You seem familiar, yet somehow strange–are you by any chance Канадский?

Это New Yorker cartoon caption sums up the relationship many Americans have with Canada. We know Canada like we might casually know any next-door neighbor. We’re cordial, сказать "привет,»И идти о нашей собственной бизнес.

Конечно, most Americans know something about our northern neighbor. We’ve scanned headlines about universal health care, same-sex marriage, и хоккей мания. We’ve seen photos of majestic mountains, тихие бухты, смотреть не дальше, чем, and vast stretches of arctic wilderness. We may have read surveys calling Ванкувер лучший город в мире, чтобы жить, comparing chic Монреаль в Париж, и рейтинг Торонто among the planet’s most multicultural metropolises. Мы familiar с Канадой, but we may not really know our Canadian neighbors–until something happens that makes us take notice.

For my family, это было предложения о работе.

And after our unanticipated move over the border, as my family and I began figuring out how to manage the transition to our new Canadian home, we quickly discovered that crossing the border on vacation–something we’d done many times–wasn’t the same as living and working in a different country.

Потому что Canada is a different country. Конечно, что звучит глупо; we knew we were moving to a new nation with its own government, деньги, и законы. Yet because Canada felt so comfortable–so similar to the United States–we were surprised at how many things we needed to sort out.

The permits we needed to begin working. The documents мы должны переместить наш автомобиль. Как arrange for health insurance и подать наши налоговые декларации. Unlike many immigrants heading abroad, we didn’t need to learn a new language or adapt to exotic customs. We were going to the country right next door. Тем не менее, есть все еще много проблем.

After we sorted out the paperwork, хотя, we began to adjust to our adopted country. Мы скоро узнали, чтобы охватить Canada’s multicultural esthetic, sampling new foods, joining in local festivals, and getting acquainted with expats from across the globe. We came to appreciate the активный, outdoor-oriented culture, where people make time to go skiing, ездить на велосипедах, or walk along the waterfront. And we began to slow our hurry-up attitudes to a more laid-back Canadian speed.

Со временем, we’ve also discovered many other differences between Canadian and American culture. Мы познакомились с Timbits. Узнал, что штрихи are and why the kids needed them for soccer. Figured out why there’s a holiday on the Королева Англии birthday.

If you’re exploring this website, you may be thinking about moving to Canada or you may already be here. Whatever your reason for considering Canada–that neighbor who’s familiar yet just a bit different–welcome. I’d like to introduce you to my new Canadian home.

— Excerpted from the book, Проживающих за рубежом в Канаде. Чтобы узнать больше, купить книгу.

Фото © Алан Альберт