Hi, I'm usually more of a lurker on forums but I thought I'd post my first ever experience on BE.com from last night.

First a mini history - My hubby (Jim) and I (Nic) have lived in Canada for over 3 years. We arrived as PRs via the SW class in early 2004 (Jim as a statistician and me a project manager both with many years experience in the pharmcautical industry). We decided not to take jobs immediately as we wanted to travel, explore and experience life in different parts of the country - and this we did for several fantastic months, before deciding to settle in Vancouver. After months of fruitless job searching, Jim started his own business and I began setting up my own business. Our skills were not in demand in BC After a year of self employment we succumbed to the lure of a regular wage and Jim accepted a job in Toronto and I managed to get a job at the same company a couple of months later. Pretty quickly we realised we'd made a big mistake - no offence to any of you living in and loving the GTA but we were very unhappy there - it just wasn't right for us. So, at the end of last year we decided to move back to Vancouver to try and make a go of it in a place we loved. Over 3 months later we're still job searching and feeling pretty depressed. Recently we've started feeling homesick more often and talking more seriously about returning to the UK (primarly due to there being a lot of job opportunities for us there), so with a heavy heart last night I googled "moving back to the UK" and landed on this site.

After reading tons of posts and eventually staggering to bed at 2am I realised the following:
1 - marmite and pot noodles excepted - the things we miss from our old life are not UK specific - ie relative job security, good wages and our own home. We do miss family and friends - but not enough to return
2 - reading the accounts from people who've recently returned for hols/for good reminded us that the problems in the UK are still the same as they ever were - congestion, overcrowding, pollution, government etc etc. The grass isn't always greener....
3 - reading the experiences of people waiting for medicals, visas, telling families etc reminded us of the struggles and stress we went through to get here in the first place
4 - reading how hopeful and excited all those of you making your plans to move here reminded us why we chose to move to this great country
5 - and finally reading the moving back posts made me realise that if we do one day choose to return we won't have "failed", but have instead learnt a lot from our experiences about what is truely right for us.

So (long rambling essay now over) thanks to you all for your unknowingly given advice, from the mundane to the profound. It has strengthened our resolve to stick it out a bit longer to try and make it work here in BC.

I'll definitely be back on the site as I do miss the British SoH - very refreshing to hear dry sarcasm after so long in North America

Here's looking forward to what tomorrow brings

Nic

Hi Nic (and Jim),

Welcome to the forum.

Butch

Good luck and I hope it works out for you - have you enlisted the help of any career management people to help out with your searching? I hope something comes along soon for you both.....

Cheers for the good wishes - yep - we're trying everything at the mo'. As the biotech/pharma industry is not partic. large in BC - Jim is attempting to break into a new area - computer programming and is busy writing his demo disc (The computer games industry is big in Vancouver and he knows a few people at different companies which is always a big help). I've re-started my business (wedding cakes) and am networking like crazy promoting this while also applying for "proper" jobs in the pharma industry. We're gonna try everything we can to stay here and from talking with a lot of other immigrants have found that we may well have to change careers to do it

I think yesterday was just one of those really low days - when everything seems insurmountable -so coming on here was just what I needed. Although it did make me crave Frazzles weird!

Thanks Butch

I saw tons of posts from you - seems like you guys have fun in Alberta:-) Lots of thigh smacking going on there ?????

Lots of thigh smacking going on there ?????[/QUOTE]

Don't encourage him

Hello,
Welcome to the forum. Here is a link containing the portforlio of BC WOF Fund.
There are Pharma/ Life Sciences companies on their list which are small cap
and are chosen by the fund managers for their potential growth.
http://www.growthworks.ca/investment...ment_list.aspx
Hope that helps and good luck with the job hunting
Yoong

Welcome. I will certainly play my part in keeping the dry sarcasm up. I am originally from Liverpool and there is actually an O Level in sarcasm on Merseyside.

Hi
id call it an A level Paul have rellies based there on my husbands side and its about five minutes before ive realised ive fallen victim to it again

Just wanted to say hello and hope everything works out.

All the best.

Hello and Welcome to the forum.I m knew aswell but im addicted already and have had tons of good advice from everyone.,aswell as made a few friends
Hope everything works out for you
Mandi

We are always having fun in Alberta.


Welcome Jim and Nic. May the force be with you young ones.