What Might Give You Away as a Gringo from Canada...

1. You still have lost all sense of when fruits and veggies are in season.
2. You still miss wearing a scarf.
3. You still assume that rain means cold(er). You put on pants and you're wrong every time and sweat. A lot.
4. You crave cider and nachos and think about it even at breakfast.
5. You still find out about holidays the day before they happen.
6. You miss hearing about snow, ski reports or snow related road advisories.
7. You suffer from flip-flop back-aches.
8. You are stunned every time you go to the farmer's market and get a bouquet of flowers big enough to hide behind for 10 bucks.
9. You're still grossed out by the guy selling liver out of his seemingly styro-foam cooler at the farmer's market.
10. You still wish you could find real vanilla not "essence of vanilla".
11. You still can't accept that little kids fly kites on the side of the highway while drivers zoom by like crazed meth addicts trapped in a video game.
12. You still haven't accepted the fact that a 2 km car ride will take 45 minutes and will almost jeopardize your life more than five times, only to arrive at your destination and be happy to find a parking spot on the sidewalk.
13. You still will have strength to fend off the well-meaning strangers who offer cookies to your kid.
14. You still curse every dog owner every time you see shit on the sidewalk.
15. You still go to bed at night while your neighbor's kids are playing soccer outside.
16. You still think that going to the mall on a rainy day is equal to falling in a pit of pointy spears.


But things do change.... and you adapt.

1. You remember to throw the toilet paper in the garbage can instead of the toilet in public washrooms.
2. You don't sigh when you see a 30 people line-up.
3. You know your notary's first name, his children's names and when he takes his lunch break.
4. You bite into a chocolate bar and you don't think it tastes like a birthday candle.
5. You look out your window in the morning and are awed by the beauty of the ocean every single time.
6. You find your favorite kiosk on the beach, and make a point to sit with a drink at least once a week.
7. You don't blink when you see a driver next to you at the red light playing the guitar.
8. You start buying the little candies that street sellers pop on your side-view mirrors when you're stopped at a traffic light.
9. You can tell the difference between what is real and what is simply something happening in a soap opera.
10. You consider wearing white knee-length socks over your black running leggings for your daily 38C mid-day jog on the beach.
11. You sign up for a surfing, body boarding or kite-surfing lesson.
12. The things you say usually get a response somewhat along the same line you were expecting.
13. You drink a beer on the street and no one comes over to tell you to pour it out.