• The ocean, downtown high-rises, and snow-topped mountains are all right outside my window.
• People are nice, people are tolerant, and they don’t make a big deal about how nice and tolerant they are.
• Toronto has five Chinatowns.
• British Columbia has a desert.
• Montrealers move effortlessly between French and English.
• The United States isn’t the center of the political universe.
• Skiing, sailing, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, camping—even when you live in the city, all these activities are close by, and people do them.
• Croissants for breakfast, sushi for lunch, and wild salmon, local greens, and bumbleberry pie for dinner.
• Maple syrup on snow.
• Gravy on French fries.
• Not having to worry about health insurance.

– Excerpted from the book, Living Abroad in Canada. To read more, buy the book.

Photo ©Carolyn B. Heller