scrubbedexpat133

I have been here now for 5 years. I arrived on 25th April 2010 with 2 bags of clothes and $5000. I landed at Halifax, within an hour I had my work permit in hand and was in the hire car heading for NB. I was starving as the CBSA officer made me put my sandwiches in the bin! Bloody Jobsworth!!

Some lows:

My fiancee telling me after 2 weeks of being here that she hated it and never wanted to move here. After 1 year we parted ways and she went back to England.

Taking 4 years to get PR.

I am a long haul trucker, I had been here for 3 years and was in a relationship with a girl. I came home to find that she had moved out and taken everything with her including the light bulbs and shower cutain!!!

The winter weather is hard to cope with - not so much the cold but the volume of snow that we get here.

Moncton and NB are basically a bit backward and behind the rest of Canada/the civilized world. They are also both a bit dull.

The people here - a lot of thick small minded peasanty types. Also a lot of them are dull and I cant be bothered with pointless conversation.

Sense of Humor - a lot of it seems to go clean over there head. I miss the quick wit and banter from home.

A few Highs:

I own a fantastic house now that would have been way above and beyond what I could ever have had in the UK.

I live a better overall life here - better clothes, better car, able to eat and go out more.

I got to see the whole continent and see scenery and visit places that I thought that I never would.

Much less stressed than in the UK, the pace of life here is so much more relaxed.

Above all else despite losing my fiancee and my gf buggering off with everything I have now met the Woman of my dreams She is gorgeous, intelligent and gets my sense of humor. What can I say she is fantastic!


After 5 years here whilst on the whole I am reasonably happy I am a bit bored with living in Moncton and Atlantic Canada. I dont think that I will stay here for many more years. I will stay in Canada. Most likely Southern Ontario.
I certainly will not spend the rest of my life here. I will retire somewhere warmer at least for the winter months.

If I could do it again I knew what I do now I would not have moved to Atlantic Canada but I def would move to Canada.

MillieF

Alex....we're many years apart in years, but apart from that, we could practically be twins... - owing to age - our 'downs' are exact, but our 'highs' differ a little.

Like you I am relatively happy.

I am glad you have met the girl of your dreams I followed the man of mine over...happiness is great wherever you get it!

I sincerely hope you continue happily - with a lot less snow in your future!

Very best of luck?

BristolUK

For all the downsides, some of the highs might not have been achievable in other parts. Not for me anyway.

Just hoping that the snow this winter means we'll be unlikely to experience it again. Even an "above average" snowy winter in the future will seem like we got off lightly in comparison.

scrubbedexpat133

Thanks MillieF, A Snow blower is the top of my shopping list for this year!! I cant face shoveling again!!

The lows that I have experienced for the most part were personal circumstance and could have happened anywhere. I am not that unhappy really, just a bit bored.

I am not going to ask a lady her age but I am not as young as I use to was.... Age is part of what is playing on my mind with regard to relocating. I am 33 and my gf 31. We do not have children at the moment and were talking about this the other day. I am not sure that I want to have children in NB and think that we would be better moving to another part of Canada. Whilst my GF is more than happy to relocate she did make the very good point that her family is here and having a support network when you have children is important. With my family being back home I cant disagree.

If and when we do move it will be a couple of years away minimum. I only purchased the house last year so it would be silly unless My GF got a job offer that we could not refuse. It is less of a problem for me as I can find work just about anywhere and the company I work for has depots across the country.

scrubbedexpat133

Absoloutly agree Bristol, I work for a living

I appreciate what I have here in NB. The housing is a major part of this. I think more than anything Its the size of the place and access to larger cities that are a factor. For me the sad thing is that this place does have serious potential but there are too many people here who are afraid of anything that resembles change.
The arena that they want to build is a good example of this. Downtown needs a massive shot in the arm and is dire for a city of this size. It would seem that NBers would argue over the price of a free cup of coffee before arriving at the conclusion that its the Irvings/Francophones/Anglophones fault but in the end its all a conspiracy by the government!!!

BristolUK

And every time the topic of pedestrianising Main St for a weekend or something comes up they all complain they can't drive or park their cars.
That should become the new motto.

Former Lancastrian

If you were starving why didn't you eat the bloody sandwiches before getting off the plane
Im guessing they contained meat of some description hence dump them in the bin.

scrubbedexpat133

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!!!

I did eat half of my sandwiches on the plane plus the rubbish they feed you and saved a couple of butties for the 2 1/2 hour drive.

Cooked ham in a Sandwich that I was going to eat - how harmful can it be??

I know I know.....still a bloody jobsworth....

John and Kerina

At the point jobsworth removed your sandwiches you should of broke into song and given him the Monty Python version of Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam lovely Spam....etc....don't get me started on the price of cheese....aagghhhh....you need a second mortgage here in Ontario......lol
5year anniversary Feb 2010.....just renewed our PR cards.....received last Friday after a 3 month turn-a-round...not bad since other expats indicated a 9 month waiting list?