England Vs.Canada Pt. 1

So before my trip I wanted to compare England and my perceptions of Canada, afterall, the reason I am going to Canada is because overall I believe it has something to offer that I can't get in England, right? So I'm going to begin a list of things I am going to miss and a list of things I am looking forward to.

What I'll miss

1. Sports

I love British sport! Afterall my job revolves around sport and not a day passes where I don't hear/read/watch sport. It is going to be a huge shock to go from this, to having very little sport in my life. No offence to Canada, but your sport doesn't stand up to British sport whatsoever. Okay maybe you are good at all winter sports, but nobody cares about that! I'm talking REAL sports, like football (not that silly American rubbish, I mean "soccer"), Rugby, Horse Racing, Cricket and many others. I'm a very keen follower of football and more recently horse racing, I'm going to have to find myself a nice little British pub where I can get a fill of my sports at least once a week. 

2. Gambling

This highly links into sports, but I love to have a flutter on lots of sporting events, mainly football and horse racing. If its not bad enough that I won't be able to watch much British sport over there, it's even worse that gambling on sport is illegal! Are you mad?! What's wrong with betting on sports? This will be intolerable, but thankfully, as long as I keep my British bank account open, I should be able to gamble online.

3. Chocolate and Sweets (not candy!)

I really hate the word candy. I just researched and I'm told Canadians don't say candy afterall, I hope this is true! One thing I like about England is when I walk into a supermarket or a corner shop, I know they will have my favourite chocolate bar or sweets in stock. We have a large range of them but my favourites are a select few, namely Dairy Milk and Galaxy. I've been assured that Canada has a bar called Dove, which is the same as Galaxy with a different name. I hope this is true! Regardless, I highly highly doubt Canada can live up to the British sweets.

What I'm looking forward to

1. Scenery

A big reason I chose Vancouver from anywhere in the world is the beautiful scenery it has to offer on its doorstep. From what I understand you get the benefits of living in a big city as well as the spectacular surroundings of mountains beaches and sea. I've heard you can go skiing and sun bathing on the beach in the same day! What else could you possibly want?

2. The Accent

I do like a foreign accent and even though it's still an English speaking country on the whole (I won't be visiting those silly French regions of Canada) I'm looking forward to being surrounded by an accent so different from anywhere in Britain. Honestly, there isn't many accents in Britain I like whatsoever, including my own. I do hear that Canadians like British accents though, so it's a match made in heaven (although I will hold reservations on them liking my light scouse accent until I'm there)

3. The People

I've heard a lot of good things about the people in Canada and just how friendly they are. Vancouver in particular is a very diverse place, with around 50% of people not being Canadian. This bodes well for a warm welcome. I also hear there is a strong sense of community throughout, which I always enjoy. 

I will continue adding more of these as I can think of them!

 The Preface

So, where to start. I guess I will start, well, from the start. The what's, where's, why's, how's and when's. 

The What?

In just under 2 months time I will be undergoing a journey way out of my comfort zone. I will be leaving the small town I reside in in England, flying 4725 miles to Vancouver and beginning an adventure I will never forget. I will be there for up to a year, with the option to extend the visa for another year (which I have a feeling I will take up, assuming I like it there)

The Why?

Here I type from my small, single bedroom in my parents house. It's safe, secure, comfortable and easy. I'm 23, work in a job that is pretty cushy and pretty much everything in my life is just that.

I never leave my comfort zone and always take the safe option when given a choice. To some people this might sound ideal, to others it probably sounds the complete opposite. 

"You still live at home?" "You don't have a girlfriend?" "You really work for a Bookmakers?"

These are questions I know people think to themselves, but are too nice to ask. And recently, okay, for a while now, I've been asking myself the same.

So, around a year ago, when I was jobless and almost penniless, I decided something drastic was needed to jumpstart my adult life. I managed to find myself a job locally, which allowed me to save money. I said to myself if I was still stuck in the same job and had the same life the following year, I would undertake this adventure with my savings. So, here I am, nearly a year later, with the same life, but with the money to change things. 

The How?

I found out about this trip during a summer holiday convention at University. I noticed a company called BUNAC who offered various trips to various places around the world. America, Australia, Africa, New Zealand and Canada. 

At the time I absolutely couldn't afford a trip like this. But it stuck in my head ever since and upon leaving University I always wanted to travel. 

The Where?

So why Canada? Well, Canada is a place I've always wanted to visit. The people are meant to be friendly, the place is one of the most picturesque you will find and its culturally very similar to England. In my eyes it is similar to America, only without all the annoying things a long with it. 

I also have family who live in Canada should I need any help or advice.

All in all, everything pointed to Canada. 

The When?

Well, having just received my Letter of Introduction, I can go whenever I like. However, as I like to procrastinate as much as possible, I will be booking my flights in the next few days hoping to go on May 16th.

So, here I am, preparing myself for the journey ahead and what better way to remember it than to keep a blog throughout. I'll aim to write here at least once per week, although that may be difficult when I first arrive considering I won't even have a laptop until I buy one. 

Wish me luck!