Although originally from Europe, I was raised in Montreal and Vancouver, so I consider myself a true Canadian. I live in Seattle, Washington, but have never relinquished my Canadian citizenship. Because Seattle and Vancouver are so close geographically, I ride the train to visit friends and family north of the border as often as possible. Vancouver has really changed since I spent my teens and twenties in that great city! I miss Montreal, too, and need to return for an immersion into the French Canadian experience. Last week I discovered members of Cirque de Soleil in downtown Seattle promoting their latest traveling show (which is in Seattle another month). When I told them I was "from Montreal", we had an instant bond and started talking in French! Yes, I feel very much like an ex-pat, and more so when I return to my mother country (Germany). It's quite nice to feel part of many places in our world!

Daniela S., Seattle WA
April 22, 2008
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I represent Canada as an international fellow in arts management at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. My home is Bridgenorth, Ontario, very close to Peterborough. I am looking forward to collaborating with Canadian performing artists who are working in the US, or looking to promote Canadian performing arts in the USA.

catherine t., Washington DC, Ontario
April 22, 2008
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Hello. My name is Javier. I was born in Colombia, but moved to Canada to complete my university studies. I am both Canadian and Colombian. I graduated from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, major in Communications and with a Co-op certificate - I completed three work terms at Teleglobe International, Bell Canada in Montreal.

After completion of my co-op terms I was unemployed in Vancouver and came acrooss with information on a paid internship program sponsored by DFAIT and FOCAL. Available to recent graduates, unemployed and interested in persuing an international career within the Inter American System in Washington, DC. Well, I decided to apply and after a competition with dozens of applicants from across Canada I was selected among a group of 12 young profesionals. We met in Ottawa for a brief orientation and moved to Washington, DC in September 2001. This is how it all started. I joined the Pan American Health Organization, Regional office of WHO, and started working under the supervision of the Regional Advisor on Workers' Health. It was one of the most exciting and fullfiling opportunities I've ever had. It changed my life. In fact, I was supposed to come back to Canada, but the offered me a short consultancy funded by Health Canada and I decided to stay. After one year at PAHO as a Consultant I was approached by the Organzization of American States here in Washington and offered with a jop opportunity to work in the Unit of Social Development, Education and Labour. Again a wonderful and challenging experience. However, after two years I felt homesick and decided to return to Vancouver. I stayed six months in our Pacific pearl, however, it was very difficult to find a job where my DC experience was useful.

Then, PAHO/WHO contacted me again and I return in August 2005. I worked for six months in Workers' Health and then joined the HIV/AIDS Unit where I currently am.

I am happy to be here, although Canada is always in my mind and in my heart. I am here because the DFAIT believed in me and send me as an Intern, otherwise, it would have been very difficult or not even in my plans to be here.

I wish I could come back to Canada one day and make effective use of my Inter American experience in DC. Big hugs to all Canadians in DC!

Javier M., Washington DC, British Columbia
April 22, 2008
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As for myself, I moved down here a few months ago, so my wife could be closer to her family. We are expecting our second child in September, and it looks like this one will be born in the U.S. I tried to convince my wife that another paid year off was worth staying in Canada, but I lost that battle. I like Utah - it reminds me of home (Kelowna), but it's a little conservative for me. I miss little things to like being able to ask where the washroom is without being pointed to a laundry room, getting looked at funny when I pronounce ornery correctly, and Big Turks. Well if anyone wants to get together with a fellow Canadian for Canada Day or some other time let me know.

sam a., draper UT, British Columbia
April 22, 2008
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My husband and I now live in Washington, DC, as he was a journalist assigned here from Winnipeg by Canadian newspapers. I thought I would tell a couple of Mountie stories.

In Canada in the early 80's I was on the (volunteer) National Canada Day Committee, helping to fund celebrations around the country. We wanted to send two of the RCMP Musical Ride to the (then) NW Territories, but needed to pay for the horses' feed. Our food mandate only allowed funding for birthday cake - and after some serious deliberation, we decided that the horses' oatcake was "cake". The trip was a great success! The children had never seen horses, so every minute was magic for them - even when the horses were standing still!

When the entire Musical Ride was in Washington a few years ago, the horses were quartered in a big tent on a city street, where the public could see the horses and chat with the Mounties. While the Mounties were excited about being here, the Canadians here were delighted to visit with them! The men (Mounties and husbands) were mystified, however, as some of the Canadian women eventually started to cry - from homesickness brought on by the sight of all those beautiful red serge uniforms! We tried not to, but finally gave in, and all cried together, standing on the city street!

BTW, I still feel such pangs when I see the Mounties on show on their summer duty at the Canadian Embassy on Canada Day!

Sally M., Washington DC
April 17, 2008
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I landed in Montreal from my native Turkey in 1970 to do graduate study at McGill. I became a landed immigrant and then a Canadian citizen, and lived in Montreal for 20 years. I met my present wife while I was on an assignment in Turkey. She is a medical doctor, wanted to pursue her career in North America, but could not work in Canada. My wife followed the American certifying system and we moved to the USA, first to Connecticut (Yale Univ.) and then to Louisiana. This is our 7th year in the USA. We became permanent U.S. residents but I intend to keep my Canadian citizenship for the rest of my life. My two children from my previous marriage are also Canadians (my daughter was born in Montreal) and proudly carry their Canadian passports.

What do I miss from Canada? Well, Crescent street in Montreal, the snow (it never snowed here in the last 4 years), the beautiful lakes in the Laurentians, Ottawa's tulip festival... We plan to move to New England next year and that will give me a chance to visit Canada more often. I would be happy to correspond with fellow Canadians living in the USA.

Orhan D., Shreveport LA, Quebec
April 17, 2008
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Greetings. I am a second generation Albertan, married to a second generation Manitoban. Our two sons were born in Alberta. We've lived in various places across the USA for the past twenty years. I've been a college professor teaching communications courses, while also managing college radio stations, following a Canadian career in broadcast journalism. In the next little while we'll be moving to Vermont to begin semi-retirement and to be close to our sons who live and work there. Recently I began a blog on Canada-USA Relations. You can find it at 49thboundary.blogspot.com I'm looking forward to living closer to Canada and getting a cable system that carries Canadian channels. I miss daily Canadian news.

Ron S., Nyack NY, Alberta
April 17, 2008
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Hello all fellow Canadians. I met my American wife on line, then took a bus trip out to PA to meet her, stayed for a week, went back to BC for a week, then drove out here, and have been here ever since. My wife Sandy was living in Montrose at the time, and her brother lived in Sayre PA, which is about an hour drive from here. He asked if we could move up there and look after his two daughters, and he said it would be easier for me to get work. So we moved that year, and were up in Sayre for 5 years. I volunteered at a hospital for 2 yrs and got my green card in 2006. Got a job at Walmart. We are down in Montrose again. Hard to get used to but work for the school over here at Elk Lake. Anyway, that's my story in short. Any others from Victoria BC out this way in PA?

david t., montrose PA, British Columbia
April 17, 2008
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We live here after living in Victoria for a year. It's warmer and dryer so it is good for me for health reasons. So we have been living in the States for some time now, and enjoying the desert and the ocean breezes. My wife is American. She loves Canada and me big time! Our love of things Brit-Canadian makes the trips to BC the best fun! Now we have a web site on TagWorld. You can see my blog and more pictures. We invite all of you to join! It's free! http://www.tagworld.com/mustangjames

James W., Malibu CA, Ontario
April 17, 2008
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I was born and raised in Welland, Ontario, and have lived in the States since I was 21. Love Washington State. (I live in beautiful Tacoma, surrounded by Puget Sound). Am starting to do all the research to move to BC, as I never got my US citizenship, and my US-born husband works for a company based out of Toronto.

Nancy D., Tacoma WA, Ontario
April 17, 2008
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