A theme that runs through many items is the concept of not emigrating for the wrong reasons. "One should not run away from whatever purturbs you about your circumstances but should move because you believe it could be a better choice" You would not with reason run away if you liked what you were doing or where you are so what you are going to must surely be better. Mainly for the expats. Did you run or were you pulled?

Surely everyone runs and gets pulled at the same time?

I'm running from issues like 'I can't afford the housing i grew up in with our wage. We are falling down the social scale, doing worse than our parents!'

I'm pulled by issues such as more 'affordable housing. gorgeous outdoor life'

My opinion entirely. Sometimes I feel that this should not be so according to some threads I read.

The more you travel the more you realise there is an awful lot out there in the world that many never get the chance to see.If you start something new it soon becomes boring, until the next thing comes along that excites you.
Housing as always increased in price, and for every generation people forget that this has always been the case. My parents said that they felt housing was out of the reach of me, but I bought a house at 19 ( I am 42 now)
I worked hard doing several jobs and taking in a lodger, but it got me started.

Systems change and 30-40 year mortages will be the norm. This is frightening. What a responsibility for our kids to take on, how will they actually enjoy life, whithout that burden. We are expected to work until we are 70+ as pensions are turning out to be worthless. We have to work longer hours than any of Europe for the same amounts as I was earning years ago.

I can't leave my town without a plan because of constant congestion, road works and traffic

Would you rather be miserable, stressed, but maybe with a "good wage" but up to your eyes in debt, with no quality of life. I know I don't.

Or happy, working for less money but with less debt possibly no mortgage and less stress, but with a better quality of life and hope, for at least your children.

This is why we are going. We have worked damn had, made sure our kids have wanted for nothing. We now wish to use the equity in our house to relieve ourselves from the burden of a mortgage. Then we can enjoy our life more and ensure we are able to help pur children have a better quality of life that England can no longer promise.

I did not know until recently that England did not have in place the same immigration system that Canada and usa and Australia have had for years.
Their system may seem long and tedious, but it appears to be thorough and fair. Yet now England want to introduce it some are coming out of the wood work and complaining it is unfair.

I am neither running from or running to..... I am charging like a bull, as soon as I get the chance to get out of a country that is not prepared to stand up for itself.

God I sound angry, but I have not had a brown envelope through my door for yet another day. the postman better watch out the day it does arrive!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gooding

The more you travel the more you realise there is an awful lot out there in the world that many never get the chance to see.If you start something new it soon becomes boring, until the next thing comes along that excites you.
Housing as always increased in price, and for every generation people forget that this has always been the case. My parents said that they felt housing was out of the reach of me, but I bought a house at 19 ( I am 42 now)
I worked hard doing several jobs and taking in a lodger, but it got me started.

Systems change and 30-40 year mortages will be the norm. This is frightening. What a responsibility for our kids to take on, how will they actually enjoy life, whithout that burden. We are expected to work until we are 70+ as pensions are turning out to be worthless. We have to work longer hours than any of Europe for the same amounts as I was earning years ago.

I can't leave my town without a plan because of constant congestion, road works and traffic

Would you rather be miserable, stressed, but maybe with a "good wage" but up to your eyes in debt, with no quality of life. I know I don't.

Or happy, working for less money but with less debt possibly no mortgage and less stress, but with a better quality of life and hope, for at least your children.

This is why we are going. We have worked damn had, made sure our kids have wanted for nothing. We now wish to use the equity in our house to relieve ourselves from the burden of a mortgage. Then we can enjoy our life more and ensure we are able to help pur children have a better quality of life that England can no longer promise.

I did not know until recently that England did not have in place the same immigration system that Canada and usa and Australia have had for years.
Their system may seem long and tedious, but it appears to be thorough and fair. Yet now England want to introduce it some are coming out of the wood work and complaining it is unfair.

I am neither running from or running to..... I am charging like a bull, as soon as I get the chance to get out of a country that is not prepared to stand up for itself.

God I sound angry, but I have not had a brown envelope through my door for yet another day. the postman better watch out the day it does arrive!)

You have the exact same reasons to leave as we've got!!! All from future housing for our kids, our retirement, traffic. I've got to say that schooling worries us too. If it's the same in Canada, at least we'll be able to afford private school. Here we can't afford to have a third child. In Canada it will be a choice. It might not happen but at least we'll have the choice!!! Here we've got a nice house but not much savings. In Canada we'll have both!

Where are you planning to go in Canada??? We can't make up our mind between Ottawa and Nova Scotia (also considering NB)!!

hi! i feel i must pop in my opinion here regarding my feelings both before we came to canada and now when we are an inch away from going back. you know, after reading these posts, had to smile, as i was voicing the very same opinions you guys are, when i was in the uk! but now, after having been here awhile, having worked and lived the life, albeit a short while, i can just about honestly say that the uk was not a so bad after all. ok, its not a bed of roses, but the social structure there is miles stronger and better than here and it is much easier for newcomers to settle there than here--witness all the asylum seekers/refugees etc ---they all head for the uk, not other euro countries--good luck to them anyway! you have got to have solid reasons to come here; not just the uk is crowded, crime-ridden, costly, etc etc. if you are genuinely having serious problems there, only then would i emigrate, not otherwise. emigration, esp to canada, is not for everyone, esp if you are coming from a G7 country with a far stronger economy. and one other thing, in my opinion, one cannot really cast a judgement upon the kind of lifestyle available here unless one has had the opportunity to actually be here and live the life. believe me, surfing the internet is NOT enough tp learn about life here--you have got to come over and actually LIVE here to find out! we made over 5 trips before we landed here, and we thought we knew all about life here.......!

If you are refering to UK versus Canada you are wrong. Canada generates more revenue per capita than the UK and is likely to continue to do so. I think there are a number of posters here that are cutting ties with the UK by selling up everything and committing completely so are very much focused on what they are doing. It is much easier to jump back into the old ways if you have retained a home and job ties or and family which I recall is your case. This is not intended to be offensive but some of us are betting our shirts on our gut feelings. We too have been in the UK for many years and you seem to reflect on many your opinions as though we don't see what is really the long term prospect of Europe but more importantly the UK. We read papers, we see news reports on TV, most are fairly if not very well educated so it does not make sense to have this anti emigrate attitude, you should be encouraging people to try it as after all that is what you did. From your threads many potential successful emigrates would think Canada is an uncultural anti-social hellhole that is a no hoper. I hope you really don't think this as they have made you welcome to a point - after all you got a job and many did not.

Julius, I have read many many posts from you and I can certainly respect and understand that the move to Canada has not been what you had expected...but I must take huge issue with this statement that it is much easier for newcomers to settle in the UK. How could you possible know that as you are British?

I do know that it is not at all easy to settle in the UK...I too could go on forever about the obstacles that I had to overcome moving to this country...but I won't...because I expected hurdles when I moved here.

Do you honestly think there is any difference trying to find work in the UK then it is in Canada. I left Canada 8 years ago and was the publisher of a newspaper...I moved to the UK and was told I had no UK experience so also had to take a much lesser position after searching for what seemed an eternity. I secretly chuckle at a lot of those little niggly things people complain about in Canada...only because those same type of niggly things bothered me when I first moved to the UK....people making fun of my accent...oh I could go on.

The bottom line is...anytime anyone moves to another country...regardless of what country...there are always going to be differences. In some cases more than others. It's never easy...but when I moved to England...I expected to adjust to the English way of life...I never expected the people here to adapt to me.

Dawn

I have read a number of your posts and understand why you feel the way you do. it is very difficult to move especially with teenagers as they are at an age where they have little cares or worries apart form hormonal. I also agree there are some good points about the UK. The social system in Uk is so lenient that of course people from por europena countries are going to want to come hear everything is handed on the plate as soon as they arrive, at my expense.
Also Canada is a huge country and not all places are the same . Many areas are rural and if you can't drive it would be impossible to live there.
I have lived in my town for 8 years and I know hardly anyone . none of he neigbours are social and I say about 5 words to each of them a year despite efforts. Shop keepers are miserable and teenagers have little to look up to in life. There life revolves around dring, in some cases drugs and hanging around the shops.

When I was a teenager I did the usual as above but god did I haev a social life that did not revolve around drink. I suppose then computers and mobile phones were not my life line when I got bored.

You cannot drink in canda until 19 well at least get into a bar. My daughters friends are 15 and get in in UK.

Canadians like the outdoors,and sports, and I feel far more social than uk people.
Many immigrants to the UK are settling up in their own little social groups, there are even whole towns that are dominated by one culture. Religion etc.
I am all for mutli culturismm but I also will respect another countries religions and cultures and not impose my beliefs on them.

The best hing you did do is try it, eventhough you do not like it. At least you can look back and say, well at least i tried. And deep down I believe that is all anyone else here can do. You will never know unless you try.

Can't understand why anyone would like Streatham, but like you said unless I tried it I cannot comment. At least I would not need a visa?
good luck I hope it works out returning to UK.

OK I tried dissecting the above

But it got too wafflely….. the reality is he’s been here and knows what the score is.. and knows how it affected him and his family..

He and I and a few others know what Canada has to offer and what the UK has to offer and we know that the difference is not as great as many would like it to be…

When you’re here you’ll find it out for yourself ….

P.S. we read papers too.. both British and Canadian

Definitely pulled. It was was a work transfer, there was the dark cloud of the place I worked closing at some point in the future. In addition we where only living in a small community and would have had to up sticks and move to somewhere that I could get work any way.

So it was an opportunity of moving now with work or be laid off and then struggle to find a new job and move at the sametime.

That is a benefit not a drawback one would have thought.

You’d think it’s a benefit.... but given the expectations of many of those in here it’s going to be a major disappointment…

Then the best thing is to not expect much. We don't and to be honest all I can think about is problems for some time. Worrying about money, worrying about the children, worrying if the first time I open my mouth and the UK dialect comes pouring out. I would love to have lived in many different countries but one needs to be cautious if you have children. Roof over their head is priority. But to live in one place when the world is so big is missing an awful lot. We have moved many many times from house to house in the UK so this is important to us so we hope to make a firm approach with the no going back attitude.

And yes I respect that you are there, you are 'living it' so called etc but I will react to comments about how great the UK is when it has many faults and some that will compact its future, combined to how bad Canada or anywhere come to that is as comparison. Each has its virtues.

well thank you very much for that pertinent and to-the-point answer, mikeuk. exactly as you say--i repeat again--ONLY those who have lived the life here can REALLY comment on whats what. i fully respect all those who are well read and literate--i am not saying that everyone here is illiterate, no, but NO amount of reading newspapers, surfing th web, watching tv or listening to the radio will tell you what its like at grass rooots level in another country. ok, you will pick up a little knowledge, but thats all. up until you actually come here like some of us have, only then can you truly know what goes on here. i'm afraid thats a fact of life and there's no getting away from it!!no offence intended to anyone.