If you only knew then, what you know now...

[SapphireDreams 71]

I'm not there yet but I'm trying to do all of these things. I'm saving thousands of dollars for the first time in my life, I'm spending as much time as possible with my family and friends, I'm getting really important work experience so that when I get to NYC I can leverage it to find a good job for myself (which is actually the least of my worries due to my cushy savings)

Right now my bf wants to live with his parents for a few months when I get there, but I think we'll really need to decide if that's the right thing to do. I think we'll already have to deal with a huge adjustment period, and I think it will be a lot harder at his parents house. He seems to think it will be easier (so that I'm not alone when he's at work, but i like being alone)

What else... oh and we planned this so that I would move after Christmas, so that I can be home for that. If we get close to Easter, I might just wait until after that too.

I'm sure I'll forget something though! Hindsight always amazes me

[Sprailenes 47]

I also wish I could have sat down and talked to my mother about it more. But anytime we'd talk about me leaving we'd fight. I wish she would have understood more about it and I kind of went behind her back and did a lot of things.

I wouldn't have jumped the gun either, you see I kind of snuck down here a month before my interview for a "visit" only going back to Canada with my Visa to get our stuff and activate everything. Why I was in a rush, I don't know. I shouldn't have been.

[SonoranSongbird 3]

I would have also taken in home a lot more during my last year there. I kind of had one foot out the door and everything was about moving, than about taking it all in and really appreciating Canada and my family.

Well he is the one moving to be with me, but I've done plenty of moving in the past and you just described pretty much how I feel about most of the places I've left.

Planning the wedding is stressful, so if anything, maybe we would have gone ahead and secretly gotten married and then filed for a K3. At the time, they were taking only slightly longer than K1s, though I think that's changed.

[T.O_2_FL 0]

Looking back on things so far I would have to say that I'm happy with how things turned out and don't think I would have done it any other way.

Although our wait for our K1 Visa was almost a year, it gave me the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends during the wait.

I really couldn't be more happy then how things have turned out so far.

Maybe on thing that I would have changed is renting a bigger car for all my stuff! he he he....we couldn't fit all my stuff the first time so hopefully when I get my AP I'll be able to get the rest of my things and bring them down.

[Ontarkie 14,499]

I dont think I would change anything either. Well not yet since were still kinda getting things done but as to what way to do it I would still go for the K1, it took awhile for me to get down here but it all worked out for the best. My house sold in time and if i was down here sooner i would of lost my mind. My dad had a stroke just before the kids and I left so if I wasnt there to make sure he was going to be ok it would of killed me. So it all worked out perfect for us.

[BH45 0]

Looking at things now - seeing as I haven't moved yet - I think I would have had my visa finished after my interview and moved then. Started the AOS/EAD/AP process in the hopes that the AP would have been approved in time for us to return to Canada for my daughter's graduation and our church wedding.

Now, I have to face all my family and friends to say farewell to them. We all know that we'll be back for holidays etc, but just thinking about saying farewell makes me . These people have been my whole life for all my life. It's time for change but change is sometimes painful.

We did the K-1 route and we survived it just like many of you have survived your journeys.

Hopefully, we are all very happy with where we are now.

[Necrotica 0]

Oh, man...

#1: I would have called the Montréal Consulte MUCH earlier asking where the hell Packet 3 was. The delay added 3 months onto our visa journey and made it to where we were caught in the damn fee increase.

#2: I would have explicitly told Réjean to mail the checklist back to the Consulate right away. He held onto it for a month before I found out he hadn't sent it back.

#3: I would have found a way come hell or high water to go to Montréal and see Réjean before he moved here on 8/31/07. We went eight months without seeing each other, and it kind of broke me in a way that I have still not recovered from. I'm in counseling for it now, but it's not helping.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Necrotica

[Sprailenes 47]

Oh I had a packet 3 delay too! We had moved and it came in August and it wasn't until december that I was told that my case had expired. I would have called them too!

[Emancipation 2]

hmmm interesting question.

I think I would have stressed less.. I knew I was outta control, and I should have enjoyed the journey more. I should have listened to hubby then boyfriend on that one, HE knew it would all come together, and it did.. the money would be there when we needed it.. and it was..

I'm so thrilled with my new life, thrilled at my new home and THRILLED with my Lover & friend.. No regrets at all.. other than the stressing

[Necrotica 0]

Oh I had a packet 3 delay too! We had moved and it came in August and it wasn't until december that I was told that my case had expired. I would have called them too!

Sucks, doesn't it?

I had to cut the timeline in my signature due to length, but here's what it originally said:

11/21/06 - Called the NVC and was advised of packet having already been there and left!

11/26/06 - Received NVC letter in the mail.

01/05/07 - E-mailed and called the Montréal Consulate to find out what the holdup with Packet 3 was; was advised they sent out the paperwork November 29th!!! Verified address and asked if they could resend it, they advised they would.

01/08/07 - Received e-mail back from the Montréal Consulate saying that they just received the file and sent out Packet 3 on the 5th!!! Huh???

01/12/07 - Réjean called the Montréal Consulate, and they will let him pick up Packet 3.

01/16/07 - Réjean picks up Packet 3 from the Montréal Consulate.

Ok, so it was a 2-month delay, not 3. It was a 3-month total delay between this ####### and Réjean not mailing in the checklist right away.

[Krikit 1,165]

They pulled the same ####### on us. My husband finally called them and the officer told him that I probably didn't want to marry him but couldn't bring myself to say so. And that many "girls" do that. I kid you not. Un. Believable. Caused a 3 month delay.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I wouldn't have done anything different except after I arrived - I didn't know I was eligible for EI, so I would have applied:-) - and I would have gone to a different vet here for the cats than the one I originally found. I didn't realize there was a much better one close by in the other direction (the one I have now) so maybe my Kirsty wouldn't have had such a rough time of it and would have recovered from the stress of the move with a better, more professional vet office instead of passing away 6 weeks later from liver problems. That is my biggest regret - that maybe there was more I could have done with a better vet that I didn't know about at the time.

[thetreble 19]

I would have done a lot of things different.

I wouldn't have jumped the gun as badly as I did. After spending two years long distance, I was one miserable sod and thought that only being with my husband full time would solve everything. I didn't use the last year in Canada as I should have. I really regret not doing some things in Ottawa I really wanted to do.

I would have thought about it more. My parents tried to almost talk me out of it in the sense that I should have really given my husband a chance to think about moving to Canada for me.

And now I realize I should have known more about my limitations of moving back and forth. I guess PERMANENT resident really means permanent. lol. That sounds odd but it is so defining and I should have had my mind 100% made up and knew I'd never feel like moving back at all.

ps- I lived with my mother in law and now live with my father in law. It hasn't been that bad but it is NOT easy!!!! It's hard to start a marriage off under your inlaws roof!

Edited June 23, 2008 by thetreble

[SpiritAlight 1]

Would you have done anything differently?

...

I may have brought my sweetie to the coast of BC to live.