While California isn’t that far away, and Americans and Canadians have more similarities than differences, coming to a new country has definitely been a new experience. And leaving my home country and coming to Canada has presented itself with a whole new series of challenges.
1. Holiday breaks are different.
Specifically, Thanksgiving, which is supposed to exist AT THE END OF NOVEMBER. Thanksgiving does not come before Halloween, cause that’s weird. And it’s definitely not on a Monday.
2. The weather.
Obviously, being farther north, the weather isn’t going to be hot and sunny all the time. But London winters are so unpredictable, and so brutal. So, so, brutal. In Canada, there are two seasons: winter, and construction.
3. Having to make an effort to make friends.
Coming to Western, I did not know a single person. No one from my high school came here. So I had to work 50 times as hard to make friends, and being social and friendly all the time is hard, and exhausting. (TBH, if you’re mostly normal, let’s be friends.)
4. Trying to fit in.
One time, I ordered a soda, and the girl asked me where I was from, because I didn’t say, “pop.” I’ve had to Google “Canadian grading scale” more than once, because the percentages are different here than they are in the states.
5. Breaks aren’t long enough to go home.
A week-long spring break is not worth a 7+ hour trip both ways. This year, with our 12 day-long winter break (shorter than last year, thanks!) I am contemplating whether it’s even worth it to go all the way home. And that sucks, a lot. I miss my fam, fam.
5. There isn’t a Chipotle in London.
Due to the fact that Chipotle is bae, this is probably the greatest struggle on this list. I’ve tweeted at Chipotle many times, requesting that they open a location in London. (They respond, telling me that they don’t know where London, Ontario is. Google Maps is tough for some people, apparently.)
6. On that note, there is no Trader Joe’s in London.
Trader Joe’s is the love of my life. Cookie Butter, Two- Buck Chuck, the best ravioli ever…I could go on for days. There isn’t a single Trader Joe’s in Canada, which makes me shed a lot of internal tears. This is making me way too nostalgic right now- let’s move on.
7. Shipping stuff to Canada is a hassle and a half.
“Free shipping” does not typically apply to anywhere but the U.S., and that means that shipping things to Canada is expensive. I’ve paid twice for shipping before: on the website, and then again at the post office. And small businesses don’t usually like to ship to Canada, because it is so expensive, and I would much rather shop at a small business than a big box store.