HOmesick.

[GnBnL 50]

Anyone else missing Canada? I miss my family and Canada in general....its really bumming me out since I'm not working yet...I have lots of time to stay at home and miss everything. Grass is always greener right?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

There's a thread here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/338752-homesickness/

[cdneh 3,112]

Anyone else missing Canada? I miss my family and Canada in general....its really bumming me out since I'm not working yet...I have lots of time to stay at home and miss everything. Grass is always greener right?

It is And I think the approaching holidays makes it harder. I miss them both, Canada and Nz.

[46]

Anyone else missing Canada? I miss my family and Canada in general....its really bumming me out since I'm not working yet...I have lots of time to stay at home and miss everything. Grass is always greener right?

Well, it sounds as though you need to get out and do things. Begin volunteering and cultivating a circle of friends. Moping around at home is wasting your precious little time on this plant. There's so much to see and do for free.

One always misses their home, but the goal is to create a new one better than the last. That's what I did.

[CanuckGurl 3]

I too miss my family and friends in Canada - thankfully my job will be bringing me back there for 4 months next year so I just have to tough it out til then.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

It is a big adjustment. You don't realize just how different the US is until you get here - and that makes missing Canada so much stronger because the things you thought wouldn't be so different, are and it is a lot of work to try and re-establish your comfort zone when your familiar reference points no longer work. The first few months are really hard as you try to re-craft a new life for you in a totally different environment that looks like it is the same but is unexpectedly different and has distinctly different rules. It can be very disconcerting at times.

I still miss Canada at times - it will always be the home of my heart - although I have built for myself a life here in the US. It is definitely a different type of life than I had or would have had in Canada and that is one of the first things I had to come to terms with - and give up, the thought that my life here would be like my life in Canada. Once you make that adjustment, then you are able to start making the one you have here now, work better - and eventually, you will find your niche here as well. The homesickness won't go away all at once and will still come back at time, but it becomes more and more manageable.

Hang in, ok. Once you are able to get out and about and travel and work it does become easier too. What helped me a lot that first year was having friends from Canada come and visit to 'see' where i now lived. Maybe that is something to consider?

Edited November 28, 2011 by Kathryn41

[frostiana 12]

Anyone else missing Canada? I miss my family and Canada in general....its really bumming me out since I'm not working yet...I have lots of time to stay at home and miss everything. Grass is always greener right?

I think volunteering is a good option and it helps you to meet people too. I know volunteering can sound overwhelming.. but there are some nice and not too taxing volunteer things around, for example, the local library (friends of the library) public parks and gardens, church.... it depends what you mind find really interesting and maybe you could just do it a few hours a day or month and that would get a different outlook happening.

Just a thought. Have you moved to a city or a small town?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

AGree with Kathryn 1000% - it's a rough go no matter what. No matter what we think we know before we move down, it's harder then we thought. First Christmas away was a hard thing for me especially.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

As mentioned on the other recent "homesick" thread, it's different for everyone. There are surely some people out there who have terminated their relationships, just so they can come back and live in Canada. Likewise, there are people (like me) who have never had any inclination to go back to Canada. It's funny -- my wife and I just moved to the Norfolk / Virginia Beach area a month ago, and I find I miss D.C. a lot more than I ever missed Canada.

There's no shame in feeling homesick though. Just remember that no one can ever take your "Canadian-ness" away from you. There are 197 countries in this world, and there's no problem in identifying with just one. And a damn fine one at that.

[GnBnL 50]

Thank you for your replies everyone. I am in a city. I've lived here before, in fact, i went to school here, but all my friends have moved on and just having a hard time adjusting to it all. So many things I love about the US. I think I miss my family the most. Its hard for them to come here. I will try to get some friends to visit, but I managed to lose some during my misery of waiting so long to be reunited with my SO. Hopefully a few of the remaining will come some time.

Thank you again for your encouragement.

[carocaro 22]

I think Kathryn41 summarizes it best. It was so surprising to me how different our countries really were when I actually moved here to live full time and became an "immigrant"...and I had travelled for years and lived part time in the USA for 2 years. I don't know why I was so surprised when it is a different country, after all! It isn't home. Most Canadians have grown up with so much American television and travel that we think we're just about the same. Nope.

I miss lots of things about Canada, especially the employment opportunities in Calgary which are amazing compared to Phoenix and where my education is recognized in any province without redoing Board exams 20 years later IF they'll let me; our Canadian health care and our more socialist love thy neighbour mind set. We just don't have people dying because they don't have and can't afford heath care. I can understand how someone in a troubled relationship might end up choosing to go home.

I am doing my best to make Phoenix feel like home but I will always hold my Canadian citizenship close to my heart. Thank heavens we don't have to give that up!

Now if they could just sell All Dressed Potato chips here for the Hockey Night in Canada game nights, I'd be set. ;-)

Caro

[GnBnL 50]

geez, I find it hard to even find places that play the hockey game, and NOWHERE on basic cable! Go FLames!