We have been in my home country, Canada, for two weeks now and have noticed just a few things.
– We will never be warm enough. The mercury’s been solid since we’ve been here, never straying too far from -10. That’s Celsius people.
– Our dollars are stretching further. Between home cooking, $5 breakfasts and free coffee refills, we are well fed and our bank accounts been looking pretty healthy too.
– We really missed free WiFi. Coffee shops, hotels, pubs, libraries, it’s been nice to connect with others abroad from the comfort of the cozy indoors, without having to register for an account.
– We spend a lot of money on outdoor winter activities. In an article in today’s Ottawa Citizen, they outline the Ottawa Canal maintenance budget for the world’s longest skating rink, a cool $1-1.5 million each year.
– People are just so darn nice! We went out for breakfast with friends and family after a post-wedding gathering we had at a local pub so everyone could meet my Irish hubby and a complete stranger paid for our entire bill. It was a Random Act of Kindness (RAK) and we are meant to pay it forward. My Dad was chatting to him afterwards and he said he spotted us the night before at the pub and thought our family looked really nice so he decided to treat us to a full breakfast. How sweet, eh?
– We are growing up. My sister just got engaged, one of my best friends also announced her engagement which we celebrated in all of our jet lagged glory and one of my good friends from college told us she is pregnant over a breakfast catch up this week. Looks like we will have plenty to celebrate over the coming year!
That’s as much as I have time to write on my free WiFi while I enjoy a drink at a pub in the Glebe. I hope you had a great New Year’s Eve and that 2014 is off to a cracking start. Best wishes!
Notes From Another Land 