For those of you who eventally got out of Calgary, how did you do it?

[Option84]

It's been 4 years now since I left university and that whole time I've been stagnating at the same company back in the same city that I was born in. Other than spending 5 years of school in Waterloo Ontario, the bulk of my life has been spent in Calgary. Granted Calgary has undergone some tremendous change in the past few years, but it's just lacking the vibrancy and sense of excitement that other places can offer. Truthfully it feels like I'm wasting my youth living in such a dull place. I was hoping that learning what paths other former Calgary residents took can give me some ideas and inspiration on where to get started on getting out. My background is in chemical engineering by the way, but it's hard finding work outside of the oil industry in Alberta.

[vtec260]

Go live a year in Winnipeg. You will regret starting this thread.

NDP run government, high taxes, getting your car jacked, waiting for IKEA to be built (talk of town for last 4 years) and seeing nothing but flat land for eternity. Positive note...the Jets are back and Bombers are best in CFL as of now.

[BlackArcher101]

Ah Engineer. It all makes sense now.

[Dion]

I'd love to know what makes Calgary a dull city.

[Beerfest]

"dull place"

Do expand please

[Jake]

I live in Vancouver. I want to come back.

[TheSutterDynasty]

/Obligatory pop is expensive at liquorstores joke, followed by a comment about sitting on the same side of the booth as your significant other.

[JohnnyB]

I suppose going to university was what got me out of Calgary. I just decided not to go back afterwards. Decided to go overseas for a year, and after that year was looking at universities in the states before deciding to spend more time overseas in China which lead to the last 4 years of my life with Shanghai as my adopted home while also spending time in other parts of the country.

If I were in your situation, which would probably also make me want to escape, I would think of a few places I'd always wanted to go to or just think would be cool to live in, then google something like "country/city name expat job" and see what's available. Chances are good that you could get a decent job in your field in a place that would be a great adventure for you.

Of course, you need to reconcile yourself with the trade that you'd ultimately be making. You'd be giving up time with familiar friends, family, habits and environments which make life comfortable and easy. In exchange you'd be getting uncertainty, challenge, lots of learning opportunities and life experience.

Personally, I think that's a really great trade.

[VladtheImpaler]

Well, go to the airport. Don't buy the pop there - it's REALLY expensive.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by Jake

I live in Vancouver. I want to come back.

I feel the same way

[Lobotroth]

Don't come to Toronto otherwise your next thread will be "OMG milk is so expensive in Ontario".

[Daradon]

Don't leave yet, I hear there is a plebiscite to ban all dogs.

[OffsideSpecialist]

Be happy your hometown isn't Oshawa

[bubbsy]

Not sure it has anything to do with CGY itself. I'm a calgarian who went to uni in ont, graduated 7 years ago, and have been in Toronto ever since. Love the city, but am also at the stage where i'd be willing to move, just about anywhere (with decent population) for a change.

If this was a few years ago, that place would have to be a buzzing metropolitan (what you may be looking for after being back in cgy after uni), but now that i'm more settled (marrried), decent suburbia would do just fine also.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Your described stagnation has nothing to do with your job or the city, it's entirely about you. Welcome to your mid-twenties.

Pick a direction, a couple of hobbies, and get involved in your life. Calgary offers an unlimited supply of adventures, but you have to show up. Seriously, what is it that you want to do that Calgary doesn't offer?

[MrMastodonFarm]

I am completely flabbergasted an engineer is bored with his life.

[edn88]

Confusius say "No matter where you go, there you are"

Maybe Calgary isn't the problem.

[Deegee]

Originally Posted by Lobotroth

Don't come to Toronto otherwise your next thread will be "OMG milk is so expensive in Ontario".

I couldn't believe how cheaper fresh items like produce were in Ontario versus Alberta when we went last year.

[burtreynolds]

Originally Posted by Option84

Truthfully it feels like I'm wasting my youth living in such a dull place.

You could always move to Somalia. Never a dull moment!

[JohnnyB]

Whether or not Calgary itself is the problem, if you want a change you should just go for it. It's not like Calgary is going to disappear. It will still be there, with 90% of the same people and the same places you know now should you ultimately decide that it's the best place for you to be after all and you could easily go back and happily live the rest of your life there if you want.

You really have nothing to lose by picking up and taking off to another part of the world for a couple of years, and while Calgary may offer the potential of a good life, there are a lot of experiences out in the rest of the world that a life in Calgary simply can't offer (and it's absurd for anyone to try to suggest that any one city or country could).