Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Nov 3rd 2012, 10:29 am
#16
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 87
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
well first can we say thank you for the support and that no no-one said we were stupid for giving up so quick
Well, we have new plans now - our flights are booked for 13th March! We couldn't wait any longer!
Like some wonderful poster said we are thinking of the things we can get in Canada and not here in the UK - as in - it's time for...........(anyone)
anyway, now starts the great house hunt, so if anyone can give us any hints or tips for London and and local area you would be very welcome, already got some great stuff from earlier postings but the more the merrier!
Good luck to anyone about to make the trip and thank you to everyone else
129 days to go and counting
Well, we have new plans now - our flights are booked for 13th March! We couldn't wait any longer!
Like some wonderful poster said we are thinking of the things we can get in Canada and not here in the UK - as in - it's time for...........(anyone)
anyway, now starts the great house hunt, so if anyone can give us any hints or tips for London and and local area you would be very welcome, already got some great stuff from earlier postings but the more the merrier!
Good luck to anyone about to make the trip and thank you to everyone else
129 days to go and counting
Nov 3rd 2012, 10:47 am
#17
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
My focus personally is that I can enjoy all the following, obviously these things are important to me, but what I am trying to say is that if you find your own place of paradise then it helps:
Driving past lakes on my way to work
The view of the Bay in the morning on the 102
Friendly polite kids in the neighbourhood
Raccoons (yes I like them but I havent yet had to clean up after one)
Proximity to the US and the opportunities all that offers
Endless beautiful, clean and empty beaches
Big trucks pulling timber
Ford F-150's and Dodge RAMs everywhere
My 2500 square feet of house
My own pool in the summer
Canadian Homes
4 distinct seasons that require changes of habits and preparation
Hot cinammon rolls from the oven for breakfast
Halloween in a big way
The Fall trees
Cutting down our own Christmas tree
I do miss the UK, I miss the countryside and the beer gardens and the footpaths BUT they havent gone anywhere, if I want to enjoy them again - I shall visit.
Driving past lakes on my way to work
The view of the Bay in the morning on the 102
Friendly polite kids in the neighbourhood
Raccoons (yes I like them but I havent yet had to clean up after one)
Proximity to the US and the opportunities all that offers
Endless beautiful, clean and empty beaches
Big trucks pulling timber
Ford F-150's and Dodge RAMs everywhere
My 2500 square feet of house
My own pool in the summer
Canadian Homes
4 distinct seasons that require changes of habits and preparation
Hot cinammon rolls from the oven for breakfast
Halloween in a big way
The Fall trees
Cutting down our own Christmas tree
I do miss the UK, I miss the countryside and the beer gardens and the footpaths BUT they havent gone anywhere, if I want to enjoy them again - I shall visit.
Nov 3rd 2012, 1:38 pm
#18
All Sooked up!
Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Sooke, BC.
Posts: 1,894
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
zippy666
Pretty much the same as us, with any luck (on our part).
Glad to see you heading back with such a positive attitude.
Do you know what? I think you'll land and feel like you've arrived back home
I sincerely hope that's the way it'll be for you.
Best of luck
James
129 days to go and counting
Glad to see you heading back with such a positive attitude.
Do you know what? I think you'll land and feel like you've arrived back home
I sincerely hope that's the way it'll be for you.
Best of luck
James
Nov 3rd 2012, 1:40 pm
#19
All Sooked up!
Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Sooke, BC.
Posts: 1,894
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Great list of positives too
Nov 5th 2012, 11:53 pm
#20
Collector of Junk!
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Kindersley Saskatchewan
Posts: 300
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
My focus personally is that I can enjoy all the following, obviously these things are important to me, but what I am trying to say is that if you find your own place of paradise then it helps:
Driving past lakes on my way to work
The view of the Bay in the morning on the 102
Friendly polite kids in the neighbourhood
Raccoons (yes I like them but I havent yet had to clean up after one)
Proximity to the US and the opportunities all that offers
Endless beautiful, clean and empty beaches
Big trucks pulling timber
Ford F-150's and Dodge RAMs everywhere
My 2500 square feet of house
My own pool in the summer
Canadian Homes
4 distinct seasons that require changes of habits and preparation
Hot cinammon rolls from the oven for breakfast
Halloween in a big way
The Fall trees
Cutting down our own Christmas tree
I do miss the UK, I miss the countryside and the beer gardens and the footpaths BUT they havent gone anywhere, if I want to enjoy them again - I shall visit.
Driving past lakes on my way to work
The view of the Bay in the morning on the 102
Friendly polite kids in the neighbourhood
Raccoons (yes I like them but I havent yet had to clean up after one)
Proximity to the US and the opportunities all that offers
Endless beautiful, clean and empty beaches
Big trucks pulling timber
Ford F-150's and Dodge RAMs everywhere
My 2500 square feet of house
My own pool in the summer
Canadian Homes
4 distinct seasons that require changes of habits and preparation
Hot cinammon rolls from the oven for breakfast
Halloween in a big way
The Fall trees
Cutting down our own Christmas tree
I do miss the UK, I miss the countryside and the beer gardens and the footpaths BUT they havent gone anywhere, if I want to enjoy them again - I shall visit.
Nov 6th 2012, 12:06 pm
#21
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
ah thanks, my positives are personal to me, not everyone likes Cinammon Rolls and many think we are crazy to want to drive to Florida. But each to their own I think the important thing is to live in your own happiness, wherever on the planet that may be
Nov 8th 2012, 1:08 am
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Kitchener,ON
Posts: 33
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Like you guys, I think the drive to florida for a holiday would be great (all part of the adventure!.. but how does the car insurance feel about this?). Take time and drive 2-3 days to get there and say you've driven the east cost of north america! :-)
Nov 8th 2012, 2:49 am
#23
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Orton, Ontario
Posts: 2,032
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Car insurance here (at least in Ontario) covers you to drive in the States as if it were the same country - so no problem whatsoever on that front. The drive to Florida is great, I did it a couple of years ago with my 12 year old son and we had a lot of fun. We were away for a total of 9 days and we drove for 6 of them - 3 there and 3 back, taking our time, stopping at State Parks for a swim part way through the day and for a couple of nights in Savannah - which tbh I preferred to Florida.
Nov 8th 2012, 4:10 am
#24
Bon Vivant
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,956
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Because I do my annual 3,700 or so mile transcontinental trek from Nova Scotia to my place here in south west Arizona, and I stay here for over five months, my vehicle insurance company dings me for an additional $160 a year.
Nov 15th 2012, 6:10 am
#25
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Nov 17th 2012, 9:17 pm
#26
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2
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 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
Nov 17th 2012, 9:35 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 87
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Thanks for all the words of encouragement, and for not laughing at us
Looking forward to getting back - just struggling with the house hunting, but will get there in the end
Looking forward to getting back - just struggling with the house hunting, but will get there in the end
Dec 29th 2012, 11:38 am
#28
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
Car insurance here (at least in Ontario) covers you to drive in the States as if it were the same country - so no problem whatsoever on that front. The drive to Florida is great, I did it a couple of years ago with my 12 year old son and we had a lot of fun. We were away for a total of 9 days and we drove for 6 of them - 3 there and 3 back, taking our time, stopping at State Parks for a swim part way through the day and for a couple of nights in Savannah - which tbh I preferred to Florida.
Dec 29th 2012, 12:10 pm
#29
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 214
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
We have been here 6 months and plan to return home next June, just doesn't do it for us in NS.. you can only look at lakes and eat cinammon rolls for so long, find it very false and plastic here, had a good experience though, and we don't regret trying it out...
hope you get a house sorted, and good luck with your 2nd attempt..
hope you get a house sorted, and good luck with your 2nd attempt..
Dec 29th 2012, 6:49 pm
#30
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Six months and gave up - BIG mistake
We have been here 6 months and plan to return home next June, just doesn't do it for us in NS.. you can only look at lakes and eat cinammon rolls for so long, find it very false and plastic here, had a good experience though, and we don't regret trying it out...
hope you get a house sorted, and good luck with your 2nd attempt..
hope you get a house sorted, and good luck with your 2nd attempt..