Gozit

Was talking to a friend who's originally from abroad, and he made the comment that social life here is boring. Kind of continuing on the other discussion we were having in the office politics thread, people just don't want to get out and do stuff. This friend of mine does stuff every weekend and I tag along with him when I don't have other obligations ... but really, there isn't much interesting to do besides go to work, go home, occasionally go somewhere on the weekend, but mostly just stay home in your spare time.

People don't want to go out and grab drinks or dinner as its too expensive / they're tired / etc. I'm 21 and I already have some friends that are settling down in long term relationships, at least one i'm sure will be engaged soon, and while I don't consider myself "lagging behind" in that regard i'd love to be in an LTR with someone who shares the same values as me, but my last one that wasn't the case and it was a drag on both of us.

And I don't see myself as not having a "full" life. I spend lots of time with family, study full time, work part time (and full time in summer), am set to graduate Christmas 2020, have hobbies outside school/work, exercise, etc - but on top of that I still seem to have all this free time in which not many people want to get out and do stuff!

The discussion in that thread prompted me to think...is this a Canadian thing? Or do I just have too much energy?

There isn't much I miss about being in high school, but one thing definitely is having all my mates around me and constantly getting up to stuff.

Oink

I used to go on ad nauseam about how boring living in Canada was but I changed my outlook by making friends in the entertainment business. I’ve had the best two years of my time here. I was even in a move. So my advice is to make friends with interesting people and have a laugh.

scrubbedexpat097

Friends in entertainment? Two years? You're Prince Harry !!! Yes, you are

scrubbedexpat091

Maybe you have more energy or like doing things, I personally find Vancouver/BC incredibly boring, there isn't enough to do here plain and simple, but then I am not into the outdoors/skier/snow boarding/mountain biking etc, probably also doesn't help beyond my wife I don't know anyone else so there is that, where in San Diego I never seemed to have enough time, I was always too busy doing things.

Sometimes we are just not suited to where we live but can't easily move to somewhere more suitable to our needs, it could very well the area your in just doesn't meet your needs.

Jingsamichty

You used to go out for a pint... now you go out for a yoghurt. Oink is lost to us, he is an ex-Brit. He has become "from Vancouver".

Former Lancastrian

He probably also used to smoke joints as well before they became legal. I also have noticed he doesn't post as many fishing trip pictures like he used to or tell us stories about his Nan. Even when posting there has been a lack of his HID references or her friends coming over for dinner and him needing to be half in the bag to deal with her friends.
I don't know if its a case of hime being totally under the thumb or just getting old like the rest of us.

spouse of scouse

Since Oink posted that he's just had the best two years of his life, then he's obviously happy and that's all that matters

Jingsamichty

I am afraid that, after many years of valiant resistance, he has succumbed to Lotus land... he's a lotus eater.

BristolUK

I can't help but wonder if this is a case of Canadians North Americans thinking this is all there is.

Danny B

My Son is 23 and lives in Burnaby. He is out at least 3 nights per week with friends or work colleagues. You only have to walk by the pubs and clubs on a weekend night to see how many other people are out socializing. I think that the saying "Vancouver is boring" is a myth. Nothing is boring if you have friends with the same interests as you.

Paul_Shepherd

Agreed.... I think as Gozit says. there are many boring people that never go out anywhere or do much socialising, but being a Brit (c/w pub culture ingrained into me) when I first moved to Canada, I was on my own so made a point of going to local pubs and found lots Candians who became friends/aquaintances to socialise with.

I find my life is a lot busier social wise here in Canada than it was in the UK, mainly because of the outdoor hobbies I have, Canada is more suited to that, so I have a busy social life on that front...along with popping into the local watering hole....makes for a very busy life! Now I look forward to a weekend when I actually am doing nothing! I must be getting old!

Danny B

Same here. Can't beat smoking a big fat joint and watching a movie on a Saturday night!

Phaedru5

Not at all, you are simply maybe in the wrong place. Here in interior BC I dont have enough hours in the day to do all the things there are to do. Of course it depends on what you like to do but you need to go out and find people who like to do the same things. I love biking so when I moved here I joined the mountain bike club and dirt bike club, i love skiing so i bought a house near a ski hill, now through biking and dirt biking i know people with snowmobiles ('sleds') and cabins in the woods so if i got bored of skiing one weekend (unlikely) i can join them in sledding trips, in the summer we have biking (of course) lakes to swim in, paddleboarding, i hike with my dogs, I could go on, and in amongst all this i still have a very time consuming job and have to make money to pay the bills. People say i have too much energy, but where I live now there is no shortage of things to do to use it up. You only live once, make the most of it, if there is nothing to do where you are, go somewhere that there is! Hope to have inspired you

TL;DR - join a club to meet people with similar interests

CanadaJimmy

I wondered why you've seemed so much more positive. Glad you were able to make the best of it!

scrubbedexpat091

Maybe I would find Vancouver less boring if I could make friends, but since I have never been someone with friends, I do find the place pretty boring since the things I enjoy doing are largely not available here.