Going to Canada alone...

Tonto86

Looks like i might be going to Canada on my own.... im still hell bent on going and with my flight booked for March I ain't changing the dates...

Anyone else do this? I'm eager as feck, want to settle over there but a tiny part of me is shíttin it on my own.

Helix

youre much, much better off going on your own imo

Tonto86

Helix wrote: »

youre much, much better off going on your own imo

really? do explain.... im lookin for a pep talk to be honest

Helix

well when paddies travel together they tend to stick together and make friends with more paddies, and go to paddy bars and generally it turns into ireland away from home

if you go on your own, and actively avoid all that stuff, you'll find that you integrate a hell of a lot quicker, and the experience is far more enjoyable that way

Tonto86

Tonto86 wrote: »

................

Anyone else do this? I'm eager as feck, want to settle over there but a tiny part of me is shíttin it on my own.

Seems as you want to settle you are better off on your own, you can find your own feet etc etc, live where you want and look for work where you want. There is safety in numbers (literally) and it's nice to have like minded folks with you but longterm unless you are romantically involved you're alone anyway.

token101

Tonto86 wrote: »

Looks like i might be going to Canada on my own.... im still hell bent on going and with my flight booked for March I ain't changing the dates...

Anyone else do this? I'm eager as feck, want to settle over there but a tiny part of me is shíttin it on my own.

I'm going on my own and I'm glad of it too. None of the hassle with going with other people, you do your own thing on your own terms and you're not responsible for, or answerable to, anyone. You'll meet people anyway. Hang around a hostel for 10 minutes and you'll get get invites for a million pub crawls. There's Facebook groups if you want to meet other Irish, you'll meet people at work, when you join a sports club, forums, or online dating even if that's your bag! I disagree with the whole 'abandon Ireland and forget about it' mentality. There's no reason you can't have Irish and Canadian buddies and go to GAA matches and a hockey game. And being Irish may have it's own advantages when it comes to networking etc. Best of luck with it, I can't wait personally!

cloptrop

hey your going on your own and hes going on your own ,, i cant believe you havnt realised yet , GO TOGETHER, itll be like one of them ROMCOMS where two people are going to canada on their own and are really lonely and then right at the airport they finally admit they want to go with each other and my girlfriend cries , but they are happy tears

Helix

token101 wrote: »

I disagree with the whole 'abandon Ireland and forget about it' mentality. There's no reason you can't have Irish and Canadian buddies

its easier said than done. imo youre much better off just going cold turkey from other irish people for at least the first few months. otherwise people have a tendency not to bother adapting, since they dont have to

token101

Helix wrote: »

its easier said than done. imo youre much better off just going cold turkey from other irish people for at least the first few months. otherwise people have a tendency not to bother adapting, since they dont have to

I totally disagree. From my experience, I lived in UK for few years for college, deliberately cutting yourself off from a ready made network of contacts is a bit silly IMO. They're already established there and will have lots of other contacts themselves that you can exploit foir your own ends. I played GAA (never kicked a ball before I'd left and I was f'n brutal-peer pressure!! ) but I'd English friends from my course, societies, and just drinking buddies aswell, and I'd consider myself a bit introverted. You'll always meet other people through work, sports, neighbours, etc, and really it shouldn't matter where they're from at the end of the day as long as you have a group of people to socialise with, etc. Irish bars are a great place to meet all sorts of people and I ended up getting the best part time job ever out of it in UK. Point being, if there's people that can help you out with accom, work, cars, whatever when you're new somewhere, it would be in your interest to let them do so. Just my two cents.

jjbrien

I had to do it myself as my buddy who was supposed to come with me decided instead of keeping his 3000 euro to go to Canada he felt it would be better to go on a 2 week holiday to Florida and then come home and sit on the dole. I made my move in September and i don't regret it. Yes i do get home sick at times and i miss my family. But apart from my family there was nothing for me in Ireland other than the dole queue and after a year on that I had enough.

There is a great Irish community based here in Toronto. I seen some of your other posts and from what i seen i think your heading to Calgary. I made friends with some Irish here but they all seem to move on to other locations in Canada. I myself got a job at IBM so moving about I cant really be as free as that as I want a career. My advise is to try make Canadian friends as well as Irish ones. If you make Canadian ones they wont move on without you and people here are great. Its very easy to sit at home as token101 said some days after work im so tired that i end up doing that but i try to get out when i can.

JohnMearsheimer

I showed up in Vancouver on my own this time last year on a rainy Sunday night in January wondering what had I just done. It all worked out and had a great time. Don't worry about it, you won't be on your own for long. I met people from all over the place, France, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Vietnam, Israel, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Botswana, the US (my roommate in Van was from Hawaii), Canada and Ireland. Don't hang out with Irish people just for the sake of hanging out with Irish people. Just ask yourself if you had met them in Ireland instead of Canada, would you still hang around with them? I had some Irish friends but they were the type of people I would have hung out with if I had met them at home instead of Canada.

Being on your own also gives you the freedom to do things on your own terms.

Spunge

I'm planning on going alone. Applying to IEC. Never been away alone before and id say i actually suffer from pretty bad social anxiety, but its something i need to do, i cant just sit here anymore. If it doesnt work out i can always come back whenever i want.

Zapp Brannigan

Went with a friend the first time, and lived with him. Ending up not liking him and had too many Irish friends.

Going on my own this time, have loads of friends in the job I have lined up and am free to live wherever I want, don't have to rely on my mate. Can't wait!

Hannah2011

Hi there - I went on my own, I was absoloutely ****tin' myself, but I stayed in a hostel on purpose to try and meet a few people. I picked one with a bar, so it would be easier, and stayed in a dorm rather than on my own. The first few days were traumatic as i'm quite shy and had to give myself a kick in the ass, but I really loved it and never ever regretted for a second. My advice would be - try to be as open minded as possible, go to every invitation you get, the friends you make at the beginning probably won't be the ones you have at the end, so be cautious and don't plan to house share with anyone you've just met, just because it's the easiest option!

laney22

hey.. I know I'm a couple months behind on this but how did you get on going alone? Im heading to Toronto by myself in a couple weeks so would be nice to hear things worked out ok!
Also, a question for jjbrien, Im going to apply for a job in IBM - ive worked for them in Dublin - and just wondering is it necessary to do up a canadian resume to apply there? I get how its necessary for other companies but IBM is global, they're used to people moving between countries so was thinking it might be okay to just apply with my Irish one? Just want to get an application in asap and struggling a bit getting my head round the canadian format and don't want to submit something Im not really sure about..

jjbrien

laney22 wrote: »

hey.. I know I'm a couple months behind on this but how did you get on going alone? Im heading to Toronto by myself in a couple weeks so would be nice to hear things worked out ok!
Also, a question for jjbrien, Im going to apply for a job in IBM - ive worked for them in Dublin - and just wondering is it necessary to do up a canadian resume to apply there? I get how its necessary for other companies but IBM is global, they're used to people moving between countries so was thinking it might be okay to just apply with my Irish one? Just want to get an application in asap and struggling a bit getting my head round the canadian format and don't want to submit something Im not really sure about..

Hey Laney I know one or 2 people in IBM Toronto so I might be able to pass them your reseme. When I first landed here I was working for IBM though an agency I can also give you the agencys name and their IBM on site mangers name if that helps.

Eim1

Hi All,

Bit late writing here but just wondering how did people get on in Canada on their own? Any tips?! I really want to move over. Just waiting for the USIT Work Programme. Thanks in advance!

JustRoss23

How ya eim1 i am making the move solo as soon as i get the visa hopefully end of march/beginning of April:) where you hoping to go? hitting up Calgary myself:)

Eim1

Hey,

I am the same, as soon as I can get the visa I want to go! I haven't applied yet, waiting for it to open again!! Thinking Calgary or Toronto! Not too sure yet.. All depends on the job situation! Have you anything organised job wise or going to see when you get over? What's your plan?