360º Perspective Of A Canadian Immigrant Wife

Get empowered with valuable resources you will need to settle down

I am currently working on an E Book which will be dedicated to ladies planning their move to Canada

So contact me at ssmazagaonkar@gmail.com or if you have any questions.

I have lived in Toronto now for more than 5 years which has been a journey full of transitions, from being a wife, mother, student and a working professional. I still remember the day I received my Permanent Resident Status confirmation and a Canadian visa stamped on the crisp new pages of my passport. I had survived 5 long months of separation from my husband and as a new bride it had not been easy. The fear of doing all the complicated and exhausting paperwork for crossing borders had contained me within the boundaries of India for 27 years, and now in a blink I was married, standing in that long queue to get my Passport, rushing to complete visa and PR formalities and booking my first international air ticket to get onto that flight to my dream destination..."love" honestly makes you do the unthinkable at times!!

I was leaving my comfort zone for the first time, parents, friends, family, a successful career, and such, to make a fresh start in a new country completely unknown to me. I was excited yet anxious of what surprises were in store for me. I had tried to pack in as much of home I as could within the limits of excess baggage, to stay surrounded by sweet memories at all times. But as my father-in-law rightly said," Now that is your home darling, so fly away and make a new start together, what you leave behind is your parents house, which you can visit whenever you want, and we are always there for you!".

It's been close to five years since that first day. As I look back it was exciting to find so many familiar places and things in Toronto, yet challenging at times to understand and cope with all the differences in the cultural and social fabric. I found Indian stores that stocked all my favorite goodies, yet learnt that job search is meant to be a strategy here which involves 'cold calling' and 'networking'. I had a zillion questions, where do I shop for groceries, how to figure out the public transit system, what do I wear in winter that would keep me warm in -30⁰C, is their a temple I could visit during festivals????? But only one friend to help me get answers...my husband....who went to work every morning, leaving me in an apartment surrounded by the convenience of amenities but so quiet that I could literally hear a pin drop! "Me" who was used to the buzz of neighbours, postman, the housemaid....and the constant ringing of the phone at home! It took a while getting used to and settling into this new lifestyle which I call 'home' now.

So I spent a few months applying what I have learnt to design a one day workshop that helps ladies like me make this a smooth transition.I am currently also working on an E Book that will share insights about day to day life in Canada and answer some of your critical questions. There are so many resources for professionals and students, coming here to work or study, consultants who guide them with legalities, institutes that coach them on how to get good scores in TOEFL/IELTS/GRE/GMAT. They have alumni meets organized before they fly out. But its time we ladies took charge of preparing ourselves too.

Trust me there are many unforeseen surprises which wont become challenges for you after you have read my upcoming E Book. If you dont enjoy reading and want to interact with me personally, just gather a few friends and I would be happy to organize a one day ineractive workshop and you will be better prepared, bursting with confidence to embark on your exciting new journey...in Canada!

Regards,

Snehal