juels275

So we made the decision to move back to London after 10 years in Toronto Canada. Got our citizenship and taking 2 canadians with us - aged 5 & 7. All our family is in the UK and they dont come and see us, and we're fed up of having to make the trip back every year so that family can see their grandkids. Its not a vacation for us - usually 2 weeks visiting 3 families in various parts of the country.
10 years ago my husband got a 12 month contract so we came out - unmarried. Big adventure. Decided to try and visit every bar in downtown Toronto during that year - had great trips away. His work extended him, and extended him and we eventually got PR, got married/eloped in the Rockies, had 2 kids and then had the opportunity to apply for citizenship when the ruling changed.
But I realized talking to other expats, that we never had the chat lets move to Canada and raise our family separate from the external family. And the frustration of not being able to afford to take beach vacations just overboiled and I felt alot of resentment towards my husband as it was his career that brought us over here and due to TWP i was only able to take short term contracts initially, and then after children we couldnt afford daycare so I've been a SAHM which probably wouldnt have been my choice had we had our family in the UK.
We kept our properties in the UK and so are moving back into one of them, and renting out our Toronto house to a lovely family who are reno'ing their house.
Pulling my kids out of French Immersion, and putting them into the English school system from September - which worries me as my daughter has had 2 years of French and looking at the homework the english schools have been doing she will be behind. And alot of the schools in our neighbour seem to be church schools which is totally opposite to her Toronto school. We wont know which schools they'll go to until September due to the school system so theres no transition system that can be put in place over the summer.
My husbands mother has cancer so its a good time to go back, but if she doesnt die in this year will it make leaving harder next year?
I just feel like I'm uprooting my family because I need to make the decision that this is right for ME, but I feel that if I dont go now, I may have so much resentment in the future that we didnt try.
sorry, for waffling - did anyone else just find themselves on the expat rollercoaster and feel like they just need it to stop before it gets too far down the track its harder to turn back?
At the end of this year, I want to make the decision to either stay in the UK and therefore we'll sell our Toronto house as I've heard nightmare tax stories, or I want to sell my London flat which will financially make things easier in Canada and enable us to live a little!
I love living in Canada, and since making this decision to go back for the year, its opened my eyes to the good things around me. Maybe the grass isn't always greener.

fulwood

I have no advice other than to wish you well

christmasoompa

Hi, I've just found your thread, it was in the Rovers Return (which is for 'off topic' chat) so I've moved it the main forum where I think you'll get more responses.

My kids are at secondary school in the UK and are in a French immersion program. So it is possible in some schools, although not sure if any near you will offer it, but worth checking.

Best of luck with the move.

BritInParis

So long as your little Canadians have also got their British passports you should be good to go.

Tumbling_Dice

If everyone is willing to do it (which I think is the most important thing here) then you should give it a go.

There is no doubt that there are many problems in the UK, some of which manifest in a more raw manner than in Canada, but such things are blown out of all proportion in the media. I, for example, am from Northern Ireland. If I believed half of what I read in the media, I would never step foot there again, Yet I was back there last summer for a month and loved it, and never had any type of problem with anyone.

Your line about never having had the chat about moving to Canada jives with us.... ours was more an emotional decision for the wife to be closer to her parents, without any real analysis of pros and cons, and alternative ways we could get her more time with them. I will assume that you have had the chat about moving to the UK, hence the post. I just say that because I used to think I could just move back, whereas it is a similar process, to my mind, that needs to be followed when moving back. Where and why? What are the parameters for success etc.

Best of luck with it all.

FARAH1305

I really empathise with you as I am in your shoes but the opposite way.

I moved to Europe and then the UK during my early 20s and never expected to meet someone fall in love and not return home to Canada. I am married now with my own little British/Spanish child and as we are looking to expand our family we think it's time for me and in turn our family to return to Canada for the extra support as my husband's parents have both passed away and i'd like my children to have the grandparent experience.For me my professional opportunities hold a lot more promise in Ontario.

Now that we have sold our property and it feels like it's actually happening we are or at least I getting cold feet. We have a lovely life in England - but the draw to Toronto is my family. I've been reading a lot about reverse culture shock and I am trying to be kind to myself to have freakout opportunities. I am shelling out almost 4.5k to get my British passport which feels like a waste in many ways, though I know the security of being able to come back freely if we want to will provide peace of mind.

Goodluck and remember nothing is forever. If the UK doesn't work out you can always come back to your adopted country.

zdenka

I was gonna say the same. If a few years down the road you change your mind, you can always come back. The money and time it would take to move back are worth the fact that you will know for sure.

lukesmith2

We moved to Toronto 3 years ago. Stayed there for 2 years then moved to Calgary. Toronto was great place to live but everything was far too expensive, the air pollution was really bad in summer and the traffic that goes along with that. Calgary is a great place and I really love it the mountains, fresh air, amazing sunny days.

But in uprooting ourselves again and my sister getting married I realized this spring that no matter what family goes first and it opened my eyes for the first time in 3 years and many visits back to the UK how beautiful the UK is. Sure our life is better in a financial sense here in Canada (more money, bigger house, bigger car, able to afford stuff) but the trade which is terrible paid vacation and sick time, not seeing your family, dreadful winters, lush warm beaches are a 4-5 hour flight from any Canadian destination and that sucks, oceans are always far away. I find the latter is more beneficial to being happy.

Friends will never replace family. In our time here my Grandad got cancer and passed. I had my appendix burst and we've moved past all those so it has been a rollercoaster.

I am now looking forward to moving back, being with our family. I will no longer take the UK for granted so many beautiful beaches hikes and right of ways which I was blind too before we moved. Canada will always have a place in my heart and we will visit back over the next couple of years I'm sure.

I find the funniest thing is moving back to the UK a different continent to Canada will enable me to travel more in Canada than if I was in Canada because the time off is so rubbish. 6 weeks is normal for vacation time in my line of work in the UK. Here the max I've ever got is what I get now 3 weeks. No paid sick time. Its terrible how can I visit my family and go to a beach with 3 weeks its extremely difficult and not worth it.

Vaseepoo

I completely understand how you feel!
I moved to YYC when I was young just for fun, for a year, and here I am 12 years later married and 2 children. I always intended on going home and thankfully I have a supportive partner who has agreed to do a trial year or two and see which works better for us as a family.
Question? Are you bringing your furniture with you or doing a furnished place on the other side?
We are going back to London, where I am from, and I’m not sure if it make sense to ship of our essentials (bed, sofa, etc) or leave them in storage in Calgary and come back for them later If the trial goes well.

Thanks!

oxygen28

lukesmith2

All my family are back in the UK only me and my girlfriend moved over here