Former Shropshire Star reporter Rebecca Lawrence updates us on her activities since arriving in Canada nearly two weeks ago to start a new life.

My flight from Heathrow to Calgary was uneventful – I watched several movies and also slept. It felt slightly strange to be flying to another country other than for a holiday and I had to declare myself at customs where I was sent to immigration.

Despite the scary-looking official in the bullet proof vest, I managed to get my work permit without any hassle.

Simon was waiting for me as I came through the gates and took me off to see our new car – a Ford Escape. Compared to some of the gigantic cars on Canada’s roads, ours is quite small- but it’s certainly big enough for me to cope with.

We spent the weekend in Calgary which is a lovely city. I especially enjoyed exploring the park and we also had a delicious meal at Earls in Downtown. Simon was sad not find the infamous bar Cowboys but there was plenty of other things to do. We also went up the observation tower which has a great view across the city.

On the Monday, we drove the six hours to Moose Jaw. This was my first attempt at driving abroad and I had to cope with three different problems; driving an automatic for the first time, driving on the right (or wrong in my opinion!) side of the road and handling a 4X4. But when I got the hang of cruise control, the drive went surprisingly quickly.

My first view of Moose Jaw was a series of fast food chains but we soon got to historic down town, which seems nice with lots of unusual shops to explore. We visited Connor Park, which is near the Canadian Airbase where Simon is working. It is a pretty, peaceful park by the river and we are looking forward to exploring it when our bikes arrive.

Everyone is very friendly and we met a nice couple when we went swimming at the local pool and I hope we bump into them again.

During our first week, we marked Canada Day. Unfortunately the weather was not that great but it was sunny enough for a trip to Buffalo Pound- a large nature reserve on the outskirts of Moose Jaw. We even saw some Bison roaming the grounds and had a game of mini-golf. I won’t reveal the score as I lost quite considerably!

At the weekend, we visited Regina – the capital of Saskatchewan, which is about a 40 minute drive away. It is a lovely city with lots of big shops and a beautiful park, with a huge lake. We are looking forward to exploring it fully.

I’ve joined the gym at the base and have been busy sorting things out such as a social security number and a doctor. I’m also busy looking for a job.

We have moved into our house- described by the Canadians as a “character house” as it is old in comparison to the rest of the town. Our luggage from England has yet to arrive – apparently it is stuck in Calgary – so we are still living out of two suitcases but at least we are settled in our own space.

I am definitely looking forward to our stuff arriving so we can make the house our own.

Although I still feel a bit unsettled, I think we will be happy here and will be able to explore Canada as much as we can during our three year placement.