Urghrghrg, or something like that.

gizmo2071 · Feb 11, 2008

Crikey, 2 weeks (27th) until I move across the Atlantic and make my new home in Toronto. :clap:

I've been excited for months about the move, but as it gets closer and closer, I'm starting to get a little anxious.
We've sorted as much out from this side as we can, apart from finding a place to live, which will be sorted this week I hope. We do have places to stay until we find somewhere, so not the end of the world if we don't find something before hand.

There are so many "What if's" running through my mind and I think I'm making myself paranoid that something will go wrong and we will be left stranded. I always get the feeling when been questioned by an official of any form that they are out to get me and trying to make me slip up. Then I feel guilty of something that doesn't even exist and become really nervous. So I'm terrified of going through customs, even though I know I'm being totally paranoid.

I can't apply for work until I get there, because I still havn't been given my permanent residencey number, which will be given to me once I go through customs when I land in Canada. So thats a big worry, not being able to find a job quickly. Although we have enough money to cover a couple months rent and bills, that money would preferably go towards furniture and making where ever we live more homely. (I also will need to get a new monitor and power supply for my PC, but my wife doesn't see that as a high priority... I think shes nuts. :greenpbl:
I'm going to be applying to the Police force, but that is a long process and I'm not sure when they are having their next intake. I have details of a police information session that I will be attending and then all my questions will be answered and hopefully will get that ball rolling within the first week of landing.

I think the main feeling for me is total independence.
I'm only 23, but I have lived away from home for over 4years, worked and paid all the bills with my partner. So we have already been through that stage, but we also knew that we had a safety net. My parents have always said that we can stop with them if we ever needed to, but now thats not going to be the case (even though it's only a plane ride away).
My wifes parents have said the same, but they live in totally different parts of Canada to Toronto and other major cities (St johns, NF and High Level, Alberta) and they're not really places full for of oppourtunites.

I guess getting it out in writing has helped me see some sense and give myself more confidence in the whole situation.
I'm a positive thinker, but I also like to keep a level head and understand any possibilites that may arise.

Photography is totally out of the window with me at the moment. I havn't taken a photo since September and I have no idea when I will be able to get out there in the future. Though I am very excited about the propect of exploring Toronto/Ontario and finding the beautiful spots.

That is all.

"Urghrghrg" Matt :lol:

Alex_B · Feb 11, 2008

good luck with the big move

jstuedle · Feb 11, 2008

Well we wish you luck Matt. When you get the computer up and running, let us know how it went.

Corry · Feb 11, 2008

I know the 'safety net' thing!!! I'm 25, and since I started going back to school, I've had to fall back on my parents again (despite the fact that I don't really get along all that well with them. :S )

After I'm done at community college, I hope to go out of state!!! I'm scared!

And you're going across an OCEAN!!! Wow! I'm sure you'll do great, though!

monkeykoder · Feb 11, 2008

Community College it's like high school part 2... Still for what maybe a third the price of the next level up it is REALLY worth it (I only paid like $18 a unit my first semester then it skyrocketed over the next 2 or 3 up to gasp $32 a unit... Now I'm paying almost $2000 per semester). I also need to work on getting out of the safety net...

Corry · Feb 11, 2008

monkeykoder said:
Community College it's like high school part 2... Still for what maybe a third the price of the next level up it is REALLY worth it (I only paid like $18 a unit my first semester then it skyrocketed over the next 2 or 3 up to gasp $32 a unit... Now I'm paying almost $2000 per semester). I also need to work on getting out of the safety net...

Maybe my college isn't like yours at all, but it's NOTHING like high school. Not even close.

Big Mike · Feb 11, 2008

You are coming all that way...and going to Toronto?

uke: :er:

monkeykoder · Feb 11, 2008

It really depends on who you associate with. The younger crowd are usually those that didn't want to try to get into a better college or don't want to be out from under mom and dad yet. Which puts them right about high school level. Once you get to the 20+ crowd they're there because they realized college was worthwhile after all or they had something that came up in their life that kept them from going this crowd is probably above the level of most students at a state college (most of whom probably fit into the first group of community college students but they decided to get AWAY from their parents while still using their checkbook).

Antarctican · Feb 11, 2008

Big Mike said:
You are coming all that way...and going to Toronto? uke: :er:

layball:

(That said, Big Mike has a point that there's a booming economy in Western Canada).

It's a big move indeed, Gizmo. But once you're here and everything is sorted and spring arrives, you'll look back and wonder why you were concerned. And you have all the Toronto meetups to which to look forward!

(Ghastly) Krueger · Feb 11, 2008

Congrats on the move. It's been something my wife and I have talked about... but we will not make the move soon.

Some friends and family have done the move and had to work as temps in restaurants, bookshops, whatever in order to get "Canadian Experience" and until then they could get a job in their profession.
I also understand they require that any education you have be certified by canadian authorities to get a formal job.

Tangerini · Feb 11, 2008

Yes congratulations on your upcoming big move! I'm sure you will both come through it just fine.
Don't forget to breathe! And good luck!

gizmo2071 · Feb 14, 2008

Haha, we are going to Toronto initially and possibly after a few years we will move some where else.
My wife has friends in Toronto and he sister has just moved there. So it seemed like a good place to move to to get a foundation in Canada. I don't think I could handle the coldness of Alberta just yet, but I've been impressed with the police information in Alberta and Vancouver, so maybe I'll head that way if i make it in the police force. My wife is going to be a nurse, so she'll have no problem finding work anywhere in the country.
We'll just have to see how it goes and do what ever it takes to settle down and survive for the first year.

Antarctican · Feb 14, 2008

Given the number of hospitals in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), your wife will land a job quickly, I'm sure. There are a lot of police forces within easy travelling distance of Toronto as well (Metro Toronto, York Regional, Durham Regional, Peel Regional, and then there is the Ontario Provincial Police also)