Six month emigraversary thoughts
As of today, it is now six months since I moved to Canada. I can't believe how fast the time has flown! There have been ups and downs and the winter has not been easy, but overall it's been wonderful and I'm absolutely certain that I made the right choice to do this. It's been a huge learning experience in more ways than I could ever have imagined.
Things I have learned:
- Don't get overly attached to plans because they will usually change on you.
- The new plans are often even better than the originals.
- Shovelling snow is hard work and there is nothing wrong with asking for help.
- I can deal with cold perfectly well, even when it's -25C, as long as I have a working furnace *g*.
- In fact, I deal with cold far better than with snow.
- I no longer regard winter as a favourite season.
- When I move into my own place, it's going to be an apartment.
- Snow aside, I can actually do this living on my own thing perfectly well.
- My cooking is much better than I thought it was and I enjoy experimenting with new recipes.
- I'm not as shy as I've always thought myself to be.
- Eating delicious sea food and drinking wine on the deck by the ocean is a perfect way to spend a summer evening.
- Barbecuing and eating on the deck, watching the sun set over the ocean, is also mighty fine.
- Paddling is fun.
- Snow boots are an essential purchase.
- Cats will never do what you tell them and you'll usually be laughing too hard to discipline them properly :-)
- A house can never feel empty when you have cats.
- I cannot do every bit of housekeeping in one day, no matter how hard I try.
- Doing bits of housework each evening leaves time at the weekend to go out and do other things.
- It is vital to get out of the house and do things other than chores and errands at the weekend for my personal sanity.
- A pot of tea, a good book and my recliner make for a perfect afternoon.
- A pot of tea, a good movie and some knitting make a perfect evening.
- I love handknit socks.
- New people are wonderful.
- Having contacts in your new country is essential so that you have someone to ask when you don't know where to go for things.
- No matter how well you read up and visit, there will be things that you simply don't know that the natives will look at you funny for having to ask about.
- Banking in Canada is not as easy as it is in England.
- Saying "I've never done it before but I want to try" is much better than saying "I can't".
- Doing that will often lead you to discover wonderful new things.
- No matter how strong the instinct, try to find friends locally first rather than immediately basing your social life around an ex-pats community.
- You will probably be happier in your choice if you ignore ex-pats communities on the Internet because most people there are focusing on the negatives rather than the positives in their emigration.
- I really love crispy bacon, preferably maple cured.
- A slow cooker is love.
- I may never get the hang of four-way stops.
- The ocean will actually freeze if it's cold enough.
I'm sure that I could keep going for hours on that. So much of what I've done and learned is stuff that I didn't even think about when I came here. It makes me quite excited about the next six months. The good thing is that the weather is going to start getting better as spring starts approaching (the long-term forecast has no snow for two weeks, which I'm sure is wrong!) so there are a ton of things that I plan to do:
- Get out on some trips at the weekends, exploring more of the area outside the city.
- Learn to barbeque really well and creatively.
- Experiment more with my cooking and do more baking.
- Go paddling regularly.
- BBQ at least once a week when the weather is warmer.
- Buy a table and chairs for the deck.
- Sit out on the deck on summer evenings. A glass of wine is totally allowed.
- Have people around for dinner.
- Organise picnics at the beach.
- Remember that I can be at the beach in fifteen minutes so there is no need to swelter at home if I don't want to.
- Wash my car regularly!
- Eat more salads and get out walking regularly.
- Or use the treadmill, if it's nasty outside.
- Walk to the mailbox in the evening when the weather is good rather than stopping there in the car.
- Get the shed door sorted out so that it can be easily opened and closed for storage of deck furniture.
- Get aunt to show me how to repair broken screens.
- Drink coffee on the deck in the mornings.
- Organise a party for my one year emmigraversary.
Yeah, a lot of this is stuff that will need to wait until the weather is much better, but it's good to have goals and plans :-) I'm really looking forward to the next six months!
Things I have learned:
- Don't get overly attached to plans because they will usually change on you.
- The new plans are often even better than the originals.
- Shovelling snow is hard work and there is nothing wrong with asking for help.
- I can deal with cold perfectly well, even when it's -25C, as long as I have a working furnace *g*.
- In fact, I deal with cold far better than with snow.
- I no longer regard winter as a favourite season.
- When I move into my own place, it's going to be an apartment.
- Snow aside, I can actually do this living on my own thing perfectly well.
- My cooking is much better than I thought it was and I enjoy experimenting with new recipes.
- I'm not as shy as I've always thought myself to be.
- Eating delicious sea food and drinking wine on the deck by the ocean is a perfect way to spend a summer evening.
- Barbecuing and eating on the deck, watching the sun set over the ocean, is also mighty fine.
- Paddling is fun.
- Snow boots are an essential purchase.
- Cats will never do what you tell them and you'll usually be laughing too hard to discipline them properly :-)
- A house can never feel empty when you have cats.
- I cannot do every bit of housekeeping in one day, no matter how hard I try.
- Doing bits of housework each evening leaves time at the weekend to go out and do other things.
- It is vital to get out of the house and do things other than chores and errands at the weekend for my personal sanity.
- A pot of tea, a good book and my recliner make for a perfect afternoon.
- A pot of tea, a good movie and some knitting make a perfect evening.
- I love handknit socks.
- New people are wonderful.
- Having contacts in your new country is essential so that you have someone to ask when you don't know where to go for things.
- No matter how well you read up and visit, there will be things that you simply don't know that the natives will look at you funny for having to ask about.
- Banking in Canada is not as easy as it is in England.
- Saying "I've never done it before but I want to try" is much better than saying "I can't".
- Doing that will often lead you to discover wonderful new things.
- No matter how strong the instinct, try to find friends locally first rather than immediately basing your social life around an ex-pats community.
- You will probably be happier in your choice if you ignore ex-pats communities on the Internet because most people there are focusing on the negatives rather than the positives in their emigration.
- I really love crispy bacon, preferably maple cured.
- A slow cooker is love.
- I may never get the hang of four-way stops.
- The ocean will actually freeze if it's cold enough.
I'm sure that I could keep going for hours on that. So much of what I've done and learned is stuff that I didn't even think about when I came here. It makes me quite excited about the next six months. The good thing is that the weather is going to start getting better as spring starts approaching (the long-term forecast has no snow for two weeks, which I'm sure is wrong!) so there are a ton of things that I plan to do:
- Get out on some trips at the weekends, exploring more of the area outside the city.
- Learn to barbeque really well and creatively.
- Experiment more with my cooking and do more baking.
- Go paddling regularly.
- BBQ at least once a week when the weather is warmer.
- Buy a table and chairs for the deck.
- Sit out on the deck on summer evenings. A glass of wine is totally allowed.
- Have people around for dinner.
- Organise picnics at the beach.
- Remember that I can be at the beach in fifteen minutes so there is no need to swelter at home if I don't want to.
- Wash my car regularly!
- Eat more salads and get out walking regularly.
- Or use the treadmill, if it's nasty outside.
- Walk to the mailbox in the evening when the weather is good rather than stopping there in the car.
- Get the shed door sorted out so that it can be easily opened and closed for storage of deck furniture.
- Get aunt to show me how to repair broken screens.
- Drink coffee on the deck in the mornings.
- Organise a party for my one year emmigraversary.
Yeah, a lot of this is stuff that will need to wait until the weather is much better, but it's good to have goals and plans :-) I'm really looking forward to the next six months!