Things to do for those who are waiting

Any of you who are readers here will know that I've been in this immigration process for awhile now. And due to the change in my situation, I will have to get used to waiting some more, unfortunately. But they do say good things come to those that wait, that Toronto wasn't built in a day, and that patience is a virtue. So I keep all that in mind. This is a change that will, once made, last the rest of my days, and tomorrow will come, and it's not like there isn't a lot to do in preparation, as well as ways to keep the energy up.

With that in mind, I thought I'd share a few ideas with you on how to spend the idle time while Buffalo or whatever CIC office you are dealing with is working on your file.

Getting ready to relocate? Then do yourself a favor and pare down now. Sure you can take it with you to your new Canadian home - but do you really need it? I have a rule that says if I haven't used it in a year and it's not for an emergency, then I bet someone else could get some use out of it. Donate, garage sale, heck - I did pretty well on eBay even with some stuff. The idea here is to enter your new life with just the things you need. You'll have years to accumulate the things you don't!

Study your new home. There is a lot to learn about Canadian history, current events and culture and many resources to help. Read books on Canada, read online newspapers and watch webcasts (as I'm Toronto bound, I read the Star and Globe and Mail, but I also watch CBC Toronto, the "Canada Now" evening news segment)...Heck, I even subscribe to a couple magazines. The idea here is to begin to become conversant in your new home and society. This is one of my favorite ways to pass time.

Make contacts. Even if you don't know a lot of people in Canada, you can make friends via the Net - email penpals, for instance, that can answer questions for you and give you valuable advice. In addition, if you are a professional, make contacts with employers and with professional groups. This will help you hit the ground running when it comes to securing employment - not the easiest chore for a new immigrant in Canada, according to many of the reports in the press.

Those three area should keep you out of trouble, but if they don't and you are restless, I can think of one other thing you can do while you wait....

Start a blog!