Hi! My name is Kathy and I grew up and spent most of my life in Prince George, B.C. and then in 1997 I moved to Montreal, Quebec.

After a couple of years of being homesick, I headed home to beautiful British Columbia and settled near my folks in Kelowna. That's where I met my future husband online in 1999. He's the reason I find myself in the Evergreen State. I moved down to the Seattle area in 2000 and we were married shortly after I arrived. It's six years now and I still enjoy living here, but miss home and family very much (none of my family are in the U.S.) I'm a stay at home mom and have one son who's 15 (I'm thinking it's time to start volunteering or something).

I'm fortunate that I get to go home to the Kelowna area to visit family a couple times a year and also 're-charge' my Canadian accent! It gives me a chance to catch up on all my favorites, like Shreddies cereal, Macintosh Toffee and Tim's. I get ONE Canadian channel (CBC) here in WA so I can keep up with things I enjoy like great Canadian humor, and of course, hockey!

Kathy S., Auburn WA, British Columbia
July 20, 2006
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I joined the Canadian Army as a Boy Soldier at the age of 15 in 1960, in Vancouver. The war hero Smokey Smith signed me up, and away I went. After 4 years, I was injured in a parachute accident, and left the service. I was discharged in Calgary and got my pay... $40. I did not have enough money to go to Vancouver, which was my intention, and survive until I got a job, so I had to hitchhike to New Jersey, where my parents had moved... some 3000 miles.

In 1999, when I became disabled (a small percentage) I called the Canadian Forces for help. Within 2 hours of my call, I got a phone call from the Canadian military attache in Washington, who set me up for an appointment the next day at a very local counseling office. Within 48 hours I was at a US Veterans office where I was approved for a Canadian Forces disability pension that helps meet my medical bills. When I arrived at the Veterans office in Orange New Jersey, I got royal treatment. All through the huge complex, people were waiting for "The Canadian", where I would be pushed to the front of long lines.

I am now a Supervisor with the US Department of Homeland Security at Philadelphia Airport. So, if anyone travels through PHL, look me up at the International terminal... ask for Rich. By the way - we have many Canadian servicemen traveling through here.

Richard C., Maple Shade NJ, British Columbia
July 20, 2006
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I met my future husband while working part time at his family's restaurant and attending St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. He was the son of my boss and lived in Florida but would visit N.S. during holidays.

After I graduated from 'X' in '99, I moved to St. Petersburg, Florida with him, thinking I was up for an adventure. It sure was! We married a year and a half later and a few years after that I received my Permanent Resident Status. What a great day it was, to know that I could legally live and work in either Canada or USA. We are fortunate to both have our summers off and return to Canada every July for a month long vacation. Although I love the sandy beaches and warm weather year round in Florida, nothing can compare to the fresh air, ocean views and peace and tranquilty we get from our summer home in Nova Scotia. We have many friends in our community at home in Florida and they always ask about Nova Scotia, promising to one day come and visit. Our 6 year old daughter and 3 year old son cannot wait to get up to Nova Scotia to see Nana and Pappa, play with the friends they have made over the years and make bonfires on the beach.

Myself, I can't wait to get up there to check off items on a list I make of all the things I can't get in Florida (many different chocolate bars, Tim Horton's chili, lobsters, McChicken sauce and Sour Cream and bacon chips....to name a few food items!!) We have now been together in the USA for 7 years and although that is where we live and work, Nova Scotia will always and forever be close to my heart and considered home to me.

Rachelle W., Pinellas Park FL, Nova Scotia
July 20, 2006
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I met my husband online at crossdaily. I came for a 12 day visit and returned for 6 months. He came to Alberta to visit twice. We got married October 3, 2003. We started the paperwork (K3visa) and it took me 8 months to get to the US. I live right on the east coast of NC and would LOVE to find some fellow Canadians close to me. All my family is still in Canada. I have a 24 year old daughter just married May 27, 2006 and a grand daughter who will be 1 on July 12th.

shirl p., cape carteret NC, Alberta
July 11, 2006
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I was born here in the states (New Jersey) in 1974, but moved to Etobicoke, Ontario at the age of 4 in 1979. I lived there until 1988. I have to tell you, it was the best 9 years of my life. I then, and still do love everything about Ontario, and the rest of Canada as well. I miss it everyday, and visit whenever possible. I am very proud to be a Canadian-American! Even though I've been away for almost 20 years, I still consider the GTA - not just Etobicoke - my home. I still celebrate Canada Day, Victoria Day, Boxing Day and every other Canadian holiday. Amoung all else I AM A CANADIAN FIRST! I got married in '04 and had the privilege of showing my new wife Niagara Falls and the GTA, including Etobicoke. It was truly one of the best times of my life to show her my adopted homeland. Hopefully sometime in my life, I can move back home and raise my kids as Canadians.

Will B., manchester NJ, Ontario
July 11, 2006
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I arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1998, 11 years after leaving Edmonton, Alberta where I graduated in 1986 with an MSc in Forestry from the University of Alberta.

After working for the University of Idaho ('87-91) as a Visiting Exchange Scholar conducting 24 U.S. national park visitor surveys and as a Social Scientist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks ('91-98), I became the Wildlife Planning Manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

I recently returned in mid May 2006 to Canmore, Alberta to attend the 28th annual conference of the Organization of Wildlife Planners (www.owpweb.org) when I became President. Got to visit my sister, Barb who works for SAIT and visit U of A campus & old friends. Am headed to NS in mid July to visit folks in Annapolis Valley, near my alma mater, Acadia U (1975 graduate).

I enjoy volunteering, serving as a chauffeur with the National Olympic Team for France during the 2002 Winter Olympics in SLC. Later that summer, I was one of 500 volunteer professional facilitators who helped AmericaSpeaks coordinate a 5,000 person public NYC forum, entitled "Listening to the City" to enable NY and NJ residents to "Remember and Rebuild" after the 9/11/2001 attacks on the WTC. Am now proud to be Canadian and also a naturalized U.S. citizen.

I miss All Things Canadian and being with fellow Canucks!

Dana D., Holladay UT, Alberta
July 11, 2006
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I am 13 years old and my family moved to Virginia when I was 9. My mom was the reason we moved. She is going to the University of Virginia and is getting her PhD in Education and Leadership. I love it here in Virginia, but I still visit all of my relatives in Canada when I can. USA is very different from Canada. Everyone here finds it funny when I say serviette instead of napkin, laneway instead of driveway, and zed instead of zee. They also get on my case about how I sometimes add "eh?" at the end of my questions. Hockey Rules! Go Sens Go!

Derek A., Charlottesville VA, Ontario
July 11, 2006
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I came to California in the fall of 1991 to realize a dream of playing college baseball. I attended Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria located 60 mile north of Santa Barbara. Santa Maria definitely had a small town vibe to it and was still only 15 minutes from the beach! My two years there were some of the best memories I have ever had, but my eligibility was completed, so I continued on to CSU San Bernardino.

I returned to Canada a year later, got into coaching baseball and was fortunate to coach for Team Canada during the summer. However, I always missed Santa Maria and yearned to return.

In 1997, I decided to go back. I enrolled in school (mostly to be able to enter the country legally) and coached for a year at Allan Hancock College. It was during that time I met my future wife. Andrea and I were married in the summer of 1999 and have lived in Santa Maria ever since (Nipomo is 10 miles north of SM). The immigration process took almost a year and a half (we finally got a lawyer after trying to do it ourselves), and I am now a Resident Alien of the US. I will always keep my Canadian Citizenship and I am already educating my son on the "Great White North".

Good luck to all those Canadians living in the US, especially California. If you are ever on the central coast let me know and I will take you on some of the best wine trails in the world!

Bob F., Nipomo CA, Alberta
July 11, 2006
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I am originally from Crystal Beach, Ontario. It is a small village in the Niagara Region, right across the lake from Buffalo, NY. I am "North American". I have dual Canadian and American citizenships. My mom is American, my dad Canadian. They decided to raise me in Canada. While in nursing school I heard about this opportunity called travel nursing. Basically a company pays for your lodging, utilities, and gives you a salary to work at different hospitals throughout the US and even overseas on a short term basis. I jumped at the opportunity and am currently in Reno after finishing my first assignment in San Diego. I am going to be going back home in a few weeks for a little while to visit my family both in Crystal Beach and Buffalo. There are a lot of Canadian travellers and I met one from Hamilton while in San Diego ( Hi Ruth!) and really want to talk to others.

Stacey P., Reno NV, Ontario
July 11, 2006
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Hi everyone. My wife Gwen and I are originally from the Ottawa area and I arrived in the US in 2000 after living in Fredericton, NB for 5 years. We first lived in Charlottesville, VA for 2 years then moved to Richmond, VA where we have settled in quite nicely. I work for a software company here in Richmond that produces Golf Club Management and Point of Sale software. We have not found many Canadian here but on discovery of this site, I am sure that will change. We are still in H1-B status awaiting Labor Certification and once that is done, will be going for the Green Card. Because of our status, Gwen is not able to work here but she keeps busy running the household. We live in near the Short Pump area of Richmond and I work very close to home so I don't have a commute to work. I can walk to work in about 10 minutes. We welcome contact from other Canadians in the area.

Bryan D., , Saskatchewan
July 11, 2006
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