This blog is for The Great Canadian Blog Bash (TGCBB), a linked bloggy celebration of all things Canadian!
My Luv Luv was studying in England while I was here completing my cake decorating course and finding a niche in life for myself. At long last, as of July, we’ll once again be living under the same roof. He is coming to Toronto to help me tie up all the loose ends, and then I’ll return to England with him where I start the British part of my journey. Don’t worry I’ll keep you updated of all the ups and downs that moving across the pond entails.
In the meantime, I have already started missing Canada. I am not originally from here and it took me a long time to feel comfortable here, but I have finally reached that point where I know that I will miss certain things. I am not saying that Britain will not hold similar products or experiences, but somehow, the Canadian ones will always have a special place in my heart…possibly because Canada is where I found my love and Canada is where I’ve found myself.
This is a list of things I will miss about Canada:
The Seasons
Yes, I came from Trinidad where there were two seasons (dry and wet) and I will be going to a place that has four seasons, yet the transitioning between the seasons in Canada is very different. And no I’m not crazy – I don’t love the extreme cold and extreme humid hot that Canada offers me, but I do love the “in-between” seasons. I love seeing maple trees in autumn and the baby Canadian geese in the spring. They are always signals of life and continuity for me and always leave me breathless.
The Bi-lingual Quality of the Land
I know, the French are supposed to hate the English and the English are supposed to hate the French, but I love that you can drive just a few hours in one direction and suddenly be in a completely different atmosphere – Where else in this world can you drive from a big North American definition of a City (Toronto) and enter old world European elegance (Montreal or Quebec City)? How refreshing is it to just be able to decide you need a change of surroundings and just head out to something completely different? And whether you’re going from Ontario to Quebec or from Quebec to Ontario, you’re always guaranteed a plethora of activities to choose from and an endless list of new things to discover!
Similar to the bi-lingual quality, Canada itself has so much to offer. Each province and each territory is so different in culture and in character that I wish I had taken the opportunity to visit them all! Again, I’m so glad that I’ve lived in a country that if I just want some sort of change, all I have to do is hop in the car and choose a highway. I love that in Ontario alone there is so much to do and discover!
The People
I know some will argue with me, but Canadians as a whole are amazing people. They are ridiculously friendly and are unique! They offer a patriotism that is not in-your-face-obvious but is strong and proud and consistent and that to me is more patriotic than any flag-flying, anthem-blaring or royal-worshiping any day. Canadians are NOT people who turn a cheek all the time, but are instead assertive yet kind and hardworking yet relaxed. A true Canuck is someone you definiely want to have as a friend and I am so happy to say that I have been blessed with many Canadian friendships that I hope will last my lifetime.
Toronto
This place has been my home for more than a decade and I will truly miss it. My biggest fear when moving is where will I find the type of places I’ve found here? Over the last fifteen years in Canada, I’ve found exactly to get what I want when I want how I want in Toronto. If I need to find something, I know where to go just by sitting and thinking for five minutes. I can tell you where to find anything in Toronto and Toronto has a lot to offer!
It is truly incomparable as a city of neighbourhoods and that I’ll miss when I am craving for a good Pho in the middle of South Asian country in England. I will miss Swiss Chalet (I don’t believe I am saying this) and I will miss Eaton Center (again I don’t believe I’m saying this!). I will even miss the big city atmosphere of downtown Toronto.
My Canadian Connections
Perhaps the one thing I will miss most of all is my ability to interact with my Canadian Connections in real life. My blogging has become something beyond the internet – it has become my everyday and the people I interact with online have become true friends. I love meeting them and I love experiencing life with them – and God knows that blogging has given me so many more experiences than I used to have when I was not involved with social media!
I will miss seeing my friends whenever I want to, and because I am not a person who makes friends easily IRL, I will crave them like a drug addict craves heroin. I know that they will be there for me online, but sometimes the physicality of a person is what you truly need – and I know this already from leaving one set of friends in a different country already. Will I make new friends? Yes, I will, but my Canadian friends online and offline will always have that extra-special place in my heart and the opportunity to book a reservation in my extra bedroom where ever I am.
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Canada has been good to me and part of my heart is heavy that I am leaving, but I know that if I ever need to I can return to this spectacular country full of snow and nanaimo bars and poutine and touks and spectacular scenes and amazing cities and awesome people…and I know that Canada and my beloved Canadians will always be a part of me.
Thank you Canada for opening your arms to me, helping me find myself and for encouraging me along the way for all these years.
Happy Canada Day 2012 everyone (oh and as a final jab to a certain neighbor down south….did you guys know that it’s been 200 years since Canada won the war against the US?! Check out the City of Toronto BiCentennial Commemmoration here)
The last thing I’ve noticed that is really admirable about Canadians is this:
They are truly an Entrepreneurial People.
They could be self-sufficient if they truly wanted to – there is not a single product in the world that you cannot find from an all-Canadian business – and proof of that is the amount of busineeses that have chosen to take part in #TGCBB! This includes two amazing all-Canadian businesses who have decided to work directly with my blog to celebrate Canada Day and all things Canadian by offering you awesome giveaways! Be sure to check out my posts about them on Martin’s Marvelous Naturals and Château des Charmes.
Check out all the other businesses below – and link up your own #TGCBB giveaway here!