All the leaves are brown

Any time my wife Samantha and I go traveling we always do the same thing. We take in the sights, marvel at how beautiful it is, and make plans to move there someday. The plans are all theoretical of course; both of us are Canadian, our parents are all Canadian, our grandparents are Canadian etc. and for us, being a part of this beautiful country is something that we both treasure. A few years ago we took a trip to California and the weather there was absolutely perfect. Sam and I did our typical thing of “we’ll move here one day” but I think that while it’s fun to talk about that kind of thing, there is very little in this world that would make me want to move away from Canada. There is simply too much stuff here that I appreciate.

 

It’s stuff that we take for granted like Free Healthcare and our fairly serious gun laws. I’ll tell you what, I know that there are some things that I don’t take for granted as a Canadian. I don’t take for granted how people in different countries light up when I mention my nationality. I remember a few years ago when I was traveling in Italy. I was walking across a square and a Man came up and asked me if I wanted to buy some books. I politely said “No thank you” as I was carrying quite a bit of stuff that day.

 

He then asked where I was from, and when I told him he said “Hey, I love Canada. I have a cousin, he lives in Montreal!” thinking of that still makes me smile if I’m honest. When I bring it up with my Family it makes them smile too.

 

I know the stereotype of the polite Canadian who is always apologizing, and I’ll admit a small part of that is true, but it is it really that bad? if the main stereotype is the fact that we’re polite? it could be way worse. I’m not going to point fingers (that would be un-Canadian after all) but there appear to me to be some countries whose reputations are not quite what they could or should be.

 

Something else that I truly enjoy about this country is the change of seasons. I have been to places where It’s warm and sunny all year round and while that type of weather is lovely to visit (Certainly when It’s bitterly cold here in Canada) I don’t think I could live with it on a permanent basis. I enjoy the change of seasons because each season has something special that goes along with it. Winter, while cold, has the benefit of the holiday season, and enjoying time with friends and family. Summer is all about Patio season while you’re in the city and escaping to cottage country to lounge by the lake. Fall, which is actually my favorite season, is when the leaves turn all manner of beautiful colours and we can get beautiful temperatures to walk around in. Spring, I have to admit, is not my favorite season with everything looking soggy and gross after the winter melts away, but there is the promise of summer around the corner. I look forward to every different season because it is different. We can do different things in each season and I like the diversity of activities associated with each season.

 

Certainly, as a tech blogger, I appreciate how forward thinking this great nation of ours is. Certainly with the stretch of Highway 401 between Toronto and Waterloo being called Silicon Valley North I appreciate the technological leaps that this country has made over the years. Things like the Canadarm on the space shuttle which helped build the International Space Station. Things like the BlackBerry phone, which for a time, was the gold standard for business mobile communication devices, and is the precursor to the Smart Phones used today.

 

I love how inclusive our culture is. with so much strife and conflict in the world, it makes me feel proud to be Canadian because we include and recognize all peoples, races, religions lifestyles. I for one think that we are a stronger nation for having so many different cultures woven into our society. I love the fact that I can have my Starbucks in the morning, some seriously good Thai food for lunch and order in from an Italian place near me for Dinner. We have festivals celebrating different cultures and you can see people wearing clothing from their various different cultures defining who they are. Some might think that with so many different cultures coming together that we lose our culture but what they don’t understand is that all of these cultures working together IS our culture. We are a cultural mosaic which has stood the test of time. As other people have come in and established a bit of their own culture it hasn’t taken away from our culture. Rather, it has added to it, made it better, made it stronger.

 

Many of us are going to be in cottage country or going to massive parties this Canada Day so I would highly recommend you look around and see who is around you. See the differences, recognize them for the fact that we are all better for it. We are a nation of people who have come together from somewhere else and made a place that is, in my opinion, incredible to live. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This place is way too awesome.

 

So I think at this point I’m loving where I am, loving what I do, and anything else is just California dreamin’.

 

What are you doing this Canada Day to celebrate this incredible nation? Let me know in the comments section below. If you like this blog post and want to see more, you can follow me on Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @jasonlovefiles) and Subscribe to my blog to get new content delivered directly to your mailbox.

 

 

I would also at this time like to recognize my subscribers and followers on Social Media. We have been going on this journey together for a full year now!! I thank you so much for staying with me. I certainly hope that I am able to provide you with insights and ideas on how to better Organize Your Digital Life. Have you enjoyed this blog?