I’ve been in Canada since July on a Working Holiday Visa.
In our media, Canada is always portrayed as a dream country. Yes of course, it’s beautiful here (Rockies, nature) but it also has a lot of downsides.
The quality of food is incomparable to my home country and the food prices are even higher here.
I thought rent prices back home were high, but here (except for small towns on the prairie), you have to share an apartment with 3 people and still pay the same amount as getting a 2-bedroom apartment alone back home.
Then 5 weeks of paid vacation + 11 paid holidays (weekends are generally free, there is no business open at Sundays), when you’re sick, you’re sick, but you still get paid.
Canadians are polite that is true, but what I’ve noticed is that people often make false promises just to be nice.
Making friends here as a foreigner is challenging and perhaps I’m homesick being on the other side of the world.
I’m considering abandoning everything and flying back home. While at first it was really nice here (especially the traveling in the summer), the drawbacks are becoming apparent.
Additionally, my education isn’t recognized here and honestly I don’t want to work at Tim Hortons or Walmart just to „survive“ and with much lower QOL than in Europe.
But on the other hand, I’m afraid of missing out if I fly back home now.
Idk what i should do :(
Any suggestions?
I felt for all the US advertisement, and came back much faster than initially anticipated. Not regretting it, not a bad place, but totally not for me culturally and standard of living wise.
Yes, there is sometimes a nostalgia factor, and how I miss exploring a new place, and what could have been… but then I am a realist and consider it as one of the most unwelcoming places I have ever been to. Sure, I could have a good life there, with a lot of work and risks taking versus having a good life without all the sacrifices and stress where I am now.