Hi, I’m Marita, founder of Living Simply Abroad.
My family and I immigrated to Canada in 2008. Thus, we celebrated our 13 years in our second home last year.
OUR IMMIGRATION STORY
I was only 4 years married during that time and I had a three-year-old son. Good thing, my step-daughter was already 15 and she would alternate with us in taking care of her brother.
We were fortunate to have extended families around and they were really supportive. We would leave my young son in my sibling’s home at times when we were at work or school.
We stayed with my aunt’s family for 8 months before we moved to a rental apartment.
Arriving in the summer, my family was able to adapt to the changing seasons gradually.
Yes, like most immigrants, we were excited but nervous because we didn’t have work and we didn’t know if we could go back to our careers back home.
Fortunately, my hubby, with a referral from my brother to his previous employer, was able to land his first job a week after our arrival. He got so comfortable in this job and stayed for several years until he met somebody who advised him to enroll in a course that eventually gave him a job that offered more financial stability.
I also got part-time entry-level jobs through referrals by another aunt, while attending immigrant support classes. Eventually, I found another job that gave me more hours in a call center.
While doing these jobs, I planned and prepared myself to take examinations, hopefully, to get a license for my profession. This is where I really struggled to divide my time and be challenged with prioritizing between family and going back to my career.
Do I do the laundry and the dishes or do my self-reviews for the upcoming examinations? This would be after office work and/or during weekends and holidays.
Of course, coupled with lots of prayers and a positive mindset, I went on to continue to pursue my career.
Family support was really crucial during these challenging times. I would leave my family for some weekends or a couple months to stay with my aunt so I could really focus on my reviews.
I passed all the 3 required examinations within 4 years. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the required scores for the listening part of the English exams despite retaking them. And the five years of active practice of my profession needed to get into further training lapsed.
It was heartbreaking to accept that though I did my best, it was not enough for me to get a job offer or training to get my coveted license to go back to my profession.
Despite those fleeting feelings of hopelessness, I am happy now that I got jobs related to my education. I also got financial support from the Canadian government that helped me pay my examination fees and my bills when I chose to stop working early on during my reviews.
Am I satisfied now in my present job? YES, very much fulfilled, financially and career-wise.
Like me, my hubby is also delighted in his stable job at present, and my stepdaughter has done her studies and now working in a good-paying job.
My son, who only had ” Yes, ” and ” No, ” in his English vocabulary when we landed in Canada, is now a very tall grade 11 student.
I WANT TO HELP
Despite this pandemic, we never lost our jobs, thus, we felt secure and safe.
Since we arrived in Canada, we have always felt that the government is there supporting us in every way when we need help. I know because I got Employment insurance twice, first when I stopped working to focus on my review, and second, when my first term, full-time job ended.
Our kids have received child tax benefits, and until now, my son who is now 16 has two more years to enjoy that benefit.
After all those few years of challenges, here we are, feeling secure and happy that our children’s future is secure.
By the way, that’s our main reason why we decided to go abroad way back in 2008: to seek a better future for them.
And because of these beautiful experiences, I thought of sharing them to others as a way of giving back.
Thus, I started my Youtube channel, ” Living Simply Abroad, ” in 2020.
I am slowly growing it, with personal and family stories, and lately, I have been interviewing successful immigrants who have been joyfully sharing their experiences, as well.
THE GOAL OF LIVING SIMPLY ABROAD
Aside from sharing our simple life experiences in a far away land, along the way, I felt the urge to help aspiring FILIPINO people and families, who want to make their life better and more comfortable abroad, specifically in CANADA.
Why Canada? Because we live here and I can truthfully say that life here is easier, especially for our kids, and the government offers many benefits for its people, including immigrants.
I have formed a team that will help me make this project a reality. We have named our program CANADA BOUND Coaching Services. Click here to learn more about us.
Thus, after a year and a half of Youtube vlogging, I have to start this website, for us to easily reach out, and give more information and assistance.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave your comments below and I will be more than happy to help you out.
All the best,
Marita
livingsimplyabroad.com
Email: admin@livingsimplyabroad.com
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