Top 5 Things I Would Miss....

So, since I moved to the US thinking this would be a short term gig, I've tried really hard to see and do as much as I could while here, so that I wouldn't feel like I missed anything important.

The thing is, that there is just so much really great stuff to see and do, that it is nearly impossible to not miss anything. There are however, a few things that I have partaken in several times, just because it is just so much fun! And since I have thought about what I would be leaving behind if I were to move, I have determined that there are 5 things that I would be super sad about leaving.

Without further ado, here we go:

5. It would be a bummer to be in a place where I couldn't within 2 hours of driving time be on the beach or going skiing (not that I ever have...not too terribly sad about it, since I am not terribly sporty) or Gettysburg or the super awesome fantastic New York!

4. Shopping - the national sport of the US. You just can't help yourself but quickly spiral into the rampant consumerism of this country. When I first moved here, I didn't have any friends, and it took 3 months for my stuff to get here....so I shopped! And loved it too! It's not like this country makes it hard for you. There are tons of outlet malls, stores are open from 10 to 9 in most cases, there are cute little neighbourhoods where you can wonder about and browse, and best of all, there is a 24 hour grocery store around every corner. How can one resist when you just need another pair of shoes!

3. The international cuisine which is readily available, especially in Philly and New York, both of which as you may or may not know have a fantastic food scene. Anything you want, in any way you want it! Restaurant week is especially awesome, since you can gain that extra 10 pounds for just $35!

2. The convenience of having access to anything at anytime, which happens to be especially important to me, since I do enjoy feeding my mild case of snobbery. Sometimes getting groceries at the store next door isn't good enough, so one may be compelled to drive to Wegman's and get that fancy bottle of Leffe to go with your fancy cheese and crackers. By the way, it is absolutely important to note that Pennsylvania does not sell alcohol at Walmart, grocery stores, gas stations or any other convenient location. So, if you thought that all your dreams of just casually popping by the local 7-11 for a 6 pack were about to come true...it ain't going to happen in PA, honey!

1. The ability to break every traffic rule known to man, because every one else is doing it!


Point #1 also appears on my top 5 list of things that I will not miss about living in the US. It's one of those things that you like when you are doing it, but not so much when the dude in front of you is exercising his rights. For those of you who are concerned about driving in the Philladelphia area especially, please note the following: the dude in front of you will run that red light, the dude in front of you will cross the double yellow line four feet after the intersection to pull into the McDonald's drive through, the dude in front of you will come to a screeching halt whilst merging onto a highway of cars speeding well beyond the limit of 65 miles per hour. And turn lights are for wusses!

So, while there may be a thing or two that make this place slightly unbearable, overall the convenience factor will definitely sweeten the deal. So, as long as your goal in life is to spend as much of your earned and/or borrowed income as you can, and if you're really going after that premature heart attack, this the place to be and what a delightful way to do it!

Bored in Philly?

It is to be noted that Philadelphia has a fine art scene and several venues that keep you entertained...if you happen to like strolling about and gazing at pictures and such....

After all, one wouldn't be learning about the local culture and picking up the latest fashion trends if there wasn't a token Sunday afternoon, 'pay what you can' at the Art Museum with an incy wincy 'pay what it says on the menu' cocktail shortly after.

So, if you are in the Philly area and bored to tears, you simply must check out the latest and greatest art event taking place:

Philagrafika 2010

So get yourself all made up and make an appearance!

It's all 'Mer'can to me...

Yesterday, one of my Canadian friends made a reference to a touque. Naturally I knew exactly what she was talking about, because I consider my self an English speaking individual. Up until a few years ago that is....

One of the most shocking realizations that dawned on me upon moving to the US, was that all of a sudden I had to learn a new language! 'Mer'can! Don't get me wrong. I am all about expanding the mind, I simply wish that I had learned about this in a manner other than a series of awkward conversations with people that I was trying to make friends with...

It all started with a very innocent trip to the city. I live in the suburbs, and one night a few of us decided to get together in Center City Philadelphia for some fun. If any of you have ever gone to the city on Friday or Saturday night, you will know that parking is as rare and precious as a three carat ruby. And let me tell you, those are some rare and precious stones! A girl's gotta know her bling. SO, being brilliant as I am (no pun intended), of course I had a marvelous suggestion of parking in a parkade! "A what?!!" my friend's head whipped around so fast and hard I though it would sever.... needless to say no one's ever heard of a 'parkade' here...they call it a 'parking garage', which in my opinion just seems like too many words to describe something that you would obviously use for parking......

You can also forget about all the 'ou's in words like colour and flavour. And if you ever want to discuss the finer points of using you garburator to reduce waste and save the planet...save the oxygen and don't bother wasting your breath....here it is the 'garbage disposal'.

So, if you are still confused about why I brought up the touque, it's because here it is simply 'a winter hat'. How.....bland.

Well, the bad news is that if you are thinking of moving to the US, you will have to learn a new language, and sadly there is no "My 'Mer'can Coach' for your Nintendo DS. But, the good news is that now your have a perfect excuse to watch endless hours of 'New Jersey House Wives' and 'Gossip Girl'! It's the only way you'll ever get a chance to learn all the words! So, grab yourself a bag of ketchup chips (while you still can) and get to learnin'!

Hmmmm.....now that I think about this. What we need is an 'Mer'can translation app! Then the world will truly be complete!

There may be an agenda after all...

Thanks to the stunning brilliance of the man I love (he also has pretty eyes), I think I have decided that there may be a general theme to the things that I will rant about here.

Since I seem to have a pretty intense, daily need to express my thoughts on living on the east coast of US vs the west coast of Canada, I figure that I ought to share them with you. Who knows...maybe you will find some of this helpful or at least amusing.

I certainly did not do any 'real life experiences' research when I moved here nearly 4 years ago, only the 'book learnin' type, and it definitely was not enough. I moved to the Philly area for a job, on my own with one cat as my sole companion. At the time I did not really know anyone, only a few casual acquaintances.

I was fortunate enough to have a relocation package from my company, which was truly fantastic! They did a good job of taking care of me, but there just are things that no one can help you with in that type of move. You just have to make the adjustments yourself. But more on that in the future....

By the way...if you are thinking about moving wherever...there is a great book that you might find very helpful:

"Culture Shock" by Monica Rabe

On the other hand....if you are just bored and think you should move because it's easier to run away from your problems....then maybe this piece of literature will be more useful:

"Do What You Are" by Tieger & Barron

Soooo....if you think that you might be interested in knowing more, check back later....I can't tell you everything now! That would just spoil all the fun!

Off we go...

I have thought about this long and hard...

Since this seems to be the cool thing these days, I thought that it may be important to add my two cents to the medley of useless information on the web.

I don't have an agenda for this, but I do think that with practice I can post something clever from time to time. Maybe I might even get a few answers to profound questions that muddle my mind when I try to not think about them.

On the other hand, perhaps this totally frivolous and self-serving novelty will wear off in a few days and I will be bored and not doing anything about it once again.

Ooooh...that thrill of the possibilities!