We've done it....we've been here in Canada exactly one year today! I can't believe how time has flown. I've just been looking back at old threads I wrote on here a year back, and it was such an emotional time. I remember crying as we took off from Gatwick, mostly from exhaustion I think, but also thinking of all the people we were leaving behind. I also remember how unfamiliar everything seemed to begin with, and how, although we were enjoying the adventure, everything was such hard work to begin with - like finding out where to shop for different items, rules of the road, food shopping took HOURS as we got to grips with new brands, foods etc. Everything seemed so strange and new.
All those unfamiliar feelings seem a lifetime away now. We feel so at home here now and have made so many great friends and met some fantastic people. There have been worrying times along the way - job searches, kids settling into new routines, all that sort of stuff, but we truly feel that we are establishing ourselves here now and feel so much richer in so many ways. The Canadian laid back attitude has rubbed off on us now, and we no longer fret about minor things in the way we used to, and their constant positive attitude has rubbed off too. There is so much less 'doom and gloom' here. When we left the UK, the recession was biting hard, and every time you switched on the TV, it was a torrent of bad news and pessimism. Here in Canada, it couldn't be more different. The news here looks on the bright side, even when times are tough, and it helps everyone feel good and look for the silver lining.
Neil and I are off for a fancy meal tomorrow night to celebrate not just our anniversary here, but also his recent success with his job. 2 deals this month! One year on, we feel proud to say we've done it....we had a dream and we went for it. It was a long hard road to emigrate here, with many months of anxiety, stress and worry, but it has been worth every sleepless night, every penny it cost us to move our lives 5000 miles away from Swindon, and every minute of stress wondering 'are we mad to do this?'. If you have a dream, you MUST go for it, or you'll always wonder 'What if?'
If we return to the UK on a holiday (which we plan to do in the next 12 months or so, finances permitting) then I feel sure that, although it will be wonderful to see friends and family again, and there will be a lot of nostalgia, we will still feel happy about boarding a plane bound for Calgary again, knowing that we are going 'home' to Okotoks, and feel that this is where we belong!
