Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
#17
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
No solutions, but sympathy. Although we are pretty happy clinging to our particularly rock in Canada, seeing our daughter growing up with minimal contact with family back home, including a new neice, and aging parents does give us pause for thought. An annual pilgrammage back has sufficed for the last couple of years, but thats not financially sustainable for the longer term.
#18
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
The Mrs has less interest in going back to stay with her inlaws who never really have forgiven her for dragging me across the ocean.
#19
The Brit is back
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: NS, Canada 2007-2013. Now....England!
Posts: 2,211
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
I'm afraid if those feelings of isolation and alienation are kicking in now the excitement of emigrating has worn off they'll only get worse and will gnaw at you making life very unpleasant for you and those around you. You're a foreigner living in a rather backward foreign farming community that has different values and aspirations. You're kids will eventually fit in as they turn into Saskatewan Canadians but you won't. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.
My kids are totally Canadian now and hubby and I are still British. The kids now pick up on our accent if we say something wrong. It pisses me off
#21
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
But then you run into the same problem as before and motivation for leaving, in that they'll probably turn into truculent teenagers, hanging around the back of the precinct, getting pissed on White Lighting and happy-slapping pensioners.
#22
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: 1066 Country UK & Saskatoon Canada
Posts: 42
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
Well people thanks for all your comments.
Its a really tough choice as I know all to well that bringing up our children here in Canada is probably safer than the UK but that being said I often wonder if the UK has kinda been branded too.
I honestly dont know what we will do, we have bought a house here too so its not like we can just jump ship.
It will be expensive moving back just as it was coming here so there are lots of pros and cons to it all.
We live in Saskatoon and really to us theres not much here but the thought of moving to say Calgary or Edmonton doesnt appeal to us as that far too busy.
Alot of people have said yes theres nothing here but its what we're used to, and I think thats exactly my point.
There are no mother and toddler groups, well thats a lie, there is one I found which is where I found my first friend, she is also English, but the ladies in the group were very competitive and always picking on the fact that we were British, it was like we didnt fit in even though we tried too, so we both gave it up. I miss the fact that back home we had Sure Start, play groups everywhere you turned, if you didnt enjoy one you could try another. We used to have Play in the Parks, an organised event that happened every week in our local park, you didnt mind paying the £1 fee as you always would bump into someone you know.
Then there were the free Teaching your baby to swim classes and so much more.
I always thought that having children meant a sure thing on meeting other mums, but it seems ( and please dont take this the wrong way ) that here, where we live, people just want to go back to work or maybe its that its SOOOO expensive to live here that they HAVE to go to work, so they have to put their children into daycare, that means theres no call for playgroups or govenment run activities.
Im really notbeing nasty about living here as I do actually like it but Im not loving it anymore and I think its because I dont feel I fit into this life.
Its a really tough choice as I know all to well that bringing up our children here in Canada is probably safer than the UK but that being said I often wonder if the UK has kinda been branded too.
I honestly dont know what we will do, we have bought a house here too so its not like we can just jump ship.
It will be expensive moving back just as it was coming here so there are lots of pros and cons to it all.
We live in Saskatoon and really to us theres not much here but the thought of moving to say Calgary or Edmonton doesnt appeal to us as that far too busy.
Alot of people have said yes theres nothing here but its what we're used to, and I think thats exactly my point.
There are no mother and toddler groups, well thats a lie, there is one I found which is where I found my first friend, she is also English, but the ladies in the group were very competitive and always picking on the fact that we were British, it was like we didnt fit in even though we tried too, so we both gave it up. I miss the fact that back home we had Sure Start, play groups everywhere you turned, if you didnt enjoy one you could try another. We used to have Play in the Parks, an organised event that happened every week in our local park, you didnt mind paying the £1 fee as you always would bump into someone you know.
Then there were the free Teaching your baby to swim classes and so much more.
I always thought that having children meant a sure thing on meeting other mums, but it seems ( and please dont take this the wrong way ) that here, where we live, people just want to go back to work or maybe its that its SOOOO expensive to live here that they HAVE to go to work, so they have to put their children into daycare, that means theres no call for playgroups or govenment run activities.
Im really notbeing nasty about living here as I do actually like it but Im not loving it anymore and I think its because I dont feel I fit into this life.
#24
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
Well people thanks for all your comments.
Its a really tough choice as I know all to well that bringing up our children here in Canada is probably safer than the UK but that being said I often wonder if the UK has kinda been branded too.
I honestly dont know what we will do, we have bought a house here too so its not like we can just jump ship.
It will be expensive moving back just as it was coming here so there are lots of pros and cons to it all.
We live in Saskatoon and really to us theres not much here but the thought of moving to say Calgary or Edmonton doesnt appeal to us as that far too busy.
Alot of people have said yes theres nothing here but its what we're used to, and I think thats exactly my point.
There are no mother and toddler groups, well thats a lie, there is one I found which is where I found my first friend, she is also English, but the ladies in the group were very competitive and always picking on the fact that we were British, it was like we didnt fit in even though we tried too, so we both gave it up. I miss the fact that back home we had Sure Start, play groups everywhere you turned, if you didnt enjoy one you could try another. We used to have Play in the Parks, an organised event that happened every week in our local park, you didnt mind paying the £1 fee as you always would bump into someone you know.
Then there were the free Teaching your baby to swim classes and so much more.
I always thought that having children meant a sure thing on meeting other mums, but it seems ( and please dont take this the wrong way ) that here, where we live, people just want to go back to work or maybe its that its SOOOO expensive to live here that they HAVE to go to work, so they have to put their children into daycare, that means theres no call for playgroups or govenment run activities.
Im really notbeing nasty about living here as I do actually like it but Im not loving it anymore and I think its because I dont feel I fit into this life.
Its a really tough choice as I know all to well that bringing up our children here in Canada is probably safer than the UK but that being said I often wonder if the UK has kinda been branded too.
I honestly dont know what we will do, we have bought a house here too so its not like we can just jump ship.
It will be expensive moving back just as it was coming here so there are lots of pros and cons to it all.
We live in Saskatoon and really to us theres not much here but the thought of moving to say Calgary or Edmonton doesnt appeal to us as that far too busy.
Alot of people have said yes theres nothing here but its what we're used to, and I think thats exactly my point.
There are no mother and toddler groups, well thats a lie, there is one I found which is where I found my first friend, she is also English, but the ladies in the group were very competitive and always picking on the fact that we were British, it was like we didnt fit in even though we tried too, so we both gave it up. I miss the fact that back home we had Sure Start, play groups everywhere you turned, if you didnt enjoy one you could try another. We used to have Play in the Parks, an organised event that happened every week in our local park, you didnt mind paying the £1 fee as you always would bump into someone you know.
Then there were the free Teaching your baby to swim classes and so much more.
I always thought that having children meant a sure thing on meeting other mums, but it seems ( and please dont take this the wrong way ) that here, where we live, people just want to go back to work or maybe its that its SOOOO expensive to live here that they HAVE to go to work, so they have to put their children into daycare, that means theres no call for playgroups or govenment run activities.
Im really notbeing nasty about living here as I do actually like it but Im not loving it anymore and I think its because I dont feel I fit into this life.
If it makes you feel any better there appears to be loads of people who feel exactly like you do, and you'll find with a bit of digging many with the same issues on here. I'd try and find more Brits where you live to hang out with and only give the locals a cursory nod or hello.
#25
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Morris Park, New York
Posts: 298
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
#26
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
People only care about "quality of life for the children" when the kids are young. Once they've turned into teenagers, you're just glad to have the obnoxious little bastards out the house, and you couldn't care less if they're sniffing glue or getting tattoos, as long as you've got a bit of British peace and quiet to sit back and watch quality British telly while eating British Pringles.
#27
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: 1066 Country UK & Saskatoon Canada
Posts: 42
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
People only care about "quality of life for the children" when the kids are young. Once they've turned into teenagers, you're just glad to have the obnoxious little bastards out the house, and you couldn't care less if they're sniffing glue or getting tattoos, as long as you've got a bit of British peace and quiet to sit back and watch quality British telly while eating British Pringles.
Umm my eldest is already a teenager, hes 14, hes not an "abnoxious little bastard" infact hes actually a nice lad and no Ive not rose tinted glasses on and no hes not gay either.
Although I do quite fancy a nice quiet sunday lunch ploughmans at a local pub with a beer garden. And watching a bit of British telly but Im ok with the telly, I still get my fix of Eastenders and many other non soap related UK TV by downloading it off the tinternet
#28
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
People only care about "quality of life for the children" when the kids are young. Once they've turned into teenagers, you're just glad to have the obnoxious little bastards out the house, and you couldn't care less if they're sniffing glue or getting tattoos, as long as you've got a bit of British peace and quiet to sit back and watch quality British telly while eating British Pringles.
#29
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
#30
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 404
Re: Thinking, just thinking of moving back!
Granted, most of those listed are pretty crappy, but "Only Fools and Horses" is still a gem!