Originally Posted by huddersfieldlass (Post 10664081)

Wow

Had to reply to this as this is our story almost exactly (minus the sad passing of your mother). We're still in Canada but for reasons similar to yours would love to return to West Yorks.

Ironic - we spent so long hating the UK and trying to get out and now all of us are desperate to get back! Total madness.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if only we had listened to good friends and parents and thought harder about coming here and what we actually had in the UK maybe things would have been different.

Unfortunately we left UK just as the crash happened in 2008. We benefited from high selling house price. BUT what we are going back to and what we can afford is a lot less than in 2008. Mainly the jobs have all dried up in Huddersfield area and minimum wage is the norm - or so I hear. Lower house prices though.

Overall the whole experience has aged myself and my husband. Also echo the comments so often made by us and others banging on about 'a better life for the kids'. NO better for them or us - just different.

All the best

Originally Posted by floatsy (Post 10667689)

:)

I had a colleague once who I found (overly) cynical and as I get older, I find similar traits creeping into this expat. IOW I understand and it sux :)

Originally Posted by floatsy (Post 10671707)

"This expat" meant me by the way, in case it was not clear :) I don't know, I just found for myself that it can be easy to be negative. Realistic portrayals are always welcome though for sure.

Best!
f

Originally Posted by ak9 (Post 10673760)

Wow reading these stories and experiences are terrifying me. We are currently I'm in the UK in north yorks and are planning to move on a spousal sponsorship route at the end of the year. I am canadian and my partner is British! And we have a cute rented flat with decent jobs and an okay life... The govt just introduced a new buyer scheme where they lend you a lot of money for a house to buy etc so lots of possibilities ...we want to move to Canada to raise a family and be close to all my family there we want to try the Toronto area to see what jobs are like and really excited as.I always thought life was better and easier in canada... Now reading these posts I am terrified that we are making a horrible mistake. In the UK there are lots of benefits if anything happens to you or anything...in canada you don't get anything at all... You are on your own and only get pitiful amout of uneployment and govt help that never seemed to worry until now and I'm having so much panic .... Is it really that bad!??!?

Originally Posted by rubberduck124 (Post 10667716)

Weird all I can think about is leaving Huddersfield :)

Originally Posted by ak9 (Post 10673760)

Wow reading these stories and experiences are terrifying me. We are currently I'm in the UK in north yorks and are planning to move on a spousal sponsorship route at the end of the year. I am canadian and my partner is British! And we have a cute rented flat with decent jobs and an okay life... The govt just introduced a new buyer scheme where they lend you a lot of money for a house to buy etc so lots of possibilities ...we want to move to Canada to raise a family and be close to all my family there we want to try the Toronto area to see what jobs are like and really excited as.I always thought life was better and easier in canada... Now reading these posts I am terrified that we are making a horrible mistake. In the UK there are lots of benefits if anything happens to you or anything...in canada you don't get anything at all... You are on your own and only get pitiful amout of uneployment and govt help that never seemed to worry until now and I'm having so much panic .... Is it really that bad!??!?

Originally Posted by feelbritish (Post 10674581)

To the OP well done on your honest post and having the guts to post it! Good luck with your plans to go back home. There is no such thing as having failed at something only having the guts to try something new and learning from that experience.

Originally Posted by feelbritish (Post 10674581)

To the OP well done on your honest post and having the guts to post it! Good luck with your plans to go back home. There is no such thing as having failed at something only having the guts to try something new and learning from that experience.

Originally Posted by jandro (Post 10674637)

I'm Canadian and sponsored my OH from the UK some years ago before moving to Vancouver. In hindsight I wish I remained in the UK. Life might have been better and easier in Canada in the 1980s but not now imo. One of the big negatives for me is work - trying to find and keep a job is tougher. Also general workplace culture I find isn't that great. I haven't had great experiences working here since I returned.

Originally Posted by feelbritish (Post 10674581)

To the OP well done on your honest post and having the guts to post it! Good luck with your plans to go back home. There is no such thing as having failed at something only having the guts to try something new and learning from that experience.

Originally Posted by MikeUK (Post 10672939)

I think that it’s as you move forward as an expat, you know that it is the negatives that de-rail the process

It's nice if the pro's and Con's balance but very few coming here seem to give enough attention to the cons' tending to focusing on the pro's, the pink glasses and as such the urge is to remind them to look at the con’s and not to ignore or belittle them, whilst understanding they don’t need any help looking for positives they already got a strong focus on them and in part is why there moving here..
It may make some long timers look negative, with the been there got the tee shirt, just wait till you see it for real, enjoy the winter if you can, mentality..
But many have got the tee shirt of Job hunting, and have a realistic cost of living with a Canadian salary, and I bet a few have found that taking up winter sports as a solution to a long winter isn’t there cup of tea (it is mine :))