Ok, that does sound like a can of worms.

Basically we're in the early stages of the process, SW application in and AOR received. We're not in a rush at the mo. We've been considering the Atlantic Provinces but haven't done a reccie yet. Have been finding lately that the whole thing has set us to looking at what we have here in the UK.

OH and I both work. He's away from home a couple of nights a week on average but works from home on a Friday and always gets weekends and bank hols off. Clocks up about 30k miles per year, leaves home early but is usually back by 5pm. Also now gets 5 weeks a year paid holiday. I work part-time at a college and get 9.5 weeks paid holiday, am able to drop our 7 year old to school every day and pick her up 3 days a week and am on pretty good money over £11hr. As you can probably tell our big thing in life is quality time together as a family and having holidays together. Our family are all local and since DD started school, my network of friends has expanded considerably. Our house is a bit on the small side and has a dual carriageway at the back so i'd prefer to move but it's ok. We live on the south coast where the weather is pretty mild and quite sunny and the crime rate is quite low, i'd say. DD loves school and is thriving on it.

BUT, I'm fed up with the crowds everywhere, peoples selfishness and materialism. I worry about secondary education (something goes wrong at this level!) I'm tired of being told what to do by the government and of being one of the many families who work hard just to pay the bills. I could do with a change as I've lived here in this town forever and the frequent grey days we get over here really get me down.

Sometimes I think it's hard to look at yourself with others eyes and see how lucky you are. So, do you think we're barking mad to chuck in our quite comfortable life? We're in our late 30's with just the one 7 year old child. We've been sensible and fairly successfull and could do it again, we've got no baggage basically and are not trying to run away from anything. I know we could always come back, but I'm reluctant to keep up-rooting my daughter and if we do this it'd be with the intention to stay and yes I have read the wiki's other posts coming home forum etc etc.

At the end of the day the decision will be ours, following a reccie of course but I'm interested to hear how you all feel that your move has enhanced your lives.

Yes. It's not at all clear what might be better if you move.

That said, this morning my mother complained that Eastbourne on a Saturday is a madhouse with nowhere to park; I visualized gangs of pensioners brawling over the one scooter parking space.

Oh my god! too close to the truth.

I have to agree with dbd33 I really can't see what can be gained from moving in your case

A change is as good as a rest perhaps? Some people just need to get it out of their system, even if they end up going home later..... might cost them thousands, but at least they've satisfied their own curiosity!

Very true there is always going to be the "what if" factor. (I'm just glad I did that when I was 25 and had no kids or responsibilities).

I think it depends what YOU consider Quality of Life - whats quality for one is not for another I suppose. Here i work in Nursing management, i work mon- fri bank hols etc off. When I get to canada Im back on shift work - to me a step backwards. Hubby has his own small business and when we move will go back to working for someone else. Kids are both doing fine in school - eldest about to go to high school. daughter has a pony and son is a competative skater - so why are we moving???

because to us its not all about money and work - we are moving for many different reasons - A better upbringing for the kids away from alot of the violence that seems to be dominating the Uk at the moment - more family orientated neighbourhoods - being able to do things withthe kids that doesnt involve sitting in a pub playground.

I can work my way back to getting a job that is mon- fri and hubby can if he wants work towards setting up his own business again - what i couldnt change if i stay here is the environment in which my kids are brought up in.

My family can visit when they like, daughter can get a new pony, son can carry on skating ( alothough not for Britsh Championships) So althoughon the surface it looks like we are leaving a 'good thing' to step backwards - our quality of life will be much improved by meeting our lifestyle needs - so to me its well worth it!!

Hi Sallymouse..
Only you will know the answer to that question, and I'm sure everyone will chip in and give you their own reason for the big move.

We are a couple of early 30's DINKs (double income, no kids). We live very comfortably on decent wages and have a nice house in a nice area. Why are we moving? Well, we have lived here for 3 years and I haven't made a single friend since we moved here. I find a lot of the local people either ignorant or just plain rude. We want a better way of life and better opportunities for ourselves. I have a job lined up where I will have much more job satisfaction (same job, just a quarter of the work for double the money) and can work how I always dreamed my profession should be. We are sick of the overcrowding and the way the UK has gone to the dogs. Sure, we'll miss family and friends (I do have some - just not down here ) but that is the price we're prepared to pay for a new life.

We are not under any illusion that the grass is greener etc, but as my favourite saying goes... 'what's the worst that could happen??'

IMO it's always better to regret doing something (with a couple of exceptions - genocide and the like) than to regret not doing something.

In this case I think the issue is how well would the OP cope if moving resulted in things being worse than they are now, some people can say "I'm poorer than I was but at least I've lived" while others would get distessed over their situation relative to what it would have been. I don't think Howard1944, for example, would cope well with a diminishing net worth. Someone confident of being able to take the former position can gamble on things actually being better.

I think I can safely say that if you come to somewhere like Calgary (or the other larger cities) and unless you have LOADSA money, you will probably end up seeing far less of eachother than you do now!

However, if you come with some capital and can buy a house somewhere less expensive and not have to worry about working to live so much, then you might find that quality time will be there, and a lovely relaxed place for the kids to grow up!

Well, you certainly wouldnt have family close by if you moved over here.

I love the space and the lack of stress here, but its not having family nearby thats the major drag, if there is one, and we are lucky enough to have a good network of canadian neo-family...but sometimes its just not the same. Just getting by paying the bills is also a univeral thing..especially with the cost of heating rising way ahead of inflation.

It would take you time to get reestablished in good jobs, and 5 weeks of paid holiday is not going to happen any time soon. You didnt say what it is he does by the way...and getting a decent job here would be critical to an enjoyable new life, and there is quite possibly the danger of him working longer hours, although thats not always the case.

You say you are fed up with the crowds everywhere, peoples selfishness and materialism, and its certainly possible to get away from that in parts of canada, but is it possible to find decent work here in those places? Materialism ans selfishness are often just a state of mind...you can just ignore the, where you are. overcrowding is the south of england...that you would have to move to escape, but probably not as far as Canada, and the larger cities here are almost as bad anyway.

Maybe you just need a break, why not come for a couple of weeks vacation and see what shade the grass is here, but it sounds like you just have the "blahs" to me, and you certainly have much to lose, and there is plenty of ridiculous legislation here too which you only notice after a few years of honeymooning.

Worst case though if you quit the UK and then decided it was a mistake, you at least learn something about yourself, and with property prices flattening out there, you could at least afford to go back in a year or twos time if it didnt work out and pick up more or less where yo left off? But, everyone in the family has to be keen on the idea if its going to have any chance to work.

This is so true for us too. I work part time in the evenings and am able to spend 7 days with our 2 young boys. My OH works 4 days a week, we get lots of quality family time. We live in a nice house in an OK area. BUT . . . . . we're tired of abusive teenagers, general lack of respect, overcrowded, rediculous legistation and just the general state of the UK. We figure we can build our lives as we want them - but with the odds for us rather than against us!

Not always. I love the Atlantic. I adore its width. And the rising cost of air travel.

Your kids are a bit more grown up than mine though