Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 87
Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Hi, well we went through the whole skilled worker app, took us just over four years in total and we landed on PEI in September 2011 but we were back in April 2012.
We did have special reasons - a bereavement meant we had to come home, but we still deeply regret leaving and want to share our feelings to help anyone else just starting in Canada.
Homesickness is a real condition, you miss everything - we missed walkers Cheese and Onion crisps and Hollands meat and potato pies!! The food was strange, cuts of meat had different names, cereal was different, we ended up eating out so much at places like mcdonalds just because it was familiar!
The heating systems are weird - big vents blowing warm air that goes nowhere - have they never heard of a radiator? Is our accent really that hard to understand? Being looked and pointed at when out shopping when we were talking never failed to creep us a out just a little!!
Well - everything is different but it does not make it bad, after being back six months we have booked our flights to return to Canada next September, we urge anyone to give it at least a year before making any rash decision to return, just as we came home the homesickness was passing and we starting to get used to everything, our situation was complicated but I think we should have held on and just come back temporarily.
We now can not wait to go back, everything we thought we missed we have had and it was a really disappointment, the saying true absence makes the heart grow fonder but it also greatly misleads you, so to everyone just about to go or just about to land, keep smiling, keep hoping and stay strong - it will be worth it and it does get better, we can not wait to get back,
Good luck to all and hopefully in a few years we will have our own real canniversary
We did have special reasons - a bereavement meant we had to come home, but we still deeply regret leaving and want to share our feelings to help anyone else just starting in Canada.
Homesickness is a real condition, you miss everything - we missed walkers Cheese and Onion crisps and Hollands meat and potato pies!! The food was strange, cuts of meat had different names, cereal was different, we ended up eating out so much at places like mcdonalds just because it was familiar!
The heating systems are weird - big vents blowing warm air that goes nowhere - have they never heard of a radiator? Is our accent really that hard to understand? Being looked and pointed at when out shopping when we were talking never failed to creep us a out just a little!!
Well - everything is different but it does not make it bad, after being back six months we have booked our flights to return to Canada next September, we urge anyone to give it at least a year before making any rash decision to return, just as we came home the homesickness was passing and we starting to get used to everything, our situation was complicated but I think we should have held on and just come back temporarily.
We now can not wait to go back, everything we thought we missed we have had and it was a really disappointment, the saying true absence makes the heart grow fonder but it also greatly misleads you, so to everyone just about to go or just about to land, keep smiling, keep hoping and stay strong - it will be worth it and it does get better, we can not wait to get back,
Good luck to all and hopefully in a few years we will have our own real canniversary
#2
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Hi Zippy666
We landed in March 2012.
Me and her made a decision that we would do 2 years no matter what. As it happens things are going ok so far, no homesickness or food cravings this last.
Hope its second time lucky for you.
We landed in March 2012.
Me and her made a decision that we would do 2 years no matter what. As it happens things are going ok so far, no homesickness or food cravings this last.
Hope its second time lucky for you.
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2012
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 213
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
+1
Hope all goes well this time round for you.
We have just celebrated our 6 months and love it here.
We are here on the TWP and just started the PR process.
#5
BE user by choice
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Good for you Zippy. It takes a lot to admit that you think you may have made a mistake and to go back for another crack at it. I would also say that I think that there is a great big sense of anti-climax when you finally get to Canada. You make plans to go, you square it with your family, you say the big goodbyes and it's all emotionally knackering, so it's not surprising that the first few months ain't great and it's tempting to throw in the towel.
Best of luck on the re-run!
Best of luck on the re-run!
#6
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Radiators freeze during the winter, I assume, which is why they're not common here. I actually grew up in a house in England that did have a forced air system, they're not that uncommon. You usually seem them in older houses that had a furnace in the basement. A lot of people replaced them with boilers and radiators but not everyone did, you can run them on oil or natural gas instead of coal, which is the case in Canada obviously.
#8
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Radiators freeze during the winter, I assume, which is why they're not common here. I actually grew up in a house in England that did have a forced air system, they're not that uncommon. You usually seem them in older houses that had a furnace in the basement. A lot of people replaced them with boilers and radiators but not everyone did, you can run them on oil or natural gas instead of coal, which is the case in Canada obviously.
#9
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Radiators freeze during the winter, I assume, which is why they're not common here. I actually grew up in a house in England that did have a forced air system, they're not that uncommon. You usually seem them in older houses that had a furnace in the basement. A lot of people replaced them with boilers and radiators but not everyone did, you can run them on oil or natural gas instead of coal, which is the case in Canada obviously.
Good luck to the OP 2nd time around
Last edited by iaink; Oct 15th 2012 at 8:02 pm.
#10
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Winterpeg
Posts: 771
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Hi, well we went through the whole skilled worker app, took us just over four years in total and we landed on PEI in September 2011 but we were back in April 2012.
We did have special reasons - a bereavement meant we had to come home, but we still deeply regret leaving and want to share our feelings to help anyone else just starting in Canada.
Homesickness is a real condition, you miss everything - we missed walkers Cheese and Onion crisps and Hollands meat and potato pies!! The food was strange, cuts of meat had different names, cereal was different, we ended up eating out so much at places like mcdonalds just because it was familiar!
The heating systems are weird - big vents blowing warm air that goes nowhere - have they never heard of a radiator? Is our accent really that hard to understand? Being looked and pointed at when out shopping when we were talking never failed to creep us a out just a little!!
Well - everything is different but it does not make it bad, after being bmack six months we have booked our flights to return to Canada next September, we urge anyone to give it at least a year before making any rash decision to return, just as we came home the homesickness was passing and we starting to get used to everything, our situation was complicated but I think we should have held on and just come back temporarily.
We now can not wait to go back, everything we thought we missed we have had and it was a really disappointment, the saying true absence makes the heart grow fonder but it also greatly misleads you, so to everyone just about to go or just about to land, keep smiling, keep hoping and stay strong - it will be worth it and it does get better, we can not wait to get back,
Good luck to all and hopefully in a few years we will have our own real canniversary
We did have special reasons - a bereavement meant we had to come home, but we still deeply regret leaving and want to share our feelings to help anyone else just starting in Canada.
Homesickness is a real condition, you miss everything - we missed walkers Cheese and Onion crisps and Hollands meat and potato pies!! The food was strange, cuts of meat had different names, cereal was different, we ended up eating out so much at places like mcdonalds just because it was familiar!
The heating systems are weird - big vents blowing warm air that goes nowhere - have they never heard of a radiator? Is our accent really that hard to understand? Being looked and pointed at when out shopping when we were talking never failed to creep us a out just a little!!
Well - everything is different but it does not make it bad, after being bmack six months we have booked our flights to return to Canada next September, we urge anyone to give it at least a year before making any rash decision to return, just as we came home the homesickness was passing and we starting to get used to everything, our situation was complicated but I think we should have held on and just come back temporarily.
We now can not wait to go back, everything we thought we missed we have had and it was a really disappointment, the saying true absence makes the heart grow fonder but it also greatly misleads you, so to everyone just about to go or just about to land, keep smiling, keep hoping and stay strong - it will be worth it and it does get better, we can not wait to get back,
Good luck to all and hopefully in a few years we will have our own real canniversary
I'm sure that your second attempt will be much more succesful. Good luck .
#11
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Do they have Marmite in Canada? That was what made me homesick when I lived abroad before. I'm hoping I can cope with almost everything else!
#13
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Good luck with your re-run. It IS hard when they dont understand your 'water" but you can perfectly hear their "warder" . We had to find a way to enjoy all the things we missed when poss (cherry bakewells) and remembering that we are in a different country and having some commonalities such as a language is a bonus.
#14
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
We tend to not think of things we miss, but instead think of the new things we like that we know we can't get back in the UK
It's a positive way forward.
It's a positive way forward.
#15
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2012
Location: halifax ns
Posts: 34
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Ohh Cheese and onion walkers are very much missed!
And we did get funny looks in Sobeys the other week, mind you we were making a much deserved song-and-dance about the Salad Cream we just found!!
All the best wishes for your decision to come back!!
And we did get funny looks in Sobeys the other week, mind you we were making a much deserved song-and-dance about the Salad Cream we just found!!
All the best wishes for your decision to come back!!