This post is sort of silly really. Sort of an escapist one, in response to how overwhelmed I am by this semester in school. I've had this long time fantasy of moving away from Montreal. I love this city so much, but I really am someone who likes to make changes a lot, and I've made just about all the changes I can think of within my hometown, and now I'm sort of looking to try something new.
The problem is, simply put, I'm darn lazy! I look for apartments every day in different cities around the US and Canada on Craigslist or MLS, and lots of times I find things that I could totally afford, especially if I could convince Mike to come along, but a coupled fear of being far away from my family, and of the process of moving to a different place, has kept my feet firmly planted in the icy cold Montreal ground.
Well last night I was trolling the Athens, GA Craigslist page for apartments, and stumbled upon this dream house right here. It sort of got me thinking, lots of other people do it! Move to different cities, provinces, states or even countries, and I want to do it too! But I really am the worst with all things paper work, and I'm wondering if any of you have any advice as to the process behind moving between the US and Canada. You wouldn't think it would be very complicated, seeing as we're neighbours, but something tells me there will be lots of beaurocratic obstacles that will discourage me really early on, and I'd love to hear from some people who have done it!
While I don't think I'll be moving soon enough to snatch this beauty of a barn up, I could totally see myself in the next couple of years, somewhere in the South enjoying longer Summers, milder Winters and all the charm I felt when I was there this Summer. Not to mention I'd be closer to some pretty wonderful ladies who I've come to consider good friends of mine!
Advice? Please!
17 thought bubbles:
I think it would be easier if had a job lined up first, then you could get a work visa. Other than that, I'm not really sure. The house is beautiful, and I understand, it is wonderful to dream and seriously consider living in different places. I hope someone else can give you some more concrete advise.
Ohhhhhhh, it'll happen my dear!!!! I think about it daily and if it can happen to ME, it can happen to YOU! I know Maine's not Canada....but it sure felt like it, lol!!! I wish I could give you advice about paperwork, but I have no clue. I'll research though!!! Someday we'll all live within driving distance of each other, I KNO IT!!!! and we'll all have babies that play with each other, hehe!!!! What a comment, huh!!! lol Hugs!!!!! :o)
Awww, I think you should totally do it! This is the time to so something like that too... when you are young and don't have too many ties to keep you at home. I would love to move down South, but I have a feeling I will be moving to Chicago at some point.
I never moved really very far away. I moved to the city on a dime in my senior year of college. I grew up in a sort of "on the edge of the cornfields" suburb of Chicago and just decided after my boyfriend (now husband) came back from studying in Paris to just move with him to Chicago with no money and just living on love. We moved into this tiny 3 flat front apt that was boiling in the summer and freezing int he winter but we loved it.
The best thing about moving somewhere farther away from your family is that you find out so much about yourself because you really just have yourself to decide things. Living far away made me realize who I was. The greatest thing is, when we got married we moved back to our hometown! You can always come home. :)
My brother did the same. He picked up and left to take a job in Boise Idaho! And he loves it. Do what your heart calls. You may be lonely every once in a while but you will learn so much.
From what I know, the fastest way to become an actual permanent resident of the US is to marry an American. That's what I did! Otherwise, you have to have a job lined up (or a plan to be a student, there are those visas too), and there are different kinds of work visas depending on what type of work you're going to be doing. It's one of those things where you might have to hope for a bit of luck, because often an employer might not want to take on the extra effort to sponsor you when they could just hire an American. Apparently each type of visa also has a quota, so only a certain number of people can be admitted on them to the country per year. Work visas are temporary, but can be renewed but I'm not sure how long you can keep renewing them. I guess as long as you have your job... or some employers can actually sponsor you to help you get a green card.
It's definitely a complicated process, and it can be expensive too! But, if you really want it, it can be worth the time (often there is lots of waiting involved, immigration services are notorious for leavin' you hanging without any real deadlines) and effort. I think it's so dumb that it isn't easier for Canadians to move here. If it was, I'd make all my best friends move to Portland! They're all stuck up in BC.
Luckily, there is a TON of information available all over the internet that relates to this, and I bet you can find out some really helpful stuff if you do some heavy google-ing. When dalas and I were trying to figure out how to get me here, we found a lot of forums and discussions of people in our same situation and found a lot of help that way. Also, if there are any US immigration offices or consulates near you, you could always set up an informational meeting just to get your questions answered, cause that's even more reliable than the internet!
I wish I could offer some advice! I've been through so much visa ickyness on the other side of things, trying to move from the US to the UK, but I suspect it's very different coming from Canada to the US as visas go. (hopefully easier and maybe not so expensive!) Good luck though - the south is a lovely part of the country and I highly recommend it! I really can't think of any place I'd rather be living within the US, so I consider myself lucky. I love being one hour from the mountains, 4 hours from the ocean, and surrounded by history all the time. :)
That's really a dreamy place! I hope one I'll can move from where I'm living now as well...
Whoa, at what Anja said!! You should marry a member of R.E.M. just to become a citizen, and then you can divorce him and get lots of money, and move Mike on down to Athens too!
If it's any consolation Athens had the cheapest rent of any place I've lived. But, yeah, the visa and all of that stuff sounds tough!
I have no idea of the paperwork that's involved or how difficult/easy it would be to move from Canada to the US (sorry!). But I've thought about this a lot. I'm studying Library Science right now and with the current California budget crisis, I'm not sure how easy it will be for me to find a job as a librarian in California when I graduate next year. So I've been contemplating moving out of state, out of country, and have contemplated actually moving to Canada! But I fear that I won't be able to take the cold, haha.
Anyways, this dream home that you found in Athens is so beautiful!! It'd be amazing if you could find something similar when you're ready to move to the US. Hopefully, you'll be able to take Mike with you! Good luck in your moving ventures in the future!
While I can't give you advice on moving to a new country I can tell you that I loved moving to Massachussetts after growing up in Michigan. I lived there for five years and it was quite a crazy experience.
We're now back in MI for Cole's grad school, but when he's done, I'm sure we'll be moving again.
Remember there is no time better than the present!!
lululetty.blogspot.com
ooo i would like to live there too, it looks so cozy. i wish i could move like others do, ive lived in the same place for 20 years! the same house in fact, in the next couple of years i will be buying a house, but in the same city lol. I admire people who move around alot.
Rose
gorgeous house! I would love to live there too. I love houses with character. Places you can imagine (or discover) the history of. My house makes me happy that way (it was built by hippies and all sorts of people, inluding jimi hendrix hung out there).
you know a while ago, when i started school, i really wanted to move to montreal! i was even looking up schools and stuff. i really don't remember anything that i found but i'm sure you could google it. i'm planning a move to from nyc to philadelphia in january and it's so scary but exciting too! i'll let you know how everything goes and maybe that'll help : )
i can give no advice (sorry), but i know just how you feel. i'm dying to move, family and fear of the unknown has kept us put for now, but i know it will happen one day when the time is right. for now i try to embrace my current location and enjoy each day no matter where i live. :)
How funny, I want to do the opposite... I'm currently living in Chicago (and lived in LA before that) and really want to move to Montreal! I visited your fair city three years ago and fell in love with it. The cost of living in the South is pretty cheap but I'm unsure of the work visa situation. What are you studying in school?
I don't have any advice from coming from Canada to the US, but I just wanted to say it isn't a silly dream! I'm a bit stuck wherever the military puts us (and right now, it's in a place that neither of us are very fond of), but I still dream of the day we can go to a city that we love (namely San Diego, CA or Virginia Beach, VA), and find a quaint little house. :) It's not an impossible dream--just one that takes lots of planning and a dash of courage. I think you can do it! Wishing you lots of luck!
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
Maybe you and Leilani should trade identities! No? Too much?
That barn sounds too good to be true!
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