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My big adventure

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RobbyPants:
I never post here anymore other than the PbP and Homebrew sections, but I figured I'd fill any of you old-timers in on my upcoming massive life changes:


Back a year-and-a-half ago (very early November 9 to be precise), my wife decided she wanted to move to Canada. I was pretty hesitant for a while, but ultimately came to agree with her. Over the last year or so, we've been taking steps to get our permanent residency set up in Canada, and for her to get a teaching job lined up. Well, it's finally happening!

When: It looks like we're targeting moving on August 18. There are a few things we have to get pinned down, but that's the current plan.

Where: We'll be moving up to a reservation in rural Ontario. It's a small community that makes its money from its tourism fishing industry. It's a small enough place that they don't have a store, so we'll have to drive (quite!) a ways to do any shopping. Still, they have an air strip for easier travel or having things shipped. Also, despite not having a store, they have an ice arena, because Canada. They also have a pretty new water treatment plant, which will be nice. One of the other reservations we looked at has to have water shipped in (think those big water coolers you see in offices).

My wife's job: She has been teaching for 13 or 14 years, but got sick of doing it in Michigan (see Betsy Devos and Michigan's right to work act). In Canada, people want to teach to the point where new teachers often have to start substitute teaching. She looked into the Teach for Canada program, and wanted to teach at a reservation for a while. It's the type of adventure she wanted to go on, that will only get harder the more settled we get. She will be teaching in a school of only 50 kids, and will be the 1st through 4th grade teacher.

My job: I've been doing web development for a freight company. I was originally planning to do this same job remotely, but it's gotten more difficult, and I just found out last week I'll have to start my own LLC to contract myself out across the border, and... I just don't feel like learning all of that. Once we get settled in, there, I'll look for a job at a Canadian company that is open to remote employment (which I hear is common).

Our kids: My two girls are 9 and 6. The older daughter is much more apprehensive about the move and about leaving her friends. The younger one seems less upset about it, and keeps asking when we're moving. The two of them are definitely being affected by stress, and I'm trying to be mindful of that when I can be. We were looking at the curriculum of the school, and part of it includes dressing a moose and gutting a fish (life skills, up there!). My older daughter is pretty squicked out by the idea, but the younger one is morbidly curious.

Our cats: The cats can come, and they don't have to be quarantined! It turns out there isn't so much of a hassle as we expected. We'll probably have to leave our expensive, one-year-old mattress behind, because apparently that's a pain to move. At least our family will be intact!

The house: That thing sold super fast. We certainly picked a good time to sell our house and rent. Within 30 hours of listing, we had eleven showings and five offers. The best one came in notably above our asking price. We'll be staying at a furnished place right across from the school, and the rent is stupidly cheap. Also, I'll have better internet in the middle of the woods than I have in the city, here, because Canada. Yay subsidized infrastructure!

All the incidentals: My wife is currently in Canada training. I have to pick her up this weekend. We each drive old Hondas, and we're going to have to find a truck of SUV with four-wheel drive. The current plan is to buy one across the border so we don't have to import it when we move. Since the place we're buying is furnished, we'll be selling a lot of our old, used furniture right before we go. We're only keeping the stuff we care about (like the table we made last year, and the chairs from her great grandmother). My parents offered to come up and help us move, so we're hoping to get all of our stuff up that way. We still have a lot of annoying things to do, like get new cell phones and set up a bank account. Still, this is all moving quite quickly!

SorO_Lost:
Most of that sound great (dressing a moose through?). Congratulations on the deal on your house too and I hope winter won't be too much for you up there. You're going to have to let me know how the Canadians see Super Troopers 2 through.

phaedrusxy:
Sounds awesome! :D At least in the US, starting an LLC is as easy as filling out a form and paying some money. So I wouldn't toss that idea out so quickly. Anyway, good luck! Hope you all love it!

bhu:
Congrats!

Stratovarius:
Looking forward to the remote life? Because that is a long way up and away in Canada. But some really beautiful spots up there, especially if you like the great outdoors.

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