These are in no particular order

1) Someone actually asked me if I lived in winter year round

Yes. This actually happened. They GENUINELY wanted to know if I wore a full body winter suit year round. I’ll clarify on here that I’ve NEVER worn a full body winter suit (whatever that is) — EVEN in the winter. Yes there is summer where I come from (although it is only 3 months) and it gets VERY hot. It actually gets hotter than UK summers!

2) Tim Horton’s Cravings

Not a SINGLE place that serves a decent double-double. I’m also miffed I missed roll-up-the-rim season. I was actually told there was a Timmy’s in London so I trekked up there to see but turns out it closed down 🙁

I DID see the Canadian embassy though (My dad wanted to ask if they had a Tim Hortons hiding in there)

3) People assuming you’re American

This has happened, I think, 95% of the time. People hear me speak and they assume I’m American. Now there’s no problem with that, but:

4) Correcting people (that you’re Canadian) and they still continue to call you American

This is a major issue with a very good friend of mine here. She refuses to call me anything else. I think at this point, she does it on purpose

5) Feeling incredibly uplifted when somebody correctly guesses (on the first try) that you’re, indeed, Canadian

I was working at the Surrey UCAS fair, addressing a group of students that were arriving. And their bus driver asked me if I was Canadian. I think I could’ve hugged him. Apparently we DO sound different from Americans. He said it was the way I said about (‘aboot’ I’ve always been a firm disbeliever on this point. I don’t think I sound like that but hey, can’t complain)

6) People telling you they have relatives in Montreal and if you know them

No. And I don’t know anyone in Toronto, or Vancouver either. It’s quite weird for people here to realise how big North America actually is and that some cities are actually in separate time zones. It’s a 12 hour drive from Calgary to Vancouver!

7) Poutine cravings

Gravy on fries needs to be a thing here. Say hello to unhealthy calories

8) When you travel to England, half of your luggage is plug adapters

That’s self explanatory enough. I’ve lost half of them though

9) Actually MISSING the snow

I do really miss it. A lot of people call me out on lying but no I actually miss the snow. I miss how white it gets and most of all I miss the white Christmas

10) Nobody knows a thing about ice hockey

Now I love to keep up with the NHL (Go Flames Go!) so I end up staying up at odd hours of the night to watch the games. My friends here don’t understand the lengths I go to watch hockey. They couldn’t believe me when I said that bars were open at 5:30 am during the Sochi Olympics Men’s Hockey final (Sweden vs Canada – if anybody saw it) so that people could get a beer and watch the game. My friends don’t believe that they stream hockey games at schools. The Flames FINALLY made playoffs this year and I was on an Air Canada flight on the way back to UK and the pilot was giving us a play by play of a game against Vancouver. Hockey is to Canada as Football (Soccer – but don’t call it that here) is to the UK