Hi "Ruby"
I had an e-mail from Linda telling me you were going through a hard time with the homesicky blues right now.
As you know, it was always my hubby with the homesickness, and until recently I have only had short bouts of it. Those bouts are getting longer and I too, have started to analise just how long we will be here. We certainly can't think of forever right now.

At the same time, we can see that we have a good life here. The next few years look promising, but will we just be putting off the inevitable if we stay, and will it become more complicated the longer we stay? We also have the children to consider.

I wish I was one of those people who totally settled and have never looked back, that must be so lovely, to know you are where you want to be for the rest of your days.

We have toyed and toyed with the idea of another province, as my hubby does have certain 'issues' wth Alberta. We could go to Vancouver as hub's head office is there. I'm not convinced its the long term answer though. Having said that, we wouldn't know that until we tried it. We sure as hell couldn't afford as nice a house there as we have here, and hub would go back to the "british" style commute no doubt....oh, and the rain !

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????? Arggghh

Well at least there are several factors about BC that are similar to the UK, i.e. the rain and greenery, but like you said, you could spend a lot of money relocating to another province (unless it would be covered by your hubby's company), and find that is still doesn't float your boat!! We tried that too by relocating to SW Ontario in 2004...it cost us over $10,000 all in all and it still didn't work out for us. I think if your heart and thoughts are mostly focussed on the UK, then make that aim to get back there....but in your own time. I can't bear the thought of having to endure another winter (at the end of this year), and OH wants us to have our citizenship before we make any decisions of going back to the UK, so the application forms are printed off now and ready for filling out. Don't get me wrong, I still have the arguments in my head about the reasons we left the UK, but after our week there last month, I think I have come to realise some of them are grossly over-exaggerated!

Keep us informed on what you decide, and best of luck with it too!
Ruby x

Agreed. Always feel I could live anywhere. Pull of close family must make it difficult when you have never lived anywhere else and "tested the waters" Also immigrants so often have very high expectations, usually higher than their expectations of their own country. Then we all come down to earth. Pros and cons exist everywhere.

It must be an incredibly hard choice to face if the balance of pros and cons of each place are so similar. Definitely worth adding to the mix though, the fact that you are now well-informed about both, as opposed to those who never made the journey. Be thankful the choice is there in the first place, I think I mean, in a tiny way?

For me, lack of roots - strong roots - in England thanks to moving about all the time is a factor in going out there in the first place, and would be in any future decisions the other way. Despite complexities I think that shows itself as a theme with a lot of people.