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Maclock, Thank You for your input. We must have had different experiences while living in Alberta. You are right, my Summer ideal weather is not the Edmonton Summers....I found them too be too wet and chilly for the most part. But again, for someone that loves Florida so much as I do living there for 10 beautiful gorgeous years, it would take a lot to please me. I even tried to move to California, but down in San Diego the Ocean was way to cold and murky compared to South Florida, that I had to run back to Ft. Lauderdale after only a week end in Southern Cali. Anyway to each its own, right? I am living up in northern Missouri for family reasons...and believe me...this has been my purgatory before my time for the past 9 yrs....and 10 more to go before retirement......LOL...My favorite place in Canada was the Vancouver area....Loved it....even though plenty of grey skies and rain....but considering I do hate ice and snow...that was heaven to me....Take care. PS...On a side note....Loved, Loved Toronto in the Summer months...June through the end of October......So much fun and things to do ....Loved it.
I've been lurking for a few months so it's about time to make an introduction... I'll cut right to it. I am 29 living in Toronto with a decent job. I'm originally from BC and lived in Alberta for a while before moving on to TO. I guess the reason I am writing this is that I am starting to get sick and tired of living in Canada. Let me be more specific.
The weather is horrible. In Alberta it was barely livable, and Toronto isn't much better. In Vancouver it was a slight improvement but just depressing. I know this has probably been asked by every other person, but isn't there somewhere with a better climate? It doesn't have to be Malibu, just something relatively moderate. The weather puts a huge damper on my quality of life. I would even be willing to take significant pay cuts just to live somewhere with even just regular bad weather. TO is too much cold for me all of the time. This week the forecast is for windchills of -20 during the high of the day. I mean, come on, really? I have traveled enough to know that most humans don't live like this.
Second rant: Money. I have my masters in engineering so I should have the world at my fingertips right? Wrong. My job (and the last one) is underwhelming, innovative, and too bureaucratic. I get paid less than I should, and the cost of living is too high. Look, for a guy my age the prospect of owning a house in this market is surprisingly crappy. I am in a far better financial position than most people so I don't even want to imagine their prospects. I want to get my PhD but seeing how underwhelming things are almost feel like what's the point?
A friend of mine who graduated with me got a job in the States and the difference between his position and mine are night and day. He has a really nice house at 30 and is working at a start up firm that offers excellent benefits and flexibility. He has been promoted several times already and makes great money. the cost of living is reasonable, I had sticker shock (in a good way) seeing how little he pays compared to Canada. I have visited 3 times and each time I hit it off with his friends there and they always ask why I don't come down if I like it so much. Good question! But I have no idea how to start the immigration process and I am also hoping there is somewhere in Canada that can measure up. Montreal? Barely tolerable weather, but cool culture right? I don't speak French though. I don't know what other options there are except for the economically depressed eastern provinces. I don't have extravagant dreams, I just want to be a normal guy. I would even be willing to give up engineering after a decade just to work a menial job sailing boats or something like that in a warm weather place. I feel like I did everything right but I got stuck with mediocre instead of the chances to fulfill what I want to do in life.
Any advice? Is there anywhere in Canada for me?
I feel the same. I spend 80% of my time pushing paper which goes nowhere. I make decent money but would be embarrassed to tell my friends in the US... Canada has no better alternative unfortunately.
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