Contentment on Which Continent?

A co-worker asked Craig the other day if he ever thought about leaving Calgary and moving somewhere else, and he began to laugh (almost hysterically!) There is an urban legend out there that states that men think about sex every seven seconds. (http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/thinksex.asp) Craig thinks he has that beat, as he's positive he thinks about leaving Calgary more often than that!!

The question he is often confronted with (besides what to do for cash) is; would leaving Calgary for his dream of living in Europe really be all that it's cracked up to be, or is it a case of "the grass is always greener?"

Calgary has really become a place for the rich. Toronto may be the "Centre of the Universe", but Calgary has really become one of the top economic regions in Canada. To live here (really live here) you must have $$$. We don't golf, we don't ski. Good restaurants are few and far between (as seen by Craig's students often listing "the Olive Garden" or "Swiss Chalet" as their favorite restaurants!! - not that there's anything wrong with that - but you know what I mean!!)

Friends in Toronto and Montreal laugh at our so called traffic problems, but what those two cities are lacking are the redneck, over testosteroned Albertans mixing with the people driving slow in the left hand lane!! Life is hectic, Calgary is fast paced, and most days Craig and Kris feel like the are overdrawn, overtaxed, and overwhelmed.

Kris spent her teenage years growing up in Holland. She still has family there, and over the years Kris and Craig have been lucky enough to travel to Europe numerous times during our time together. Our travels have gone beyond the wonderland that Holland presents. We've also travelled to France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain. Ah, Spain! That's where Kris and Craig dream of one day retiring.

I know we were on vacation, but life is so very different for Euros. The history, the culture, and the lifestyle is all so varied and rich. Lands where water is more expensive to drink than wine (okay, whether or not that is a good thing is in the eye of the beholder for sure, but think water being what Calgarians pay and then wine being cheaper!!) Lands where you start with six weeks vacation! 36 hour work weeks and job sharing in abundance.

A glaring example of how different our worlds really are can be found in a Calgary Herald article on September 5th comparing life in Calgary on the Bow River with life in Frankfurt Germany on the River Main. (http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/German+city+sips+life+pleasures/1965115/story.html#)

The article describes the relaxed German Lifestyle to that of the go, go, go pace in Calgary. Bike riding in Calgary is reserved for the uber sporty, spandex wearing, yuppies, who have top of the line helmets, bikes, and gear. Biking in Europe is a way of life. Old and young in business suits and leisure wear (did I really just use the term "leisure wear"?) Grannies and small children. No pretense, just enjoying life. Not in a rush, not training for triathlons. It's a brilliant article that Craig clings to like a child to their favorite blanket.

There must be something to staying in Canada right? Health care? Well, in recent surveys many Western European Country's public health care systems rated higher than ours (Holland was #1). Having the world's most powerful country as a neighbor? Actually, Euros cross borders with their neighbors without restriction, sharing currency, and freedoms; whereas Americans treat Canadians as criminals when we dare enter their domain!

I'm sure I'd miss the Stampede and the mountains. Camping and Alberta Beef, but there is more to life isn't there? Kris and Craig look forward to Christmas as if they were the Kringles themselves, but then the thought of surviving another frigid January and February, only to be hit with the avalanche of snow that comes in March and April (and May and June!) often leads Kris to consider going for a long drive in our garage! Craig just isn't sure he can do it anymore.

We both love our jobs, but are longing for something more. From watching "Mamma Mia", to "Julie and Julia", "Love Actually" to "Under the Tuscan Sun" the signs are everywhere. Craig was given the opportunity to move to Europe shortly after they got married; however, being young and naive he didn't think he could do it. Now we long for it.

Realistically we are here and have to deal with it. We have (hopefully) six more years of paying for school for the kids, and the decisions will have to be made. For now Kris will just have to work on getting a Dutch Passport. . . .

Welterusten!!