Things I am going to miss about Canada

If you have been reading this blog for a while, I am sure you know we enjoy living here! You may also know that we are heading home to Melbourne very soon (next week). I have previously written about the things we love about North Vancouver, so I will miss those things, but here are a few more random things I am going to miss about Canada…

• Waffle cones – glorious real waffle cones and some amazing ice-cream flavours. I have had waffle cones in Australia that are just sugar cones shaped to look like waffle cones. Here, they often make them on waffle irons in the shop. So good!

• Right now, ice-skating is included in my gym membership. Crazy, I know. There are three rinks within 15 mins drive that I can go to. They are available 6 months of the year. (To put this in perspective, ice-skating costs $20 – $25 per visit in Australia!!!). And often when I arrive at the rink… it looks like this:

• The lack of wind. I have a severe dislike of wind. Except for occasional storm, there is rarely more than a breeze in Vancouver.

• Beautiful summer days, where you can go out at 10pm and it is still light

• Being able to walk everywhere we need to go. I realise we could have this in Melbourne too if we chose to live somewhere different, but where we live, it is not an option.

• Cheap movies – $11.25 normally or $6.99 on a Tuesday ($AUD is about par to $CAD). The cinemas are a bit smaller and dingier, but do you really notice that once it has started anyway??

• Bottomless coke… it took us about a year and a half to learn that bottomless soft drink (soda) is standard over here at restaurants. Chris very excited by this… me not so much.

• The service at restaurants is definitely better in North America than Australia. I assume this is due to tips. Gonna miss that service!

• Peanut flavoured everything, especially chocolate!

• $1.50 avocados, bananas at $1.70 / kg and coriander (cilantro) for 75c a bunch – all year-round

• Electricity that costs $20 a month for our 2 br apartment in North Vancouver. The cost of living in Vancouver is apparently similar to living in Melbourne, so it all evens out somewhere, but still…

• Driving on the right side of the road. Not because it is any better than the left, but because I am going to have to learn how to again!!

• Being able to drive to the Canadian Rockies or the USA whenever you want

• The snow… obviously! How could I not miss this… and the skiing too :(.

• Hanging out with friends here – we have made some good friends in Canada and we are going to miss you!!!

I am sure I have forgotten some things, likely much more important things than these!!