Canada, Here I Come!
Yes, I’m giving Canada strong consideration. In fact, now that I’ve made the decision to do so, I wonder what took me so long. So, allow me to explain.
Something my readers may not know about me is that I have been wintering in Spain for the past 17 years.
Well, COVID kind of put a halt to that tradition two years ago, so I need to clarify that I’ve really only wintered in Spain for 15 of the past 17 years. Still, that’s a pretty good record.
I lease the same apartment every year.
It’s in a small fishing village outside of Malaga. My apartment is on the sixth floor where I can see the Mediterranean Sea while sipping coffee. Every day, I enjoy walking the seaside promenade across the street from where I live. It’s arguably the longest seaside promenade in all of Europe, connecting a number of Spanish whitewashed villages. I have a dentist and a doctor in Spain. I may even have more friends in Spain than I have in the US. Lots of retirees from Europe love to winter in Spain, and the Spaniards are notably friendly.
Although I travel all over the world and have spent many months in other countries, my Spanish connection is unique.
Because I’ve been returning for 15 years to the same tiny region, I never feel like a tourist there. It’s my home away from home. I just move back every February and settle into a familiar routine.
One day, something occurred to me out of the blue.
Why haven’t I spent more time in Canada, I found myself wondering. I’ve lived most of my adult life about four hours away from the Canadian border. I lived for 32 years in Maine and now I live in the midwest. I even own land in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, twenty minutes from the Canadian border.
Why have I taken Canada for granted?
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’ve never been to Canada. When I was a kid my dad drove the whole family clear across the Canadian mainland provinces. I’ve been as far north as the Yukon, too. During my years in Maine, I enjoyed Quebec City and Montreal on more than one occasion. I took my kids on vacation to Prince Edward Island. So, I’m certainly not unfamiliar with Canada.
Yet, I’ve spent far more time in Mexico, literally months and months.
Even though the border was much farther away from my stateside abode. Then when I retired, sold everything, and started traveling longterm, Canada was shelved. Why?
So, I got to thinking …
Why wouldn’t I want to develop a similar relationship with Canada that I’ve had with Spain for the past 15 years? I started making a list of pros.
- Canada is so close that I can skip the queue at the airports and drive instead.
- Canada is a peaceful, low profile country
- Many parts of Canada speak English
- Canada has the potential to become one of the best places to live due to climate change
- Canada is pretty liberal leaning
- Canada is immigrant friendly
- Canada is a nature lover’s dream
I’ll end the list with, Canada has managed to keep a low profile on the world scene.
Suddenly I knew that I needed more of Canada not less.
I need to pick a region that I return to over and over again like I do with Spain. A place where I spend my late summer and fall days every year. I need to find a small town outside of a big city just like in Spain and then become intimate with what both have to offer.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
Once I establish myself in a chosen village, I will most likely begin to make friends and connections, discover my favorite places to have coffee, choose a person to cut my hair, even have a doctor just in case.
I can fill prescriptions at a cheaper price while I’m there, too. Yay!
Do you know that Americans are allowed to stay for 180 days every year in Canada. I’m only allowed 90 days on my American passport in Spain. Not that I’d stay for six months, but I could if I wanted or needed to do so. Ya never know!
So this summer, I’ll be driving to Toronto.
I’ve chosen Toronto because of it’s proximity to where I live stateside. It sounds like a perfect match for me, too. Toronto is a major city and one of the most culturally diverse cities in all of North America. If you’re a foodie, you will find food from almost any country in the world in Toronto.
Toronto will be my Malaga.
In Spain, I often take the bus from my apartment to Malaga where I find an endless array of things to do. I like returning to my little village apartment, but I need Malaga close at hand as well.
My little Canadian village remains to be chosen.
I’m interested in Burlington, however. I can take a train into Toronto from Burlington for a small fee and be back home in a little over 30 minutes. Sweeeeet!
Oh, I forgot to mention that one of my requirements for this intimate relationship is the availability of affordable public transportation.
In Spain, I do not need a car. I can get anywhere I want to go either on foot or by bus, train, or taxis. I wish I could do that in the US, but unfortunately I can’t.
I hate cars. I hate how much it costs to buy one and maintain one.
Like I said, I have no idea what has taken me so long to fully embrace Canada. I think I just took her for granted because she was so close. One of my advantages to living such a nomadic lifestyle is that I have far less fear of going abroad than most people I know. I’ve been doing it for 17 years either as a tourist or as a part-time resident. When things get rough in the US, I start making plans.
I have a place to live in Spain for as long as I want to keep my apartment. I want to do the same with Canada.
For six months, too. Hell, a lot of bad shit can blow over in a six-month span of time. And if shit does start to fly, well, you can find me in one of my two homes away from home.
So, Canada, here I come!
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
