The seed was initially planted by my older (and only) sister, Aideen. She and her boyfriend Mark had been living in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada for about 1 year and they loved their new life. I can’t help but
admit that I was jealous. I really look up to my sister she’s very courageous,
head strong, stubborn as hell sometimes but, she’s not afraid to take risks and
goes after what she wants. She made it seem like moving to Canada was no big
deal even though the process for her to obtain an IEC visa was a lot more
complex at the time.
I remember
talking to her on Skype on one occasion and her asking me what my plan was for
when I finished college. She asked me had I considered applying for the visa
and at the time, my answer was no. I wasn't finished college until the end of
that year so, I figured I’d finish college, work for one year, save money and
then maybe apply? However, she informed me of a rumour she had heard through
various social media accounts saying that apparently, the IEC process wasn't
going to be opening for the following year and that maybe I should apply. If I
don’t get it, I don’t get it but, if I was successful I didn't necessarily have
to use it but, at least I would have the option. That was how it all began...
When I was in my final year of college that realised that I
was following a routine and a pretty boring one at that! I went to college
every day studying marketing, Monday-Thursday/Friday and then worked
part-time at the weekends Thursday-Sunday and I did this every day, every week,
every month for four years. It had become so part of my life that I didn't even
notice and accepted it as normal.
Ireland is having a tough time economically at the moment
(as you all know!) and once you get to the end of your educational road, it
makes you really think what your next step should be. It’s a decision you have
to make by yourself, for yourself and it can be difficult. You’ll be scared, have serious self-doubt and it involves taking a leap of faith into the unknown
and this is where I found myself.
Being from a small town in the north-west of
Ireland that has really suffered from the effects of the recession, there are
no real opportunities here. Trust me, it’s not worth my while searching and
applying for jobs because I know I would've been unsuccessful in my
attempt. Most employers require you to
have some sort of experience and, being fresh out of college of course I didn't have any real experience you can’t get experience without having a job. It’s a
vicious circle.
What made the decision particularly hard for me was the fact
that I had a part-time job. I worked in Penneys/Primark and to someone who has never worked there, you assume it’s a
normal, easy part-time job and it is for the most part. What you don’t realise
is Penneys is actually a great company to work for and they can provide you
with some really good opportunities. There had to be a way I could work for the
company where I was qualified, in marketing. I've always been interested in
advertising and if I could only be given the opportunity, I would happily do
that for Penneys. I loved the store that I worked in, we all got on like
family and it taught me a lot about working in retail and just how
sh*t that can be!! However, as I said, I
worked there for four years and the work started to become very mundane. I was
literally doing the same thing every weekend, in a place I had been living my
entire life. Many shops in Sligo had closed as a result of the recession, I had
been to every restaurant and bar in town because there was just nothing else to
do. I was seeing the same faces and places everyday. Everthing about my life had started to become very mundane and I was
feeling uninspired .
When you work in Penneys for five or more
years, you can take a career break, and leave the company for one year but,
your job and your rate of pay will still be waiting for you when you return if,
you choose to do that. One of my best friends, that I work with Michelle has
also chosen to move to Canada, she’s been working in Penneys longer than me and
has chosen to take her leave should it not work out for her? As I've been working there under 5 years, I'm forced to leave permanently. Yes, if Canada doesn't work out for me I can return home but, I won’t have a job to return to, one
that I have really enjoyed, made great friends and worked so hard in. That’s
the thing that scares me the most...
I recently returned from a family holiday from Canada, the last time I set foot on Canadian soil was 10 years before that and I am so glad I got to visit the country again before moving there permanently. My boyfriend Larry also came with us, he is joining me in this big move and I'm so glad he got to see Canada before making the move. From visiting the country, I don't have any apprehension (not really) about going any more, I can't wait! Canada is an amazing country full of fantastic, friendly people and also, full of jobs!
The next big step for myself and Larry to make the move and decision we have made feel 100% real for the first time will be to book our flights. Next on the list of things to do.
Thank you for reading,
Ciara.
