Where will this lead?

The other night I was on the net and happened to find myself on a Canadian immigration site.

My fingers completed some general enquiry forms to see if we made the grade.

Just curious you understand.

9 points short of the required 67 points the form said.

Had a look to see if a brother could sponsor us.

Just to see.

No, Not on the sites that I found that evening. they all said child, parent, grand-parent, spouse, dependant sibling under 22 or adopted child.

Gman and I had a chat and agreed that we had complimentary skills and abilities despite our differences and that despite our conversation years ago about immigrating to Canada, when he couldn't imagine leaving his parents to go off to another country, he would now be prepared to go. We agreed that I would talk to my brother and his wife, (who is in the know about employment issues), as the next stage in general enquiries.

They rang us last night, Mum was there too. We spoke on Skype, which as many of you will know, doesn't cost a penny. They had me connected up to their stereo speakers too, and I could hear my voice echoing in the high-ceiling'd lounge with huge windows and a view through the garden to corn fields beyond, somewhere half way up Vancouver Island. They told of their force 5 sail from Vancouver to Nanaimo on Mokulana in decent weather, and the following few days sailing in the Islands with Mum, Jenny and the twins. Mum spoke of her comfort in the Dodge campervan and of enjoying herself just being around family again. Graham spoke of his sailing trip around Vancouver Island and 150 miles out to sea, with fee-paying crew who are there to learn, at various stages, including the 'off-shore' students. He spoke of heading off for another month again tomorrow. The only downside being the time away from home.

I spoke of our chat on the possibility of immigrating to Canada, and what I'd found so far. First of all as far as they know, a brother can sponsor, but we didn't discuss the implications of that further last night and secondly, there has never been a better time to go to Canada, unemployment is at a long time low, and jobs need applicants. If there are jobs with no suitable applicants from within the country then potentially companies are more likely to consider applicants from another country. Anyway, more digging to be done.

Maybe nothing will come of this but the fact that Gman is seriously thinking of giving up his job due to dissatisfaction, the realisation that I would be prepared to give my job up now,(retirement due in 9 years time), and the fact that he would now be prepared to move out there is the combination of factors that I can't seem to ignore at the moment.

I have enthused about sailing in recent months, and would dearly love to have time for sailing in my life, but the way I feel I need to prioritise means that there just isn't enough time to commit to it at the end of the day. Not now anyway.