answer your question, spend as much time in Canada as you can, give serious thought to what you want from life, and make lists as best you can of the pros and cons.

The main thing people underestimate is how much they will miss family and friends, and the amount of time it takes to replace friends here.

Tangram

You have all your requirements already so ask yourself what is missing before spending all that cash just to really 'change the wallpaper' of your life.

alcat2010

Me too!!

Suppose Im not as gung-ho as I was before the kids came along, but yep. The driving force if im honest is the part of me that feels "I can get / do better than this"

Probably immature but hey,

Tony-the-Tigger

Read back on your old posts chief, honestly. Your going round in circles.

It shouldn't be this difficult. If it's for you, it would happen.

Have a swig of Buckie and relax!

dgagitw

Moving somewhere because you think it will be better in some abstract way is probably a bad idea on the whole. Moving for the excitement of just doing it, or for a specific change of lifestyle seem like much better reasons.

Personally I love it here, but then I liked where I lived in the UK too so I'm not sure what that proves.

cheeky_monkey

Grass isn't always greener on the other side..depends what you want to be better?..there are lots of things that are better in the UK..then there are things that are better in Canada...really depends on the individuals and what is important to you.

jericho

I think each persons experiences are going to be different, and it really depends on what you're looking for and what you're leaving behind.

I like living in Canada, and began to detest living in the UK. The weather, the congestion, the traffic, the ASBO culture...
However, I find myself missing the UK- in particular family and friends and British "culture"- sense of humour, TV, football, "having a laugh", etc etc. Yes, you can get aspects of that from a distance, but it's not the same, and hard to put a finger on.

Canada has allowed me the opportunity to buy a beautiful house, with lots of land in a nice area, where kids are kids and not perceived to be a menace to society. I'm surrounded by lakes and opportunities for tons of outdoor opportunities. I have a good job, and earn more than twice as much I would ever get in the UK. But at the same time, living here drives me nuts sometimes.

There's a level of "blandness" here that might be difficult to see until you spend some time here. From a business point of view, it's very tough. New ideas, new methods, new products, etc are looked at suspiciously. There's a real lack of competition and as such, you are forced to pay through the nose for stuff that is often significantly cheaper in other countries.

There's an amazing amount of redtape and bureaucracy, even for the smallest of things.

I wouldnt move back to the UK, but if I won the lottery tomorrow, would I stay here? No I dont think so.

el_richo

Consider it like a relationship. When you're in the beginning of one, the attraction and excitement can be overwhelming, the perky mountains are great to look at, and the potential for a better future remains at the forefront of your mind. Then after 20 years of marriage the once cute quirks are now irritating, the view isn't as enticing, and the future can seem a little stagnant.

Would you leave your wife for a younger, more visually appealing woman, or would you look to spice things up again finding enjoyment in everything you have right now.

After reading your posts, i would personally stick with holidaying in Canada once in a while. Save your money, make better use of your time, and be happy.

Good luck

Hawk13

Great analogy

lf1

To the OP, this is a really difficult question to answer as we all experience our lifes in different ways. I am moving back to the UK after being in Canada for over 30 years, and while I have had a nice life here, there are so many things that I miss about living in the UK. The biggies for me have always been sense of humour, architecture, landscape and the people. These things don't put food on the table, so I think they may a lower ranking depending upon circumstances and at what stage in life you are at.

My decision to move back has been based on many trips to the UK and asking myself these two questions:

Q. If money were no object, where would I live?
A. UK. You could offer me a mansion on some tropical island and it wouldn't speak to me in the same way as wee but n' ben in Scotland does.

Q. If I had one year to live what would I do with my time:
A. Everything that I want to do and see is in the UK and Europe. There is nothing in NA on my bucket list.

These questions may not be helpful to you as you have not lived and worked in both countries. I think Jericho has made some very good points in his/her post. I hated working in the corporate culture in Canada, but having said that, I imagine it could be quite similar in the UK. The politics I experienced were unbelievable.

This must be a very difficult decision for you and I really wish I could give you a good answer, but I can't. I think it really depends on what you value in life.
I don't wish to discourage you, or any one else, from moving to Canada, because you can have a nice life here and depending on which province you choose to move to, there are job opportunities. It all comes down to personal preference and what is important to you.

I wish you the best of luck with your decision.

Dave n Ailsa

LOL!, not again

I'm afarid I have to say that I think you are considering Canada for the wrong reasons. You are viewing it as a "place" for better opportunity, rather than a country you want to live in.

I started a thread ages ago about "emigrating or escaping" and got shredded for it at the time, lol, but my point remains... You should be emigrating TO a country, not emigrating FROM a country.

I have read a lot over the last few years about the downsides in moving to Canada, but none of it has put us off. The only real downside for us, will be the missing the family thing, but we're prepared for that. Everything else, from high food costs, to the un-secure job environment is just something we will need to deal with, because those are not the things that are influencing our move.

My gut feeling is that you should make a good life for yourself here, and if you have spare cash then go to Canada once a year for a great holiday. Or plan further in the future and save for a nice holiday home you can spend summer in when you retire.

If you don't wake up every morning here, yearning to be living and working in Canada, then I don't think it's the right time for such a huge change in your life.

You guys need to chat some more, lol.

cheeky_monkey

im interested as to why you yearn to live in Canada so?

Dave n Ailsa

Not my thread, and I've been interogated enough thanks, lol.