Why We Moved to Canada and Why We Came Back

After our article What We Didn’t Tell You About Working in Canada: The Dark Side of Pretty Facebook Pictures, many of you wrote to us asking why we were there, why we didn’t just go home. And why we kept coming back. Our experience of moving to Canada is a story worth telling — so this one’s specially for you, Worm from Twitter 🙂

Why We Left

I don’t know where to start — with Canada or with ourselves. With what makes us happy here, or what made us unhappy in Europe. I wrote that article because a lot of people thought we were here on holiday, and we weren’t.

Our life back in Prague was much easier. Both Lukáš and I mostly worked from the comfort of our flat, and if I didn’t have the blood of a nerd running through my veins, I wouldn’t even have had to get up for school. But the thing is, we don’t enjoy parties, we don’t enjoy going to pubs, and we don’t feel the need to socialise. Occasionally we’d do it out of obligation, but it’s time to admit that we belong to those odd people who are perfectly happy with a book, the news, or planning a business project. Our life in Prague had become too comfortable — we felt like we weren’t learning anything new, couldn’t really do anything properly, and everything had become mundane. Time flew by so fast that I couldn’t understand how winter had turned into summer. And what on earth had I been doing all that time? We weren’t moving forward, and plans kept dissolving into nothing more than plans.

I’d love to write that this was the reason we left. It would sound good. But I only realised all of this in hindsight. The real reason was that something snapped in my head. I’d been talking about Canada ever since I first visited. I never meant it seriously, even though I said it with a straight face — I’m far too scared for that sort of thing. But then I just did it. One evening I said I was going to Canada, filled out the application, and suddenly it was happening. I remember shouting it to Lukáš from the other room, and he just muttered wearily: “Well, I suppose I have to go too then.”

But why Canada specifically? Why a place where one season exists for nine months of the year? Winter.

Winter

“Who are you, person in the mirror!” I said to myself when I first admitted that the winter here wasn’t a minus but a plus. I’d never experienced a more beautiful winter. Sure, it got down to -29°C, but mostly it was around -10 or -15, and if you layer up properly, nothing gets through. The winter here is what they call dry cold. It doesn’t penetrate through layers. At these temperatures back in London, I’d have been dying. Here, when the sun was shining, I’d bravely venture onto the balcony wrapped in a blanket and read. Most importantly, there’s the chinook (it’s like a warm gift from the weather gods) — when it rolls in during winter, it can hit +15°C. And then the next day it might be -20 again.

Spring is rubbish though. I keep waiting for green trees. Today, April 18th, I found a few green leaves. Maybe it’s coming. Or maybe it’ll snow again. Who knows.

Canadians Are the Friendliest People in the Western Hemisphere

You’d think they’re on something. Canadians. They’re always smiling, always polite. You’re on a bus and they start chatting to you as if they’ve known you for years. And the worst part is that it feels completely normal. You step off the plane and it’s as though someone’s injected a smile into every corner of your face and glued it there, even when it’s -29 outside.

They always offer to help. When we first flew into Calgary, we’d booked an Airbnb with Robert. He offered to pick us up from the airport.

“It’s only 20 minutes. I’ll come get you.” He smiled, and at his place he told us we could eat, drink, and use whatever we wanted. We’d never experienced anything like it anywhere else.

Their hospitality is legendary. Although people in Calgary aren’t quite like those on Newfoundland, where they’d invite you right into their home and host you for days, your jaw still drops — and it doesn’t find its way back until you start becoming exactly the same. More in our article >>“And sometimes it drives me crazy how nice they are! What’s wrong with you, people!”

The Mountains

If you’d like to read about my (well, our — I think Lukáš fell even harder for them) obsession with mountains, complete with pictures, dive right in >>>The Mountains That Made Me Ditch My Heels

How People in Calgary Helped Us

We worked with Michelle at a hotel reception. She was a true Canadian — forty-five years old, she’d started feeling burned out at her marketing firm, so she went off to spend a few months with yogis where she wasn’t allowed to speak, and then after a year of travelling decided she’d work in Banff. Every day she commuted from Calgary to Banff and back — nearly two hours each way.

In her free moments, she loved reading us news about what was happening in the Rockies — which fish was sick, where wolves had been shot, or what the weather would be like. Her favourite story was about an old lady who lived on cruise ships because owning a house cost more money.

“Oh boy.” That always rings in my head when Lukáš says “Michelle,” because that was her quintessentially Canadian response to everything. Michelle could befriend any guest within five minutes, and they’d bring her pizza from town. We sometimes cooked for Michelle too — Czech pancakes or homemade gnocchi.

“If you ever want to live in Calgary, just let us know — my partner and I have several flats there that we rent out.” That’s how she said goodbye when we moved to Lake Louise for a better job.
So we got in touch in January, telling her we were flying in February and wanted to stay in Calgary. Michelle wrote back straight away saying she had several options for us. We chose a small suite in Bridgeland, because that was the location we’d been dreaming of — it felt like a gift from above.

We were worried about the price though. Rooms normally went for around 900 CAD (about €600) for two — how much could a small flat cost?

“I need to check with my partner, but I think it’ll be around 700 CAD (roughly €470). Will you need furnishings?” They bought us everything. And when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything. When we moved in, they were still bringing us a table from IKEA and two kitchen chairs. We ended up with a beautiful flat in an old Italian-style house, ten minutes’ walk from the centre. And as a bonus, Michelle lives right on the ground floor.

Racism in Canada Is Taboo

They’re not racist. Racism is taboo. Inequality is taboo. There are of course certain things that could be discussed, but if we’re comparing with Europe, take it as truth.

Even on Minimum Wage, You Can Live Relatively Well

No matter how bad the job is, if you have a full-time position, you’ll be able to afford much more than back in Europe — even with Canadian prices. A car, a flat, a gym membership, and a holiday once a year. Especially here in Alberta, where the minimum wage keeps going up every six months.

I Learned More in This One Year Than in Five Back Home

I’m not talking about English. That’s a bonus. I’m talking about all those tough experiences that forced us to go beyond our comfort zone. And that feeling when you accomplish something you’d never have thought yourself capable of — that’s worth far more than sitting at home and spending every free minute shopping online.

It helped me sort out so many things. It helped me recalibrate my approach to life and work. It taught me to breathe, to live, to appreciate every moment. To understand people who live outside my usual bubble. It gave me the courage to speak for myself.

We Discovered Something Greater Than People

The power of nature. Mighty mountains and glaciers. A storm rolling in from the ocean. Sometimes we felt like nothing, but we never let that drag us down for long. I feel free here. Having just one suitcase and knowing we can go wherever we want.

There’s so much more, friends. Follow our Facebook and maybe you’ll understand 🙂