And it will be different in Canada? it will just be same shit different bucket. You will stil have to go out to work to earn money, pay your taxes, etc. Yes there is a lot more space in Canada, but the majority of that is totally empty, no houses, no roads etc. The vast majority of Canadians live in just a small percentage of the country, and the rest is empty.. for a reason.. It's far north, it's cold, it's covered in snow for a big part of the year, in dact, unless you live in the west, around Vancouver, you will have winters that you can only dream about, or in many cases have nightmares about.

I think (or hope) it would be different. I know I would have to work the same number of hours and lose a fair chunk of annual leave but what I did outside work would be a lot more enjoyable than what I can get up to here. The vast space is surely full of places to walk the dogs and go out and see the country in its natural form. The number of bars and restaurants to chose from, I could eat at a different one every night for god knows how long. I could start a new social group and improve my life that way. Like I said the people I know here have either left for somewhere else or have babies to be dealing with.

Yes the winters are the winters but whilst not as extreme they aren't great here. The constant threat of rain and the naivety of waiting for summer every year and it comes and goes over 1 weekend without anyone really noticing.

Maybe canada itself isn't the best option for me as others have said but from what I do know there seems to be a lot for me to do there and a real chance at starting down a new path.

The fact that people are challenging me on it makes me want to do it more. I'm defending something I haven't even done yet so surely I must want to go ha ha

Answer to original post : yes .....and no.

Take life by the horn, go for it. You don’t want to look back with nostalgia and wonder ‘what if?’ Opportunity can be lost in the blink of an eye but regret may last a lifetime. Don't wake up in a dream, carpe diem.

So true, so true. Imagine the years of remorse after making the "safe"choice!

Roller-coasters are there to be grabbed and ridden to the end. I know that if I'd taken a brief holiday in Toronto and not decided to sacrifice my career by rushing to emigrate there, without prospects, without hope of prospects, I would have carried the sorrow to the grave.

Listen to Oink: he's known as a wise and sincere mentor for young sophisticates like yourself.

This stood out to me as I read through the thread.

(Devil's advocate mode here): you might be surprised to find that there are quite a lot of restrictions/bans on taking the dogs for walkies out in the "country" here. They're banned on many trails outside the city here (not Toronto), & in parks. There are specific areas they are allowed (on the leash), but not so much in the Great Outdoors.

Then there's the distance/time one might need to drive out of Toronto to even start to go & experience the country "in its natural form".

The bars etc comments I could apply to the area in which you currently live...

/(Devil's advocate mode).

Having said all that: you won't know if you don't try . You're still very young. Have you looked at IEC visas & possibly negotiating a leave of absence/sabbatical from your UK employer?

Blimey, I'm about to agree with Oink!

Clearly you have a faulty sarcasm detector, please visit an authorised dealer for free replacement

What!!!! You don't think Oink was being honest????

My world is in tatters!!!

& Clearly my sarcasm projector ain't working either

Do you think Canadian Tire might fix/replace both???

Bring a coat.

Get yours.

Firstly good luck with whatever you choose.

As a Canadian and former GTA (Greater Toronto Area) resident who has now moved to the UK my 2 cents worth would be that moving to Toronto is highly unlikely to make you any happier (if it is happiness that you are seeking!) - however it will offer a change, and that, for some people, is often enough.

From a personal perspective I found that Toronto, compared to Edinburgh (where I now live and work) has a worse work-life balance. These are the reasons why:

- People in Toronto think nothing of 10 - 12 hour days and have very poor vacation entitlement (often no more than 2 weeks per year) In Edinburgh I get 6 weeks, not including public holidays which are another 8 or 9 days on top of that. The only way to relax under such high stress environment is to take recreational drugs, which is why there is such a prevalence of 'relaxation' drugs over there at the moment. The 'rat race' in Toronto is, in my opinion, more soul destroying than in many other cities, and even other parts of Canada.
- the commuting. In the GTA most people commute for over an hour, each way, every day. My brother commutes for two hours each way every day - and this is not considered unusual. The urban sprawl in Toronto is terrible - this results in people having to get 'drive through' for everything from breakfast (often a donut from Tim Hortons) to banking (drive thru cash machines!) Compared to Edinburgh, where I can afford to buy a house in 'downtown' (which would have been unthinkable in Toronto) I can walk or cycle to work in 15 minutes. As a result I have lost about 20lbs since moving here - it has actually been good for my health!
- Other reasons, without going in to too much detail, would be:
-lack of affordable housing compared to incomes in the GTA
- the long cold winters - I guess you visited in the summer?
- the surprisingly high crime rates compared to Europe (they are low compared to America, but high compared to Europe)
- less longer term life chances for any children I may have (college / university fees in Canada can be crippling compared to most places and countries in Europe, like Edinburgh, where there are no college / university fees for residents)

However having said all that if you feel you are stuck in a rut then sometime a change is the only thing that can fix that. The change itself can help you look at things through new eyes and that can be very refreshing, no matter where you end up. The key question to ask yourself why you want to move. If it is just for a change then I would consider somewhere closer (and less expensive from a moving perspective) to home - either within the UK or Europe. As a UK citizen you have fantastic rights to live and work anywhere in Europe (I'm so envious of the rights UK citizens have - your passport gives you great opportunities!) so make sure you haven't exhausted those options before you decide!

^ top class first post. Welcome to the forum.

Given your age, have you thought of the young person's working holiday program? The Canada agreement is called IEC. However, there are limited spots available for UK citizens between 18-30 years old. This year's allocation is in full swing so decide quickly if you think this could be an option. Ah I see Shirtback has already referred to it in an earlier post.

There are also agreements that the UK has with other countries, such as Australia (if you want to work over there).

IEC could be a less risky try out option ....

Determine your eligibility – International Experience Canada

But you need to get a profile in the pool quickly:

Rounds of invitations – International Experience Canada


S

Quite possible lol