Reevokid

So I am bored sitting in our 1 bed apartment waiting for my Permanent residency, which I have no idea whether I will be granted. Have a rough idea of how long it will take, maybe 6 months, maybe 9 months. Who knows. It is my life but it is in someone else hands.

I miss my family, my friends, my silly ginger cat (Clive), I miss working (bizarre I know) but I miss using my creative brain to design all the stuff I used to design. I miss teaching Karate in the old church hall. I miss my Karate Instructor and his wife, my life long friends. I miss green rolling hills and just being able to walk through the countryside. I am not really sure who I am talking too but this is some sort of therapy just typing a way...

My story is this:
I fell in love on a sun drenched beach in the Riveria Maya, Mexico. Aaron's lazy blue eyes and captivating Canadian accent caught me off guard and before I knew it I was hooked. It has all the makings for a spicy 'Mills and Boon' novel doesn't it!

We Skyped for months, I tried to tell him he shouldn't pursue me. I am a Bristol girl born and bred. I am a homebody and love my family, we've always been close nit. I said to Aaron that surely a Canadian girl would be much more practical and accessible. With further insight there seems to be plenty of beautiful and charming girls here in Calgary. But he said that he just wanted me and I was more real and down to earth than any other girl he'd met. I really liked Aaron too. So our Skype relationship continued and I fell more and more in love. I booked my flight out to Calgary. We had 10 days together, the most romantic 10 days of my life. Ice skating, snowboarding, dining up the Calgary tower. In this time we admitted our love for each other. I felt like my heart would break into a million pieces as I boarded the plane back home to the UK in a snow storm.

Then Aaron came to England for a week too and we fell in love some more... another heart wrenching separation in Heathrow airport. This time we had both started to run out of holiday and money to keep the visits going.

How could this relationship work? But I had never felt the way I felt for Aaron for someone else, it was intense.

My life back home was a little lost. I was living with my Dad after splitting up from my Ex a year a go, as he decided he did not want children after 8 years together. So there I was, 33 years old, dreams of my own family in tatters. Bumbling along living with my Dad. Mum and Dad are separated.My job made me feel under appreciated and I was worked like a dog.

There is this guy in Calgary Canada who was offering me a new start. Who I am totally in love with. So I went for it, quit my job in the top design agency that worked me like a dog and booked a return flight out to Calgary on the 1st June 2012. I was meant to return on 31st August. I didn't. We got married in Kananaskis on 8th September with our families standing at our sides. It was the best day of my life. The End....

I am now on implied status as I wait for my Visitors Extension to come through and my PR. We took advice from a Immigration Specialist and sent off a complete application with all the bells and whistles attached after she checked it for $$ an hour. Letters from my parents and Aaron's, supporting our shot gun wedding

I am still completely in love with Aaron and have no regrets about my seemingly crazy actions last year. He is the one I intend to spent the rest of my life with. He wants children too I was completely clueless to the process of immigration before I met my Canadian fella. I never thought of immigrating before.

I admit I am finding it hard right now and I am lonely here in this apartment. I try to be independent and not swamp Aaron when he gets home from work. I am volunteering at a retirement home, teaching children Karate. I really miss not having my own money. Aaron can support me for the main part but I am a complete social butterfly usually and that costs. I have my own car, I have made some lovely Canadian friends and a British Couple too. Some days I get real down and wish I had more to do. But all in all so far I have survived and when I land I think I will go on to thrive!!

Peace, love, sausages and mash mmmm British Sausages.....

jennellapea

Such a lovely story. Good luck to you, I hope it all works out and you get your PR soon

ninaDGBCA

Awww that is such a lovely story. Good luck you get PR soon and all works out well

PaddyMacLovingTheCraic

What a lovely story. I'd truly admire your bravery and honesty. Volunteering is good for the soul
Wishing you the best

GeordieYankee

Hey Reevokid,

I have a similar story myself and can totally sympathise with the loneliness of emigrating and having your life in someone else's hands! I am American and met my British husband back in 2003. After a few months of texting, instant messaging (I don't think skype was around back then! I remember recording videos via webcams and emailing them over really slow internet connections!), whirlwind trips between the US and UK, I eventually quit my job, sold my car and moved to the UK in 2004. I couldn't work for 6 months when I first arrived and I can totally sympathise with you. It's so hard not to bombard your other half when they come in the door - especially if you haven't had any contact with the outside world that day! It's really tough going from an independent life with your own money to being totally dependent on someone else, trying to adapt to a new culture etc, but it sounds like you are doing everything you can to make it work during this period of limbo. And on those lonely/dark days, it's so easy to second guess your decisions, but I'm a firm believer in taking chances! If you didn't come to Canada, you'd never know what might have been with Aaron.

My husband and I have just moved to Canada a week ago after 9 years in the UK (which is how I ended up on British expats)! I have a work permit but no job yet so I'm sort of back in limbo too!

Best of luck to you and thanks for sharing your story.

Reevokid

Hey Geordie Yankee,

Welcome to Canada!!

Thank you for your supportive message!! I can't imagine how you coped without Skype! But love does seem to conquer all boundaries.

It is a complete limbo land and very strange to go from always being on the go to just waiting and waiting. I have always worked hard all my life since leaving College. I remember longing for a day off work and a lie in! Now everyday is a lie in and it is actually quite depressing.

I did take a chance and I went with my gut instincts when I met Aaron, I don't regret it one bit. But when the homesickness strikes, it is hard. I received my Visitors Extension today and I am wrestling in my head whether we risk visiting England now or wait till I land. Probably wait till I land as I am scared they won't let me back in!

I really hope you find a job soon! Thank you for also sharing your story.
Best of luck!!

GeordieYankee

That's great that you got your visitor extension! I don't know much about the Canadian immigration process (I know lots about the British one though!!) Would going home to the UK make things better or worse do you think? Would it make you more homesick or would it just take the edge off? Hopefully your family and friends back home are supportive- mine were, but I remember trying to pretend everything was fine so that no one said 'come home'!

I know what you mean about not wanting to take the risk of a visit anyway- fingers crossed you are permanent soon and you won't have to worry about that any more! I also know what you mean about it becoming depressing. It is only fun for so long. I watched so many movies and the entire sex and the city series (that I had never seen). . . what about a cooking or online language class or something? Just try to think of all of the things you wished you could have been doing while you were being worked like a dog! Easier said than done of course. The uncertainty makes it seem never-ending, but it will be over soon!

This time around, I'm enjoying my 'time off' a lot more. I have a serious job prospect looming (they are checking my references at the minute) and have a feeling I will be working before I know it so that makes it easier.

Hang in there!

Sarah

P.S. you probably know about these already, but just in case you don't - a couple of ways I keep in touch internationally: what'sapp (free texting if you have a smart phone) and rebtel (a way to make really cheap international calls from your landline/mobile to other landlines/mobiles- the best part is that people can call you using it too and they don't need their own account)!

Dotty P

Well there's nothing like a good old fashioned love story to warm the old ticker!

Lovely story, congrats to you. Here's a serious consideration for you. Your style of writing grabs right at the old heart strings....have you ever considered doing it for a living? Don't laugh but Mills and Boon and others of the like could do with some fresh blood (I've never read them myself but your style of writing is the sort that makes you want to read on...).

Just saying....

I wish you all the luck in the world and long may your love be strong (I just typed 'string'! - stoopid iPad)

Reevokid

That is such a lovely thing to say Dotty P!! I do like writing but have never thought about publishing anything. mmmm maybe I should! Give me something to do while I wait!
My string is strong and my love! haha
Thank you for your kind words.

Dotty P

You are very welcome! You really did captivate me to read on though. You could write a blog styley journal entitled 'That Damn Calgary Boy Stampeded Through my Heart!'. Okay, that's pants but anyway, here's a link I found. You never know where it could lead (I want halvsey sharesey of your riches though ).

http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/aspiringauthors.asp

Siouxie

Or you could self publish - Amazon have a section all about it. Publishing is free and you can earn up to 70% royalty while having the ability to set your own price.

Howefamily

This story really made my day. Keep smiling, and remember one day you will look back at this time as just a memory when you have PR and are in your working world there, back to some independence and living your life.

Hope your relationship goes from strength to strength

Reevokid

Love the title!!!

Reevokid

Thanks for the encouragement guys!! Makes me feel warm and fuzzy!

KerinaK2008

I also moved for love, what a lovely story. Congrats on your Canniversary. :-)