The Coast of Two Countries

It has been 6 months since we have been back in the land of the red, white and blue, and the following are a few of my musings when contemplating/celebrating the differences of two unique areas on the same coast.

Observations on Being Back in Nor Cal
1. There are a disproportionate number of the 'beautiful people' here. Whether 'they' be self-made (there is a silicone epidemic here) or genetically blessed, 'they' are everywhere.
2. I have missed heat for the past 10 years. Sorry Canadian friends, a sunny day of 12 degrees C is not warm.
3. I adore frozen yogurt. These places are on every city block. .
4. You can't beat being able to buy a t-shirt, pair of shoes and pair of pants all for $20 at Ross.
5. Green is the new Black. For the first time in my life I am making a conscious effort to conserve natural resources. This is mostly due to the exorbitant price of utilities in this state, but we can pretend that I have just connected with my inner tree-hugger.
6. Private health care is a new frontier (at least for us). Still undecided on my final verdict of the system.
7. The people here are very guarded. You get the sense that they are telling you 'I already have all of the friends I need, so back off.' Not crazy about this one.
 
Observations About BC
(Obviously missing people are at the top of my list, but I am not going to wax mushy on you).

1. White Spot Burgers are hands-down one of the tastiest things ever. Enough said.
2. Public walk-in clinics rock, especially when you have a sick child on a Friday night at 8pm.
3. Girls in Canada wear their hair shorter. This is definitely a hasty generalization (and not true of most of my friends) but as a whole the female Canadian population seems to favor cropped locks more than their neighbors to the south.
4. Canadians are more patriotic (at least more than the average population in Nor Cal, I cannot account for the folk from Texas). Canadians are more willing to stick a Canadian flag or Maple Leaf on their bags, clothing and in their decor.
5. People in Canada (at least in BC) are not trying to keep up with the Joneses. They are OK with where they are at and generally do not give a lot of thought as to whether or not their 5 year old will one day get into an Ivy League school.

I feel blessed that I have been able to experience living in two different countries in my short lifetime. They say that once you have lived in more than one country you start to think of yourself as a global citizen. You don't ever feel 100% at 'home' wherever you live because a piece of you is still in those other places. Just look at my husband! 3 different countries in 30 years, completely a global citizen. As we grow together as a couple and now as a family we have learned that we can be joyful wherever we live as long as we are together. I am not saying that there are not certain perks about living in a particular place (hello warm sunshine!) but it is nice to know that it really does not matter where we store our 'stuff' because that is not what gives us our contentment.