jeannie in a bottle

6 years, four house moves, tears, laughter, astonishment, amazement, realisation.

That just about sums up my time living in Canada! I arrived here five and a half years ago (on Halloween of all nights!) to finally be with my husband again after he was seconded here from his UK employer. Started off living in a serviced apartment in Yonge and Eglinton, before buying a house in Caledon. The Canadian dream finally coming to fruition after all those years and all that paperwork! I realise now that I had placed Canada on a pedestal after enjoying numerous holidays there. Then I fell down to earth with a bang.

I don't want to start any arguments, so I won't go into detail publicly, let's just say that area of Canada did not suit me personally. Lesson learnt.

Four years later, we moved to Vancouver (another job change) which meant my husband living in Van, whilst I stayed in Ontario for a few months to sell the house. This area of the country, in my personal opinion, suits me much better, and we decided to rent a house while getting to know the area. Fast forward a year after moving here and an unexpected redundancy threw a spanner in the works. After weeks of fruitless job hunting in BC, we cast the net wider to include the UK and very quickly had two job offers over the Christmas period.

So, the removal company comes round tomorrow to load all our worldly goods into the shipping container, the flights are booked for Sunday and the cats are on the same flight. Amazing how their flight costs came to more than ours!

It's been an adventure for sure, good times and bad, financially very expensive but we have no regrets. We have lived "the dream", rather than just wondering what might have been. We now have our Canadian citizenship which will keep our future options open.

I want to wish everyone out there all the best if they are considering starting a new life somewhere abroad. I would not want to rain on anyone's parade, but would like to offer a few words of wisdom:

Try and make sure that you are not overselling the country you are moving to. Stick to the facts and realise that nowhere is that perfect.

Homesickness can hit you when you least expect it. It is not a sign of personal weakness.

If possible, have a back up plan just in case thing's don't work out as expected. With hindsight we would have retained our house in the UK and rented it out.


So "Jeannie" has now been let out of her bottle!

I'm going home

Stinkypup

What a brilliant post- I feel that your thoughts were very well expressed. Good luck in Blighty- great idea to get your citizenship, just in case!.....

itsasmallworld

It is a fact of life that most of us have to live where the work is. There is "good and bad" in every place. You seem like such a wise soul that I am sure you will be fine wherever you are located. Good luck and as you said always keep your options open; you never know what new opportunity might be lurking around the next corner.

HGerchikov

Great post Jeannie, and great advice. So many people expect all their troubles to melt away as soon as they move somewhere new, and the new place to be absolutely perfect. Its not perfect anywhere and the vast majority of your troubles are on the same flight as you.

I love your attitude, its an adventure, take the good with the bad and when its time move on with no regrets.

I wish you every happiness in your new life.

Shard

+1

Good luck Jeannie.

Shirtback

+ 2

Best of luck, & "Bon voyage"

rivingtonpike

With that sort of attitude and mind set it sounds like the UK will be richer and Canada poorer for your leaving us. Which area of the UK are you moving to? Do you already know the area?

jeannie in a bottle

Thank you for the kind words! We are looking to live in The Cotswolds area

Shard

There was a program on TV the other day about Necker Island (Richard Brandon's exclusive holiday island in the Caribbean). They were interviewing the staff about what they thought of living in such paradise like conditions, and the youngish French head chef thought it wasn't ideal (hot, remote, etc). When asked where would be his ideal version of paradise, he replied, genuinely, the Cotswolds!

jeannie in a bottle

Cool

not2old

OP, take the bull by the horns & do what you have to do.... right

Of course that applies when the ever so eager emigrants that want to or cant wait to get away from the UK because of life opportunities or that the UK is a dump & we need a better life for our children

Its all a pipe dream....

Jeannie, good luck with the move back & trust that it all pans out, after all 'never say never' for I'm sure 'merry Britain' will be a different place than the one you left, all because 'you were let out of the bottle'

Of course I understand, since leaving the UK 48 years ago, no place to go to, no friends or relatives, no job, little money & green behind the ears, and since that time till now,we have been immigrants in several others countries (with PR)

My advice is 'keep all of your options open & when you do get settled in the UK - give your head a shake at anything that bothers you & smile, always smile

not2old

minus the caption, you're just envious of the OP cos you have to do a training session

jeannie in a bottle

I'm smiling today ... The removal guys are here

I have been fortunate enough to be able to go back to the UK 2-3 times a year to visit my parents. They are extremely happy that I am returning bless them

Tangram

I used to live in Wotton-under-Edge, lovely part of the world.

jeannie in a bottle

That's not the "real" one