Things you wish you could’ve done differently
Jan 15th 2019, 6:30 pm
#1
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Joined: Jan 2019
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Things you wish you could’ve done differently
Evening all,
As a 24 year old on track to move to Canada with my partner to Windsor, ON in July, I’m starting to put a lot more time researching my move. Fortunately my partner is Canadian (we met whilst she was studying in the uk) so I have a safety net of her family who I’ve met several times before and a home for the first year or two.
For those who have made the move from The U.K. to Canada, is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently? Or anything you wish you’d have known before you came to tell your younger self?
Very interested to hear your thoughts.
As a 24 year old on track to move to Canada with my partner to Windsor, ON in July, I’m starting to put a lot more time researching my move. Fortunately my partner is Canadian (we met whilst she was studying in the uk) so I have a safety net of her family who I’ve met several times before and a home for the first year or two.
For those who have made the move from The U.K. to Canada, is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently? Or anything you wish you’d have known before you came to tell your younger self?
Very interested to hear your thoughts.
Jan 15th 2019, 8:05 pm
#2
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
Evening all,
As a 24 year old on track to move to Canada with my partner to Windsor, ON in July, I’m starting to put a lot more time researching my move. Fortunately my partner is Canadian (we met whilst she was studying in the uk) so I have a safety net of her family who I’ve met several times before and a home for the first year or two.
For those who have made the move from The U.K. to Canada, is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently? Or anything you wish you’d have known before you came to tell your younger self?
Very interested to hear your thoughts.
As a 24 year old on track to move to Canada with my partner to Windsor, ON in July, I’m starting to put a lot more time researching my move. Fortunately my partner is Canadian (we met whilst she was studying in the uk) so I have a safety net of her family who I’ve met several times before and a home for the first year or two.
For those who have made the move from The U.K. to Canada, is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently? Or anything you wish you’d have known before you came to tell your younger self?
Very interested to hear your thoughts.
I would tell my younger 2004 self not to come to Canada.
Nothing wrong with Canada though, it works for many.
Jan 15th 2019, 8:11 pm
#3
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
I would have brought a coat.
Jan 15th 2019, 8:31 pm
#4
Tea Drinker
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
I wish I would have sold the entire contents of my UK house (excluding some clothes and sentimental items) and bought new when I landed in Canada. The price of shipping all my dodgy furniture and old beds was about equal to buying new.
Jan 15th 2019, 9:10 pm
#5
Bex in the city
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,899
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
I would have done more research into the area of the country I would want to live.
If I had my time again, I would have moved nearer to the East Coast and not bother with Vancouver.
If I had my time again, I would have moved nearer to the East Coast and not bother with Vancouver.
Jan 15th 2019, 9:39 pm
#6
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,854
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
I put the difference in opinion down to people having higher end furniture than me and maybe higher end in Canada was more costly..
In the UK I typically bought from DFS, IKEA, currys/comet and here Leons/Brick/Best Buy/Canadian Tire.
Quick comparisons - £649 ($1107) from Currys/PC World for a laptop that is $920 including 15% tax from Best Buy. (no offers, normal pricing)
Poang chair IKEA UK £95 ($162), same chair IKEA Canada $102 including 15% tax.
Jan 15th 2019, 10:22 pm
#7
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Joined: Oct 2010
Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
I wish I had moved ‘much’ further from the East Coast and somewhat nearer to Vancouver....
Jan 15th 2019, 11:18 pm
#9
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Red Deer, Alberta
Posts: 10,612
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
We wish we had moved elsewhere in the UK, now we don't belong here or there
Jan 15th 2019, 11:25 pm
#10
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
We didn't have any money. We truly arrived in the clothes in which we stood with the hand baggage; a snooker cue and a pair of skis (the lost checked bags turned up after a fortnight but contained no coats). I didn't buy a coat until after the next winter. For two years or more we had to drink domestic beer.
Also, if I were doing it again and I knew then what I know now I would have gone to the US instead.
Also, if I were doing it again and I knew then what I know now I would have gone to the US instead.
Jan 15th 2019, 11:39 pm
#11
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Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
Jan 15th 2019, 11:44 pm
#12
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,363
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
. I arrived in September 1981 as a 17 year old and recall OV, Molson Golden, Stock Ale, Cinquante, "X", Blue, Canadian etc as mainstays of the domestic market. Charrington's Toby and Guinness were quite exotic but available at Toby's Good Eats.Where in the US would you have gone?. To me, only the Subaru states are of interest. Maine, VT, NH, Oregon, Washington, Colorado. Small town southern US or ex-urbia America holds no interest.
Jan 15th 2019, 11:52 pm
#13
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
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Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
Oh, the humanity..domestic beer. . I arrived in September 1981 as a 17 year old and recall OV, Molson Golden, Stock Ale, Cinquante, "X", Blue, Canadian etc as mainstays of the domestic market. Charrington's Toby and Guinness were quite exotic but available at Toby's Good Eats..
. I arrived in September 1981 as a 17 year old and recall OV, Molson Golden, Stock Ale, Cinquante, "X", Blue, Canadian etc as mainstays of the domestic market. Charrington's Toby and Guinness were quite exotic but available at Toby's Good Eats..The adverts the week we decided to go and arranged everything were for CA, NYC and Kentucky. I suppose we would have gone to NYC. We didn't go there because they don't speak French in America and because we feared guns and lack of healthcare. I ended up working in the US for decades anyway.
Last edited by dbd33; Jan 15th 2019 at 11:54 pm.
Jan 16th 2019, 12:09 am
#14
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Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
After almost 51 years here, I have no regrets, and no thoughts about what I would or would not have brought.
We were newly married, never owned a house, never had any furniture to think about bringing. All we really had were clothes, books and wedding presents. We still have most of the wedding presents, though some silverware has been passed on to our daughter, and the very nice but useless 240v Kenwood mixer was passed on to others willing to put up with the extra addition needed to use it.
Nor did we ever have any regretful thoughts about what we might be missing in the UK ........ we just got on with enjoying life here.
That would be my suggestion to you ............... don't keep looking back, don't keep thinking about those English foods (I've never even heard of most of what's mentioned on here, which means they're not "traditional" but "new" within the last 50 years!). Enjoy the new life here and accept that you are living in a different country, not an extension of the UK.
We were newly married, never owned a house, never had any furniture to think about bringing. All we really had were clothes, books and wedding presents. We still have most of the wedding presents, though some silverware has been passed on to our daughter, and the very nice but useless 240v Kenwood mixer was passed on to others willing to put up with the extra addition needed to use it.
Nor did we ever have any regretful thoughts about what we might be missing in the UK ........ we just got on with enjoying life here.
That would be my suggestion to you ............... don't keep looking back, don't keep thinking about those English foods (I've never even heard of most of what's mentioned on here, which means they're not "traditional" but "new" within the last 50 years!). Enjoy the new life here and accept that you are living in a different country, not an extension of the UK.
Jan 16th 2019, 1:05 am
#15
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Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Things you wish you could’ve done differently
Evening all,
As a 24 year old on track to move to Canada with my partner to Windsor, ON in July, I’m starting to put a lot more time researching my move. Fortunately my partner is Canadian (we met whilst she was studying in the uk) so I have a safety net of her family who I’ve met several times before and a home for the first year or two.
For those who have made the move from The U.K. to Canada, is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently? Or anything you wish you’d have known before you came to tell your younger self?
Very interested to hear your thoughts.
As a 24 year old on track to move to Canada with my partner to Windsor, ON in July, I’m starting to put a lot more time researching my move. Fortunately my partner is Canadian (we met whilst she was studying in the uk) so I have a safety net of her family who I’ve met several times before and a home for the first year or two.
For those who have made the move from The U.K. to Canada, is there anything you wish you could’ve done differently? Or anything you wish you’d have known before you came to tell your younger self?
Very interested to hear your thoughts.
You're probably going to regret posting your question.. lol.. there will be many that are totally irrelevant or tongue in cheek.. and hopefully a few that will be useful.
What are your main concerns?
My advice - go with the flow.. and don't make snap judgements nor hasty decisions! Think things through for a week or two before making any major life changing decisions -
Biggest thing is to be open minded and open to new experiences.. you need to be flexible when you relocate abroad.. and always remember your P's and Q's!
On a more serious note, if you haven't already got your drivers license and 2 years experience be prepared to have to do the graduated license program..
Last edited by Siouxie; Jan 16th 2019 at 5:44 am.