The 10 Provinces of Canada

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

This month we hit another milestone! We have officially been to all 10 provinces of Canada! Of course, we haven’t even come close to visiting all the places we want to see within the 10 provinces (not to mention the territories), but still, it is pretty cool to have been able to see as much as we have! So, for this month’s post, I wanted to write a little bit about our time spent in each province so far and share a few of the things still on our list for whenever we make it back. Enjoy!

Alberta

We first went to Banff just a few months after moving to Canada, and we were absolutely blown away! I have a feeling we’ll be back to the Canadian Rockies a few times before we leave the continent because they are truly spectacular. Calgary was an easy entry point, Canmore and Banff were amazing, but the highlight was definitely the drive up to Jasper National Park on the Canadian Icefields Highway. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Athabasca Falls, countless glaciers: it was incredible! In fact, for our next trip out that way, we’re actually thinking of doing it again just in reverse: flying into Edmonton, spending time in Jasper, and taking the Icefields Highway back down to Banff – the same gorgeous scenery in the opposite direction, and ideally, in a different season. The biggest challenge will definitely be deciding which season because I have a feeling all four are equally stunning!  

British Columbia

Okay, so technically, British Columbia was the first province Tucker and I ever visited together. In 2008, we went on an Alaskan cruise, which served as my 50th US state expedition and our high school graduation trip, but unfortunately, we were only in Vancouver for a day. Therefore, it is high time for a BC re-do! Luckily, that trip is already in the books for January 2027. We’ll be stomping around the city for about a week, snowboarding for a day or two, and hopefully hoping over to the island as well. Of course, Whistler is also an option or the Sea-to-Sky Highway or more of the Rockies… Clearly, I’m still workshopping this trip, but whatever we don’t get done this time will just be on the list for a subsequent trip! Like the majority of Canadian provinces, BC is huge, and it really requires multiple trips to see and do all the things we’d like!

Manitoba

The very last province we made it out to was Manitoba, right in the center of the country. Here, we spent the majority of our time in Winnipeg, aka The Peg. Somehow, I feel like Winnipeg gets a bit of a bad rap, but we found the city to be super fun! It’s all very spread out, but it has a plethora of beautiful parks, lots of unique activities, and a solid amount of local color. I absolutely loved Assiniboine Park; Tucker loved all the breweries, and on our mini road trip day, we had a great time checking off a ton of fun roadside attractions en route to/from Riding Mountain National Park. Of course, I’m still eager to get back out to Winnipeg in winter, so we can see if “Winterpeg” really lives up to its name! Maybe we’ll combine that with a trip up to Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, which is on Hudson Bay on the northside of Manitoba. If you know us, you know that’s exactly the sort of thing we’d do…

New Brunswick

I sometimes feel a bit bad for New Brunswick. It seems like the most underrated/left-out province of them all, but it’s honestly so nice! The Bay of Fundy was probably our favorite sight since it’s so unique, but really, there is a lot we love about visiting NB (I think after Québec and Ontario, both of which we’ve called home, NB is our most-visited province). New Brunswick is right in the middle of Québec, Nova Scotia, and Maine, and I think it has a lovely mix of all the things you associate with those three slightly more famous destinations: French, forests, coastlines, etc. Of course, the Bay of Fundy is the true draw of NB. This bay actually has the highest tidal range in the world at over 50 feet, so here, you can literally watch the tide change right in front of your eyes. You can also walk on what is essentially the ocean floor if you time your visit correctly. Anyway, I actually wrote a whole post about the Maritimes, so if they’re on your to-visit list, definitely check it out!

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Far East, okay, not as far east as China, but as far east as you can get in Canada! In fact, the time zone in NL is 30 minutes ahead of East Coast time, which was just the first of many interesting facts we learned out there. Our trip centered around Newfoundland, which is an island affectionately known as “The Rock”, and I’d say that’s a fair assessment. NL is incredibly rugged. It’s also a bit isolated, which explains why it feels vastly different from the rest of the provinces. We spent a lot of our time in Newfoundland hiking because the coastline is dotted with lighthouses, lookout points, and depending on the season, either icebergs or rare birds. Despite some challenging weather, we had an absolutely amazing time schlepping around the island, and of course, the hospitality of the locals is second to none in all of Canada, so we also spent a good amount of our time chatting and drinking with locals who were just as curious about us as we were about Newfoundland. All in all, definitely a trip I’d love to do again, perhaps this time making up to Labrador as well!  

Nova Scotia

Another heavy-hitter in Canadian tourism, Nova Scotia has a lot to see. Halifax, of course, but the infamous Cabot Trail and Peggy’s Cove are here as well. Plus, the lobster rolls, Halifax donair, Moon Mist ice cream…it sort of seems like food was a driving force during our time spent in Nova Scotia, and on that front, we were never disappointed (well, unless you count that time a seagull stole a $30 lobster roll right out of Tucker’s hand lol). Seagulls notwithstanding, Nova Scotia is absolutely beautiful and really accessible. When compared to some of the other provinces, driving across NS seems downright quick! And like Newfoundland, the locals are incredibly welcoming and really seem to enjoy sharing their favorite local hangouts. At one point, we were even considering moving to Halifax, so you never know, we might soon be exploring even more of Canada’s Ocean Playground!

Ontario

Where do I even begin with Ontario? We called this province home for 2 years, so obviously Ottawa is my favorite city in Ontario. But we also took trips to Niagara Falls, Toronto, Kingston, and about a dozen smaller towns in southeastern Ontario. Our first Canada Days were celebrated here. Ontario was where we were introduced to Beavertails, butter tarts, ketchup chips, and Coffee Crisps. This is also where we learned to love the extreme seasons of Canada, specifically of Central Canada. And even though we’ve already made trips back to Ontario after having moved to another province, there are many more we still want to make. Top of the list would probably be Thunder Bay. Lake Superior is the only Great Lake I have yet to see in person, and Thunder Bay looks like a stunning place to do just that. The problem with Ontario is that it’s absolutely massive. If I wanted to drive from Ottawa to Thunder Bay (both of which are in southern Ontario), it would take 16 hours. Maybe we’ll just fly.

Prince Edward Island

PEI might be the tiniest province of Canada, but it definitely packs a punch! I associate the island with Anne of Green Gables, but there’s a lot more to see than the rolling green hills and red dirt paths described in the novels. Prince Edward Island has a little bit of everything: farmland, gorgeous coasts, vineyards, the longest bridge in Canada! One of the best things about it is how much you can see there in a short amount of time. It only takes 3 hours to drive from one side to the other. While we were there, we saw the most beautiful sunset on the west coast of the island, and ever since then, I’ve had the idea to go back and watch a sunrise on the east coast in the morning, spend the day crisscrossing the island, exploring all the amazing restaurants, shops, coastal drives, etc. ending up on the west coast for another spectacular sunset. Of course, these days, I’ve been talking with a lot of people who have cruised to the island, which also seems like it would be a lovely way to see PEI. We’ll just have to see!

Saskatchewan

We finally made it out to Saskatchewan on one of our most recent trips, and I’m so glad we went full-on prairies! I knew I wanted to see the prairies in all their glory, so not only did we spend several days in Saskatoon walking the Meewasin Valley Trail, we also rented a car and drove for hours around the vast nothing between Saskatoon and Regina. And if that wasn’t enough, we also took a 14-hour train ride right through the prairies so I could be absolutely sure we saw the true extent of the province’s vast supplies of wheat, canola, and potash from every possible angle. I’m not sure what we expected before spending time in Saskatoon, but we left feeling like this was another underrated city that is well-worth a visit. It’s called the Paris of the Prairies, and I’d say for good reason. The Saskatchewan River is extremely picturesque, and the city wraps around it beautifully with a collection of lovely bridges. Calgary and Winnipeg on either side have vastly different vibes; Saskatoon feels to me a bit more like Québec: a little calmer, a little more relaxed, and really just a great place to vacation. I can easily see us going back to Saskatchewan. I mean, we didn’t even make it all the way down to the City that Rhymes with Fun (aka Regina)!

Quebec

Another one that’s hard to sum up into one short paragraph! Quebec is our home, and even before moving here, we had visited several times. There’s no denying Montreal is effortlessly cool, but clearly, I’m Team Québec City all the way! As much as it’s cliché to say, there really is a certain je ne sais quoi about Quebec. The province has glittering lakes, winding rivers, forested mountains, colorful leaves, snowy winters, and everything else you could ever want from nature. Quebec is culturally rich as well; it’s indigenous, French, English, and Canadian all at the same time! During our time here, of course, we’ve seen a lot of what Montreal and Québec have to offer, but also Charlevoix, Saguenay, Rivière-du-Loup, Mont Tremblant, and more. Our next big trip within Quebec will probably be out to Gaspé, another one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of Canada. And in case you were wondering, I do in fact pinch myself often just to make sure this really is my life and not just a dream!

So, here’s to the 10 incredibly beautiful provinces of Canada! I sincerely hope you also get the chance to visit them all one day because from coast to coast to coast, Canada really is something special!

Working 9 to 5 (NOT!)

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

One of the biggest challenges we face in trying to maintain this semi-nomadic lifestyle of ours is the constant job changes. It’s oddly something I don’t write about super often, but it is one of the questions I get asked most of all: “What do you do that allows you to live and move abroad over and over again?” Well, the truth is, we have done many things to make this happen, and this month, I’m going to share a little timeline of all the various jobs we’ve had over the years. Strap in because it’s a bit of a wild ride!  

Pre-Expat Years (~2005-2015)

I suppose I have to start with the fact that we had no early plans to live and work abroad. During high school, I babysat, worked at Bruster’s Ice Cream, and moonlighted at a local dog kennel, and Tucker worked as a bag boy at Publix supermarket and delivered Chinese food on the side. Once we got into college, we started leaning towards pharmacy. At 18, we both got jobs as pharmacy technicians. Me, at Northside Pharmacy and later Rite-Aid Pharmacy, and Tucker, at CVS Pharmacy. Then I got into pharmacy school and subsequently had a bit of an existential crisis, so I did what any 20-year-old freaking out would do: I quit my job and dropped out of school.

That’s probably when I started realizing that A) I didn’t want to be tied down to any one place in particular, and B) I really enjoyed doing lots of different things. While I was shifting schools/majors, I worked as an online search guide (back when we didn’t have the internet on our phones), a telemarketer, a door-to-door salesperson, and a bank teller. But then, I started studying linguistics and absolutely fell in love, and coincidently, fell into the world of ESL (English as a Second Language). After finishing my degree, I started teaching at English for Internationals, and then I was fully hooked. I completed my master’s degree (also in applied linguistics) and worked for Georgia State University as a tutor, a research assistant, and a teaching assistant all while still teaching both in class and online for a few different institutions.

During all this, Tucker mostly worked at CVS Pharmacy, but when he graduated with his degree in biology, he got a job working for Castle Laboratories. At Castle, Tucker worked in the lab focusing on toxicology and drug testing, and he loved it, probably at least in part due to Castle’s super fun startup atmosphere. But I was starting to feel a bit stuck again. I was actually a little jealous of my students. I wanted to be completely immersed in a new language and culture like they were! The honeymoon trip we took to Finland and the one teach-abroad program I did in grad school had clearly not been enough for me. Cue Fulbright.   

Poland (2015-2016)

Fulbright is an exchange program for students, teachers, scholars, and professionals, and it ended up being the perfect first step into living and working abroad. We had no idea what we were doing, but Fulbright helped us with everything from applying for our first visas to connecting us with mentors and other expats who gave us amazing advice right from the start. For a year, we lived in Łódź, Poland, and I taught several courses at the University of Łódź. Tucker did his best to work remotely for Castle, but after about 6 months, they ran into security issues, and he officially went on sabbatical.

Regardless of any challenges we faced in trying to stay semi-employed in the US while simultaneously spending a year abroad, it was pretty clear early on how much we both thrived living in a foreign country. We hadn’t ever been to Poland or had even heard of the city we now called home, but figuring everything out was a huge part of what we loved. It wasn’t long before I was making plans to stay in Poland even after my Fulbright contract was up. Unfortunately, we couldn’t really do that. At the time, we had no idea how to go about getting a visa or a work permit without Fulbright, and we also had about $40k in student loans to pay back in USD, which felt more like a ball and chain than I ever could have imagined. 

Debt-Paying Year (2016-2017)

So, when my Fulbright contract ended, I was resigned to the fact that we’d have to go back to the States, but I now only had one goal in mind: pay off our debt and get back out there! And that’s exactly what we did. Tucker went back to work at Castle full-time, and I got a job teaching at Kennesaw State University. We also lived with family during this interim, ensuring that every cent we made went directly towards our student loan payments. In less than a year, we had zero debt, and we were just about ready to leave again, this time with no plans to come back. But how were we going to get our next visa? How about another exchange program?!

China (2017-2019)

And that’s how I became an English Language Fellow, or a TESOL specialist sent abroad to work on various academic projects that build community and mutual understanding between countries. With Fulbright, I had to choose a country to apply to, but this time, we were assigned to 1 of 70 participating countries. Our assignment: China, and I couldn’t wait! I actually still refer to Poland as our “first pancake” because while we did our best, we were really fumbling through every part of living and working abroad at that point. On our second trip out, I wanted to do better. This time we prepared like never before. We sold everything that didn’t come with us. Tucker had a program of his own to work on this time, and although we didn’t know how long we’d stay in China or what we’d do after ELF, I knew we’d being staying abroad.

We lived and worked in Hefei, China for two years. I taught several courses at Anhui University while also regularly traveling all around the country giving teacher-training workshops as part of the exchange program. Tucker completed an ASCP program and received his technologist of clinical chemistry certificate, and he also traveled with me, quickly becoming everyone’s go-to IT guy! Of course, whenever he got a little tired of university life, he would also spend time at a friend’s brewery helping with quality control and keeping his lab skills sharp. After our contract was finished, we also started working for a recording company in Hefei, reading for various English exams, which we are still doing almost a decade later! But eventually, we decided it was time to move on, and initially, we settled on Canada as our next stop because it had a lot of pros: it was drivable from the US, meaning we could take our pup; it was on the same continent as the rest of our family, and it was bilingual, which would be hugely beneficial for both our careers.  

Pandemic Year (2020)

So, in the fall of 2019, we headed back to North America to spend some time with family before heading up to Canada. During this time, we checked out a few cities in Canada, interviewed for a few jobs, and submitted the last of our immigration paperwork, but after a few months, we still had some time left before we were meant to officially move in, so we also went down to Mexico to check out our Plan B. Turns out that was a really good move, because in couple of months the whole world had come to a halt, and we were beyond stuck.

By March 2020, I had a job training Canadian civil servants for their mandatory English exams, Tucker had a job working for a laboratory based in Florida, and we didn’t have a home in either of those countries. We had been bouncing around, waiting on our paperwork to process, but that was looking less and less likely due to the global shut down. After almost a year of sheltering in place (first with family and later in our pay-by-month bunker in downtown Orlando), we decided to enact Plan B and apply for temporary residencies in Mexico. Since both our jobs were online now anyway, por qué no? 6 weeks after applying, we found ourselves all packed up and driving down to Mexico.

Mexico (2021-2023)

Of course, the pandemic year was extremely tough on everyone, but I took it particularly badly since I had promised myself I wasn’t going to get stuck anywhere ever again. Hindsight, amiright? Well, thankfully, moving to Mexico was one of the best decisions we ever made. We were so happy to be immersed again, learning new things every day, and fully leaning into the digital nomads we had somehow become. In Mexico, I worked online for the Canadian training school and for Lingoda, another online school based in Berlin. Tucker, having been kicked out of the physical lab due to COVID, shifted to more of an IT role and was now processing data remotely for the lab back in Orlando. And so went a very tranquilo 2.5 years, until our paperwork for Canada finally went through.

Canada (2023-Present)

We first applied for our Canadian residency way back in October 2019, and at the time, it was projected to take 6 months. Well, with that pesky pandemic, it ended up taking 3 years. But the timing actually wasn’t too bad because while I had recently started working for Duolingo and was feeling even more confident working remotely, Tucker’s job at the lab in Orlando was on its last legs. So, we packed up the car again and drove all the way up to Ottawa. After just a few months, Tucker was able to land a job working firmly in the realm of IT. He’s now an implementation specialist for a company that provides software for laboratories. Due to immigration guidelines, we were restricted to certain provinces for the first few months, but we ended up staying in Ottawa for just about 2 years. However, Québec was the compromise we were truly after, and so in early 2025, we made Québec City our new home.

These days, Tucker is still working remotely for that same company based out of Ottawa, but as AI eventually pushed me out of Duolingo, I spent about a year working online as a tutor, an exam assessor, and a conference moderator before honing my French skills enough to get a job teaching at a local college here. Of course, I’m still too new to have a full course load, which is how I also came to get my tour guide license, adding yet one more job to my already ridiculously complex tax filings, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way!  

Future

So, what’s next? Will we eventually settle down? Will we run out of opportunities that continue to take us abroad? I hope not! I’m not sure I’m quite ready to officially settle down. As much as I love Québec, and I absolutely do! In fact, we’ll be applying for citizenship in the next couple of months because I never want paperwork to separate me from this particular home. But, at the same time, I am starting to feel the itch again. I think we have at least one more tour abroad left in us before we settle in again, perhaps for even longer next time. I’m personally still leaning towards Türkiye as our next locale, so if you know anyone there looking for a teacher or an IT specialist in the next couple of years, let me know! Until then, we’ll just keep collecting jobs, countries, and experiences because, somehow, they’ve all led us exactly where we needed to be.

Things We Miss about the United States

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

A few months ago, I wrote a post taking a look back at the things we miss most about our previous homes. I did this by re-analyzing the A-Z lists I made for Poland, China, and Mexico; however, during this process, I realized I had never made one of these lists for the very first country we called home! So, in honor of its 250th year, I give you my A-Z list of the things we miss most about our country of origin: the United States of America.  

Apple Festival – The Elijay Apple Festival will always be a favorite of mine, but really this is just a stand in for all the annual events we grew up with and now miss out on every year: Greek Fest, Taste of Marietta, Owl-o-ween, etc.

Beef Jerky – An obvious choice for this list because it’s one of the first things we stock up on when we get back to the States. I never thought I’d miss having access to a literal wall of beef jerky options, but here we are.

Chicago – My hometown although I honestly have very little claim to it these days. Regardless, it’s the US city I most look forward to visiting, and the one I talk about more than any other.

Directness – In general, Americans are friendly yet direct, and the longer I’m away, the more I miss this odd combination that tends to be useful in so many ways.

Efficiency – Maybe similar to our tendency for directness, I love that efficiency is always the goal in the US. “Time is money” must be ingrained because I feel it in the US more than most places.

Family & Friends – Of course, as on every one of these lists, the single thing I miss more than anything else would be all our family and friends. I’m eternally grateful that we have social media and video chats and all sorts of ways to keep in contact, but the distance is by and far the hardest thing about being a perpetual expat.  

Goodwill – Another random favorite of mine, we have done our best to hunt international equivalents over the years (in Canada, it’s Value Village by the way), but there’s something about Goodwill specifically that just hits home. Maybe it’s the weird smell…?

Holidays – We celebrate ALL the holidays and then some, but we do miss some of the nostalgia often associated with the holidays. We rarely go home for Christmas anymore, but even when we do, everything has changed, and so have we.  

International Everything – Living in a country full of immigrants is the best thing ever! We really didn’t realize just how many cultures we had access to in any major US city until we moved to places with less diversity.

Junk Food – Say what you will about American food, but you can’t knock the sheer number of options we have. Pretty much every trip back to the States requires a specific to-eat list, and I’m not going to lie, a big portion of that list is always junk food.

Knowing Stuff – This one was a little hard to pin down, but we miss just inherently knowing how things are done and what people mean. Luckily, we’ve become almost immune to ambiguity, but sometimes it is nice to fit in without even trying.

Late Night Options – So maybe the pandemic killed this for everyone, but when we lived in the US, there were always places you could go late at night: CVS, Walmart, fast food restaurants, gas stations, etc. I can’t be the only one who needs an occasional 3am treat!

Moe’s – Ah, “Welcome to Moe’s!” This might be mostly nostalgia as well, but I love reliving my high school days with a build-your-own burrito and a heaping basket of free chips and salsa!

National Parks – Another one I’ve written a whole post about; our national parks are INCREDIBLE. I miss the number, size, and ease of visiting both our national and state parks.

Optimism – Americans don’t always have the best reputation abroad, but generally, one of the first things people notice about us is how optimistic we are. And these days, that’s actually pretty refreshing.

Publix – I must definitely be getting older because Publix might just be my favorite grocery store. Their chicken tendies? Sweet tea? Everything so nice and orderly? Even the color scheme – we miss it all!

Quantities – Something else we always end up doing when we go back to the US is stocking up on our essentials, particularly in large quantity packaging. I find it so annoying that in most countries, I can only find blister packs of things like Benadryl or Ibuprofen. I need more!

Road Trips – Thankfully, we’ve lived in a lot of good road trip countries, but none quite compare to the US. I don’t know how or why, but the US really does a fantastic job with our highways, rest stops, radio stations, all the road trip staples.

Service – Maybe this is related to Americans being friendly and direct, but whenever I’m back in the States, I immediately notice how nice and efficient our customer service is (in general). Smiles and small talk rarely feel forced in the US.

Theme Parks – Of course, talking to my parents always makes me miss Disney World, but I also miss the abundance of large theme parks in general. Regular trips to a theme park seemed like such a normal part of life, but not so much outside of the US.

Unlimited Refills – I just can’t believe anyone would shell out $5 for a non-refillable soft drink! Coffee, tea, soda, etc. should not cost that much. The only way it makes sense is if you get to drink as much as you want!

Variety – During the World Cup this year, we saw a lot of memes with people’s reactions to the massive amount of variety available in the US. From the cereal aisle to the menu at Cracker Barrel, Americans are always spoiled for choice.

Waffle House – Another specific favorite that is hard to explain. Is it a little dirty? Freezing cold and extremely uncomfortable inside? Greasy and probably one of the unhealthiest meals you can get? Yes, yes, and yes, but we love it so much!

eXcessive Smiling – Okay, maybe I don’t even really miss the smiling itself, but I do miss not being thought of as weird for smiling for no reason.

Yes, Exactly! – Another one that was a little tricky to put into words, but we miss being able to truly commiserate. A lot has been happening in the US, and while our friends/family abroad sympathize with us, they can’t exactly empathize.  

Zero Phone Calls – And finally, we miss being able to do anything and everything online. I honestly thought that was going to be a global norm, but it turns out a lot of places still opt for phone calls and paper trails. Ugh!

So, that’s my official A-Z list for the United States! Given all the things we miss about each of our previous homes (and how much we talk about them), we are constantly asked if we’re ever going back or if we’ll ever finally stay put somewhere. To which I say, but what about all the awesome things we have yet to discover?! 😉   

Happy Holidays!

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Unfortunately for me, it’s almost summer, which is my absolute least favorite time of the year…but instead of counting down the days until Christmas (and the start of my favorite time of year, aka winter), I thought I’d share a bit about all the other holidays we tend to celebrate in our diversified household. Having lived in so many places, we seem to have collected quite a few holidays over the years, and honestly, once you start celebrating them, it’s really hard to stop! So here are a few of our favorite international holidays/traditions that we’ve picked up along the way:

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day / Fête Nationale

Since it’s coming up on June 23rd /24th, and it’s a major holiday in our current home, I think it’s only right to start with Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day also known as La Fête Nationale! This holiday is celebrated in the province of Quebec and in other Francophone communities around Canada. Originally, it was a religious feast day honoring John the Baptist, but over the years it has morphed into a celebration of all things Québécois and Francophone. Here in Québec City, there is a huge concert every year in the park and lots of free workshops and activities around the city showcasing the region’s traditional music, the French language, and other cultural cornerstones. It’s also the unofficial start of summer, so pretty much everyone will be outside in one way or another, enjoying the festivities, a freshly grilled meal, and/or a cold boisson or two out on a patio. Any way you look at it, c’est une bonne fête!     

Día de la Independencia

As Americans, we often celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which irritates a lot of Mexicans because the 5th of May is NOT Mexican Independence Day! It’s actually not much of a holiday there at all, so stopping tagging your Mexican friends when you’re eating tacos on what is basically just another US holiday. Instead, you should tag them on September 15th/16th, which is Mexico’s actual Día de la Independencia. Okay, so I know this is the second holiday in a row where I’ve included two dates of celebration, and that’s actually more common than you might think. In Mexico’s case, it’s because the celebrations actually start at night with the Grito de Dolores, which commemorates the historic call to arms that began the Mexican War of Independence. Of course, after the historic speech, patriotic chants, and some bell ringing, modern celebrations generally conclude with a fireworks show and a big fiesta! ¡Viva México!

(Canadian) Thanksgiving

Okay, back to Canada for the next one because the second Monday of October is Thanksgiving here. Did you know Canada celebrated Thanksgiving? And that it takes place over a month earlier than in the US? Well, this was news to us when we first moved here, but since this is one of my favorite holidays, we happily celebrate both every year! Feasts associated with giving thanks were quite common in both Europe and the New World, and because different groups were thankful for different things that happened on different days, the continent actually ended up with a few such holidays. In Canada, Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday in 1879, but the fixed date we have now wasn’t actually standardized until 1957. These days, Canadian Thanksgiving tends to lean heavily into the harvest festival vibes. For example, this is when we start seeing a lot more pumpkins, both for decoration and for the big meal that usually takes place the weekend before the day off. But to me, the best thing about celebrating Thanksgiving in October is the fact that there’s absolutely no interference with Christmas decorations!

Día de Muertos

Easily one of the most unique holidays we get to celebrate every year, Día de Muertos is so much more than the brief glimpse you get in the movie Coco. It’s celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, but much like Christmas, there’s a long period of preparation and decoration beforehand. In short, these festive days are a celebration of the spirits of people who have passed away (the first is specifically for children, and the second for adults). As part of the celebration, you’ll see millions of cempasúchil (marigolds), papel picado (colorful banners), and ofrendas (altars) all meant to guide, welcome, and celebrate those not with us anymore. Unlike most remembrance holidays though, Día de Muertos isn’t a somber event at all – it’s another fiesta! It’s a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate life with all the classics: music, games, and plenty of food and drink!  

Double 11

Going in a wildly different direction, on November 11th each year, we also get to take part in Double 11. Sometimes referred to as Singles Day, Double 11 is a holiday (of sorts) that’s celebrated in China and now, beyond. It originated as a sort of anti-Valentine’s Day, a day in which you treated yourself to something special regardless of your relationship status. A common, funny treat would often be Pocky as they resemble the date: 11/11, but eventually, other companies caught on to the trend, and now Double 11 is the largest online shopping “holiday” in the world. You can find deals on just about every major online retailer, and much like on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day, every year, companies try to outdo themselves, essentially creating an entire month of shopping frenzy!   

Andrzejki Day

Andrzejki Day (or Saint Andrew’s Day) is a curious little holiday that we first celebrated in Poland. It takes place on the evening of November 29th, and is one of the witchiest holidays I’ve ever celebrated, which makes sense because its origins date back to medieval Europe when fortune telling was all the rage. Essentially, Andrzejki Day is a time for young people to conduct a series of activities meant to give them a glimpse into their future. One of the most common methods is pouring hot wax through an old key into cold water and interpreting the shapes that form, but my favorite is peeling an apple, throwing the peel over your shoulder, and deciphering the letter it most resembles (which is naturally going to be the first letter of your future spouse’s name). These days, it’s not taken very seriously, but what a great excuse to gather and do something fun and unique! Even though it’s been more than a decade since my first Andrzejki Day, I still like to peel an apple every once and a while because somehow, I have yet to get a W or a T!  

Chinese New Year

Skipping over all the holidays that take place in December (since I’ve already written about Christmastime in Poland, China, and Mexico), we’ll jump right into Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year, which is China’s celebration of the Lunar New Year, starts on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar (generally in late January/early February). When people say this is the biggest and most important holiday in China, they absolutely mean it because the celebrations are multi-faceted, and they last for weeks! There’s the annual cleaning to start the year off right; the colorful decorations (like the fu symbols, couplets, lanterns, etc.) which bring good luck and fortune; the televised gala that everyone watches; the red packets full of money that you get and give all week long; the acrobatic lion dances that seem impossible but also so fun, and, of course, tons of incredible holiday food. The more I write here, the more I want to write an entire post about Chinese New Year! Maybe next year, which is the Year of the Sheep by the way.  

Pączki Day

I promise Poland has a lot of serious holidays too, but those are not the ones I chose for this particular list lol! The last holiday I want to shed some light on here is one that I think we can all get behind, and that is Pączki Day. Pączki are Polish donuts, and they enjoy a special day on what a lot of people call Fat Tuesday (of course, in Poland they actually celebrate it on the Thursday, but if you want to eat donuts all week, I won’t judge). Like Fat Tuesday (or Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday or whatever you want to call it), Pączki Day falls before the traditional fasting season of Lent; therefore, historically, this was the day to eat all sorts of fatty, sugary treats before being good for the next forty days. Of course, there’s no rule that says you have to fast in order to enjoy a pączek on this day, and thanks to Poland’s wide diaspora, you might even be able to find pączki in your city. We’ve found them in Chicago, Orlando, and Ottawa, but in the spirit of international holiday celebration, I think any donut will do!

So happy holidays everyone!

Peruvian Adventure

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

We just got back from another incredible trip, which means it’s time to reflect and reminisce. This trip was unlike many others because it required a lot more prep than we’re used to, so if you’re planning a trip to Peru, hopefully I can help you out a little with my breakdown of some of our plans and experiences. And if you’re not planning a trip to Peru, here’s your sign to start!

The Preparations

As I mentioned, we actually had to do quite a few things well in advance for this trip. Generally, we just book our flights and lodging and let the rest of the trip unfold in real time; however, there are two things about Peru that forced us to think ahead a bit more: 1, we knew we’d be at elevation again, and 2, Machu Picchu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

For the elevation issue, we decided to play it safe and get a prescription for Acetazolamide from our local pharmacy. Here in Québec, we didn’t need to see a doctor, we just had to talk to the pharmacist about our trip (how long it was, what the elevation would be, etc.), and he gave us a week’s worth of a medication that we started to take a couple of days before we left. This medication works by helping your blood carry more oxygen, which can prevent the symptoms of altitude sickness (known in Peru as “soroche”). 

The other challenge we faced months before our trip was booking everything for Machu Picchu. To say there are a lot of options would be a gross understatement. You can take weeks and hike in from far away places in almost every direction; you can camp; you can glamp; you can take a scenic train ride; you can stay in Cusco and do a day trip; you can stay at the base of the mountain in Aguas Calientes – really there are so many options, and you basically have to decide all that before you can buy your park tickets for the specific day/time you want. The trickiest part is the fact that those park tickets are released in batches about 5 months in advance, and they get snapped up pretty darn quick!

Cusco

So, we chose Cusco as our main base for this trip because we knew we needed to acclimate to the elevation (Cusco sits at 3,400m or 11,200ft), and it’s such a great jumping off point for things like Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, and Vinicunca. We totally thought it’d just be a place for us to rest and generally just pass through, but we absolutely LOVED Cusco! It has so much to do and is so beautiful that even when our lungs were screaming after climbing all the stairs, we continued to push through just to see a little more. Everyone we met was extremely friendly, and the food was some of the best we’ve had, so really, I cannot recommend Cusco enough!

One of our favorite things to do in Cusic was to just wander the different neighborhoods. We stayed in San Blas, and it was absolutely beautiful, but there are many points of interest and fun things to see everywhere you turn. We also enjoyed grabbing a coca tea infusion or a coffee at one of the many cafés in the city. The Chocolate Museum was free and definitely worth a pop-in, plus right next door is Cervecería del Valle Sagrado, which had our favorite beers of the trip. Also, I mentioned the food in general was excellent, but our favorite restaurant of the trip was LOCAL where we had their empanadas, grilled fish, ceviche, and lomo saltado (all delicious)!

Machu Picchu

And now for the main event! Of course, one of the main reasons we chose Peru was to visit Machu Picchu, but I’ll be honest, you have to really want it! Since we decided on a day trip from Cusco, we started our morning at 3am by walking to the IncaRail office where we got on shuttle bus (i.e. van) that drove us the 2 hours out to Ollantaytambo. From there, we got on the train that took us another 2 hours through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes was another surprise for us – it’s such a cute town with quite a few restaurants/shops and a local flavor of its own. If I were planning this trip again, I think I would have made it an overnight trip to Machu Picchu, staying at least 1 night in Aguas Calientes.

Once at the base of the mountain, we opted for the bus ride to the top. You can hike up, and it apparently only takes an hour or two, but I’m so glad we chose the bus! The buses kick up a lot of dust that the people walking had to battle along the way, not mention the bugs, the sun, and lots and lots of stairs. Once in the park, the “circuits” or paths that you choose from when buying tickets, ended up looking quite similar and even crisscrossed at points, so don’t let that decision haunt you for too long. There are also some additional hikes you can do that take you out of the park, but I felt we got plenty of incredible views and hiking opportunities regardless.

However, I do wish we had taken them up on hiring a guide to accompany us up from Aguas Calientes because unlike any other tourist attraction I’ve ever been to, there were no information signs anywhere on the mountain. We followed our roped path and wondered aloud about everything. Whose llamas are these? When did they begin restoration? How many people lived here? Basically, we had a lot of Googling to do, so if you want real-time commentary, definitely get a guide. The other thing I would make sure to do next time is to book any and all train transport during daylight hours – the train ride in was incredibly beautiful, and it was a shame that we rode back in the dark. I absolutely wanted to see it all again in reverse!

Vinicunca

Our second day trip was down to Vinicunca, also known as Rainbow Mountain. This particular Airbnb Experience also required a very early start as we made our way to a pick-up location in the city, this time to be shuttled 2 hours in the opposite direction of Machu Picchu to Cusipata. There we had a buffet breakfast and guzzled down some more coca tea in preparation for our hike. After another very windy 2 hours in the van, we were at the base of Vinicuna. Here we could opt to either hike on foot, ride a horse, or wild out with some dirt bikes. We went the traditional route even though it was the slowest option, but again, I’m so glad we did. We took our time looking in every direction at the stunning scenery around us, and eventually we summited the 5,0036m (16,500ft) mountain.

We’ve done a few hikes at elevation now, and we’ve always been fine. We take any recommended medication, local remedies, and general acclimation advice, and although we often experience minor symptoms like a headache and breathlessness, we’ve never gotten sick. I will say though that in both Ecuador and Peru, we saw several people being helped down with stretchers, and at Vinicunca, someone left in an ambulance, so I would recommend anyone traveling or hiking in these conditions to do your research and take it easy! That said, Vinicuna has 1,600m (5,000ft) on Machu Picchu, and we absolutely noticed that difference – I’m not sure we felt anything elevation related at Machu Picchu, whereas Vinicunca was tough.

After our gorgeous hike up and down, we went back to Cusipata for another buffet and then napped the rest of the way back to Cusco. This excursion started at 4am and ended at 5pm. Our Machu Picchu day started at 3am and ended at midnight (honestly a day trip and a half). And all of this was after our 24+ hour-long journey just to get to Cusco from Québec City, which is why I’ll say it again, you really have to want it! Of course, I hope it also goes without saying that it was absolutely worth every second of uncomfortable travel, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat! #YOLO

Lima

After Cusco, we went onto to Lima for a couple of days to recover and reset before the long journey home. Lima is the capital of Peru, and it’s located in a desert on the coast – very different from Cusco or anywhere in the highlands. Lima is huge, and the first decision you have to make is which neighborhood do you want to stay in: Cercado (the historic center), Miraflores (the modern tourist hub), or Barranco (the artsy, bohemian district). We chose Miraflores and were happy to be in the middle, well-positioned to explore all three neighborhoods. We did a walking tour of Cercado, and it was fantastic – my only regret was that we did it on the last day of our stay rather than the first!

Other than the walking tour, we really enjoyed strolling along the malecón (boardwalk) and watching all the paragliders. If we’re ever back in Lima, that’s the first activity I’ll be planning! We also loved sipping our Pisco sours at the Gran Bolivar Hotel, where the drink was allegedly created, and walking through Parque Kennedy and seeing all the cats (and their embassy-sponsored shelters) was also really fun. Despite being the sixth South American country we’ve visited, Peru surprised us at just about every corner, which is, of course, just how I like it!  

The Food

And last but not least, as has become a sort of custom on these posts, I want to end with a list of all the Peruvian dishes we were able to try while there. We always make ourselves a little checklist, and here’s what we had for Peru:

Ají de gallina (chicken stew)

Alpaca meat

Butifarra sandwich (ham, pickled veggies, and chilies)

Causa Limeña (stuffed mashed potatoes)

Ceviche

Chifa (Peruvian-Chinese fusion)

Chica morada (purple corn and fruit drink)

Empandas

Grandma’s soup (chicken noodle soup)

Inca Cola (most popular soft drink)

Lomo saltado (stir-fried beef and veggies)

Native potatoes

Picarones (sweet potato donuts with spiced syrup)

Pisco sour (Peruvian cocktail)

Pollo a la brassa (rotisserie chicken)

Québec City Recommendations

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Restaurants:

  • Les Anciens Canadiens (Uppertown) – traditional Québécois style
  • Le Clan (Uppertown) – elevated local ingredients; tapas-style lunch
  • La Bûche (Uppertown) – modern Québécois style; sugar shack-like experience
  • Sagamité (Uppertown) – First Nations restaurant focusing on gibier/game
  • Le Casse-Crêpe Breton (Uppertown) – classic crêpes & French gratins
  • Chez Ashton (Uppertown) – a Québec favorite for poutine
  • La Pizz Place Royale (Petit-Champlain) – pizzas & pints right on the main square
  • Le Lapin Sauté (Petit-Champlain) – rustic, farm-to-table comfort food
  • Archibald (Petit-Champlain) – fun and easy microbrewery
  • Le Don (Old Port) – one of the best vegan restaurants in town
  • Bistro St-Malo (Old Port) – classic French bistro with maritime vibes
  • Le Renversant (Old Port) – casual brasserie with a little bit of everything
  • La Grolla (Côte d’Abraham) – Swiss fondue restaurant
  • St-Hubert (Grande Allée) – beloved QC chain famous for its rotisserie chicken
  • Baloney Sandwicherie (Rue St-Jean) – quirky sandwich shop
  • La Cuisine (Rue St-Vallier E) – retro/homey Québec classics
  • L’Affaire est Ketchup (Rue St-Joseph) – interesting mix of fine-dining and home kitchen
  • Courtbouillon (Rue St-Joseph) – amazing Cajun resto-bar
  • Chez Biceps BBQ (Boul. Henri-Bourassa) – incredible BBQ with a French flair
  • Le Corsaire (Lévis) – microbrewery right next to the ferry terminal across the river

Cafés:

  • Les Brûleries – great coffee, even better spicy hot chocolate
  • Café La Maison Smith – the go-to for most Quebecers
  • Paillard – boulangerie with a fun atmosphere
  • Café Buade – historic and eclectic café and restaurant
  • Café Félin Chats-Nous – cat café; need I say more?

Bars/Pubs:

  • Pub St-Patrick – classic Irish pub right downtown
  • Bar Ste-Angèle – old-school bar with live jazz          
  • Pub L’Oncle Antoine – 17th century cellar turned tavern  
  • Vieux Carré – speakeasy-style cocktail lounge
  • Le Ciel! – Revolving bar and restaurant on the 28th floor
  • La Barberie (Microbrasserie) – off-the-beaten track brewery with a great sampler

Quebec specialties to try:

  • Poutine – fries, cheese curds, gravy
  • Tourtière – homemade meat pie
  • Soup aux pois – yellow pea soup
  • Pouding Chômeur – maple syrup bread pudding
  • Sortilège – sweet, whisky-based maple liqueur
  • Tire d’érable – maple taffy

Things to see in Vieux Québec:

  • Dufferin Terrace & Château Frontenac (boardwalk and famous hotel)
  • Citadel & Plains of Abraham (military base/museum and massive park)
  • The Fortifications (4.5km/3mi defensive walls surrounding the city)
  • Morrin Centre & Maison de la littérature (two very unique libraries)
  • Rue St-Louis & Rue St-Jean (shopping/snacking streets)
  • Notre-Dame de Québec (stunning basilica-cathedral)
  • Séminaire de Québec Courtyard (beautiful and original French architecture)
  • Montmorency Park (great views of both Uppertown and Lowertown)
  • Quartier Petit-Champlain (shopping/snacking area)
  • The Old Port (views of the river, marina, and the city above)

Things to see outside Vieux Québec:

  • Ferry to Lévis ($4 boat ride across the river)
  • Montmorency Falls (nearby falls taller than Niagara!)
  • Île d’Orléans (island known for its produce, boutiques, and vineyards)
  • Wendake (First Nations traditional site)
  • Jacques-Cartier National Park (over 100km of hiking trails)
  • Le Grand Marché (large, indoor market)
  • Cuivres d’Art (copper art museum, workshop, and boutique)

Indoor activities:

  • Parliament Tour (free!)
  • MNBAQ (art gallery)
  • Museums: Museum of Civilization, Morrin Centre, The Plains of Abraham Museum, etc.
  • Strøm Spa Nordique
  • La Revanche (board game resto-pub)

Family/kid-friendly activities:

  • Observatoire de la Capitale (part observation tower, part museum)
  • Le Grand Mini-golf (Québec-themed!)         
  • Aquarium du Québec
  • Mega Parc at les Galeries de la Capitale (indoor theme park in a mall)
  • Bora Parc Valcartier (indoor waterpark)

Summertime Fun:

  • La Cale du Port de Québec (terrace with foot pools)
  • Umbrella Alley (Instagram famous!)
  • Baseball game (see the Capitales play at Canac Stadium)
  • Outdoor concert (check the Old Port Agora for shows/events)
  • Picnic in the park (Pierre-Dugua-de-Mons Terrace has great views)

Autumn Activities:

  • Apple picking (on Île d’Orléans)
  • Canyon Sainte-Anne (great place to see the beautiful leaves!)
  • Cap-Tourmente Wildlife Area (snow goose migration)
  • Canots Légaré (canoe/kayak rentals on the St-Charles river)
  • Promenade des Gouverneurs (lovely walking path along the cape)

The Things We Really Miss

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

In one of the classes I’m teaching this semester, we’re reading a book called The Culture Map, which discusses various cultural differences by comparing some of the norms and expectations that can be seen across different countries. Unsurprisingly, reading and talking about what it’s like to live and work in places like the US, Poland, China, and Mexico has me reminiscing a whole lot!

In fact, I recently took a look back at some of the posts I wrote about my experiences living and working in these countries, which got me thinking about the things we miss most about each of them, and I started wondering if those A-Z lists I made near the end of our time in Poland (2016), China (2019), and Mexico (2023) ended up being correct, or if there are other things we miss that I didn’t even think of at the time. So, for this month’s post, take a walk with me down Memory Lane as I delve into what we REALLY miss about some of our first homes abroad.

But first, a disclaimer: each of my original lists had some form of “our home”, “our apartment”, or “our neighborhood”, the cities we lived in: Łódź, Hefei, Guadalajara, and their respective languages: Polish, Mandarin, and Spanish on them, and those would easily make it on any list I were to make today because, well, those were our homes and communities, and I simply love language! But for this post, rather than sentimentality, I’m hoping to narrow down all the other features of each place as objectively as possible. Maybe one day I can use this to find the perfect hybrid of a future home country. You never know!

Poland

When thinking about our time Poland, the first thing that comes to mind, which is, in fact, on my original list, is Ryan Air. Although now I’d probably just say “budget airlines” in general as I have no specific allegiance to Ryan Air over Whizz Air or Easy Jet, the concept as a whole is absolutely one of the things we miss most. In 2016, we took a €30 flight from Warsaw to Porto, Portugal. Can you imagine?! A similar distance here would be for us to go to Winnipeg (not even international), and it would cost at least $400. Of course, digging a little deeper, it’s not just the cost, but the variety and closeness that Poland/Europe provided us. We could and did take a bus to four of Poland’s neighboring countries and a local train to several others in the region, and that’s really what we miss: close international options.

Next up would be the grocery stores, which isn’t on the list exactly, but the idea is there in “chleb” (bread), “kiełbasa” (sausage), and “kartofel” (potatoes). We miss the quality and the freshness of Polish products. At first, I remember lamenting the fact that we had to make so many things (like sauces and salad dressings) from scratch, but now I wish we had fostered those skills a bit more. Thankfully, we did learn some lessons and still habitually make our own bread and pickles, but it feels less purposeful and more avoidance strategy here. I also really miss having a huge variety of all the foods I grew up on. Only in Chicago am I able to find several, authentic varieties of my beloved kabanosy and homemade pierogi (although Ottawa gave us a smaller, but still respectable selection as well), but nothing compares to Poland!

And rounding out the podium of things we miss most about Poland has to be the architecture, which is also on the original list. Honestly, that was one of the things that immediately struck me about living in Łódź, and I never grew tired of staring at all the incredible buildings around me. I’m sure this is partially why we keep choosing historical cities like Guadalajara and Québec because I love being even just a small part of the incredible history of the spaces I inhabit. We don’t often find ourselves re-visiting places, but when we do, by far our favorite pastime is to see how the city has changed because even more impressive than the architecture itself is how it’s adapted again and again. Through its factories turned malls and power stations turned cultural centers, Łódź taught us to look a little deeper at the architecture around us, and I sincerely miss seeing those impressive transformations and how they’ve shaped and re-shaped the city.

China

The first thing we miss about China is so obvious because we bring it up all the time: QR-code payment (represented by “WeChat Pay” on the list). We didn’t use cash at all while we were living in China, and that was close to a decade ago! Stores, restaurants, street vendors, farmers selling produce out of the backs of their trucks – literally everyone used digital forms of payment, and I miss it so much. Not only was it way faster and easier for us linguistically-challenged foreigners, but think of all the paper we saved by avoiding all those receipts! Related to the use of digital payment, I also miss the fact that I could go anywhere with just my phone in my pocket. In China, I almost never bothered with a purse or a bag because everything I needed was on my phone. I’m not generally a huge fan of technology, but that’s absolutely one piece of tech I wish was the norm everywhere.  

Next up for China has to be the fast trains (or the “gāotiě”). Similar to the budget airlines in Poland, I miss the extensive, cheap, and super-easy-to-use train system of China. I often say you can get anywhere in China without a car, which isn’t exactly accurate, but that’s definitely what it felt like. We never worried about getting from city to city or even planning our trips much in advance because there was always another train. In addition to the plentiful (and affordable) travel options the train system gave us, I straight up just miss taking the train. It’s easily my favorite method of transport, and I’m sad that options for it are limited (to say the least) in North America. There’s simply nothing quite like casually slurping up some ramen while the vastness of China zooms by at 200km/h.

The third thing for China has to be some of my favorite Chinese dishes, which is hilarious because I actually struggled with eating nothing but Chinese food for months after we first arrived. I initially found real Chinese food to be altogether too different from what I was used to, and I just couldn’t get over the lack of familiarity. That is until I found my favorites and learned how to ask for what I wanted, essentially creating a new level of familiarity. And now that we can’t get real Chinese food regularly, I find myself making those things myself (which if you know me, you know is a huge deal because as a general rule, I don’t cook). There’s just something so utterly unique about authentic Chinese food, and once you find what you love (which for me includes but is not limited to Chongqing noodles and jianbing, both of which are on the list), it’s hard to live without it. Of course, it’s also hard to live without Ele.me and free tea everywhere we go too, but I’ll save those for another list…  

Mexico

I knew without a doubt that I would miss rainy season when we left Mexico. The US is blessed with an abundance of regular storms, and that was something I quickly came to miss when we first moved abroad. But Mexico upped the ante, and now I miss having a whole season of daily storms and crazy weather. There’s just something about a storm that is so exciting, yet calming at the same time, and being able to set your watch by that phenomenon every day for three months is magical. I know rainy season can actually be dangerous for many people and places around the world, but from my home office in Guadalajara, it was beautiful. And the fact that it brought cooler temperatures every year only added to its appeal. I’m probably one of only a few people in the world aiming for rainy season when I travel, but hey, I knew that about myself then, and it’s still true now!

Another thing we really miss about Mexico was summed up pretty nicely with “spontaneity”, but I don’t think we realized just how much we’d miss it in basically every aspect of life. It could be due to the huge swing back into a super schedule-oriented country like Canada, but we definitely struggled at first getting back into the habit of making reservations and planning things out months in advance. Even now, I sorely miss the ahorita of it all! Nothing felt as rushed or as imperative, and yet everything still got done. When I find myself worrying about things piling up and deadlines fast approaching, I try to channel our GDL years and the tranquilo way of life that everyone loves about Mexico, and rather than making a plan to do something fun next weekend, we’ll up and go right then instead. ¿Por qué no?

And last but not least for Mexico is, of course, the cuisine. Are you sensing a theme? We miss the high-quality groceries of Poland, the unique foods we came to love in China, and for Mexico, it’s all about the perfect collection of ingredients which have come together to make the most delicious cuisine in the world, and you can fight me on that! Tacos – perfect. Molletes – perfect. Palomas – perfect. You name it, I love it. And much like finding authentic Chinese food, the further away you get from Mexico, the less likely you are to find it (especially at a reasonable price). But again, as I reflect, I feel like it’s not just the food that I miss, but the way it was enjoyed. 3am tacos after a night out; molletes for a quick-and-easy breakfast on the go; palomas sipped on a sunny rooftop terrace – the food is incredible, but the atmosphere is even more so!

And while we’re full-on reminiscing here, there was one other thing that happened to be on all three of my original lists: “amigos”, “péngyǒu”, or “friends”, and honestly, more than anything else, that’s what we miss the most. Sometimes it’s hard to have our friends spread out all over the world, but it’s also pretty special. So, here’s to the next time we see each other – reminiscing in one of our homes or off exploring another! Either way, you know we’ll be eating something delicious!

Ottawa vs Québec

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

This week, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of our move to Québec, and surprisingly, some of the most regular questions we still get are about the differences between living in Ontario versus Quebec. Of course, comparisons like these are always hard to make because there are so many factors, but now that we have a little more time under our belts, I think I can share some of the bigger differences, or at least the things that have stuck out the most to two random Americans who happened to spend two years in Ottawa followed by a year in Québec City. Differences like:

Taxes

Can you tell it’s tax season? There’s a reason this is at the top of my list. This is our first year doing taxes in Quebec, and it is bringing about a whole new set of challenges. In Ontario, there’s only a federal tax, but in Quebec there’s federal and provincial. Yay! More formulaires to figure out! In general, taxes (sales tax, income tax, etc.) are a bit higher in Quebec, but as far as we can tell, that seems to even out with the cost of living and services provided. Of course, my favorite part of Quebec’s tax system is that they have a high rate of escalation for income tax – essentially, they tax the rich at a higher percentage, bringing equity into the equation, which is très progressif!

Language

I can’t talk about Ottawa vs Québec without mentioning English and French. Both cites have a large number of bilinguals, but the default languages obviously differ, as does the ease of use and readiness to switch. I didn’t hear very much French in Ottawa, and I feel like walking into a Tims there and asking for un café infusé avec une roussette au miel would have been met with blank stares. However, in Québec, it’s quite common to hear both English and French used daily. This disparity is exactly why Quebec has laws to enforce French as the first language of the province, because if not, English might just take over as it has in many other places around the world. Et c’est précisément pour ça que j’apprends le français.

International Influence

Unsurprisingly, Quebec’s French connection has had a lot of influence on the city. Its historical ties to France have shaped the history, culture, and language here, but even today, there are obvious international influences that differ from the rest of Canada. For example, the largest groups of immigrants into Quebec generally come from other francophone countries, which can be seen very clearly in Québec’s restaurant scene. Ottawa has lots of Chinese, Indian, and Iranian restaurants, not to mention shawarma on just about every other street. On the other hand, in Québec, we have way more French, African, and Caribbean options.   

Names

Another difference we’ve noticed has been the names of things. There’s a pharmacy in Ontario called Shoppers, but here it’s Pharmaprix. KFC is PFK; Staples is Bureau en gros; Loblaw’s is Provigo, etc. A combination of language, branding, and company mergers has given us several “hey-I-know-this-place” surprises over the last year. Perhaps even more strangely though, our own names also changed upon moving to Quebec, well, mine did anyway. In Quebec, you don’t take the name of your spouse, so very often for provincial things (like my health card), I’m asked for my nom de naissance or “birth name”, which for me is different than my official/government name. And that’s how I ended up with yet another alias…good luck identity thieves!

Identity

Speaking of identity, we’ve also noticed that Quebecers are not as concerned with the rest of Canada as the rest of Canada is with Quebec. We heard all sorts of things about Quebec and Quebecers prior to living here, and even now when I talk to Canadians in other parts of the country, they have a lot to say about Quebec. On the other hand, I don’t hear Quebecers talk much about the other provinces and territories. I liken it to New Yorkers. Yeah, New Yorkers are technically Americans, but they’re also their own thing, and Quebecers are very similar. They are Québécois first and Canadien second.  

Services/Community

Another thing we’ve been able to take advantage of here in Québec is the huge number of amazing services and community building activities, which have all been free (thus the higher taxes). We recently went snowshoeing, attended a lecture about the history of Québec, received materials that helped us apply for all our provincial IDs, etc. There are free French and English classes, meet-up groups, game nights, and so much more that has allowed us to meet so many people who call Québec home, and we’ve only scratched the surface! There is really an incredible amount of free and/or affordable services for all sorts of needs. Another good example is daycare. Here, you can find subsidized daycares for around $10 per day. Can you imagine?

Cost of Living

This is another one that’s hard to nail down exactly because, of course, it ultimately depends on what you choose to spend your money on. There are some things that might be more expensive here and others, less, but the biggest thing for us has been rent. We rented two very similar apartments in Ottawa and Québec. Both were two bedrooms, a few blocks away from downtown, all utilities included. Our apartment in Québec is 40+ years newer and a little bigger, yet it’s more than $500 cheaper per month. That cost differential will absolutely be worth the small increase we’ll see in taxes this year.

Driving

Somehow driving always seems to be a category in my country/city comparisons, and Ottawa vs Québec is no different! We lived in Ottawa for two years and never got a ticket. Not for driving, parking, or anything. In less than six months, we got two speeding tickets in Québec. I say “we”, but I wasn’t driving either time… Anyway, the point is, there are WAY more traffic cameras in Québec, and they absolutely work. Oddly, with that said, I also feel it’s more common here to come across a person making a U-turn in the middle of the road and/or ignoring any lane markers (if they can even be seen), so maybe there’s a good reason for all the cameras. Ottawa seems to follow the rules without being watched, and Québec seems to skirt the rules, until there’s photo evidence, of course.

Winter Prep

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but I just can’t get over how different the two cities handle winter. Ottawa LOVES salt. Everything is super well-salted; I couldn’t have slipped on a sidewalk even if I had wanted to, but Québec uses a mixture of gravel and salt, which is probably cheaper and better for our boots and car but definitely means there’s more opportunity for slippage. Case in point: Tucker and I have each fallen two times in our Canadian years, and all of them happened in Quebec. With the gravel and salt mixture also comes a lot of slush, which can get a little messy. Cue the abri tempos! Another feature of Quebec winters is the appearance of tents. Tents everywhere! Temporary garages, doorway covers, walkway covers, etc. For half the year, there are pop-ups all over the place making for another difference that is super noticeable.

Joie de Vivre

And last, but not least is the infamous joie de vivre. Literally translated to “joy of living”, joie de vivre has such a palpable presence in Quebec. Ottawa (and much of the rest of North America) has such a hustle culture that is completely missing from Québec. Here it’s still common to take a bottle of wine and have a picnic in the park on a random weekday. Or to enjoy one of the many weeks-long festivals we have here in every season. It seems time with family and friends will always win out over work, and no one ever seems to be in much of a rush. Of course, the architecture, cuisine, and language all make Quebec feel more like Europe, but I think it’s really the joie de vivre that draws people in. C’est magnifique!

And there you have it! Just a few of the many differences between life in Ottawa, Ontario and Québec, Quebec. Personally, I would be extremely happy to live in either city, and as is always the case, there are pros and cons to both. What else is there to say except vive la différence! ;)

Québé-Quoi?

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Learning another language is truly a challenge like no other! It’s all-encompassing and never-ending, and if you choose to learn a non-standard variety, like, say, Quebec French for example, it can sometimes feel like you’re learning two languages at once. For example, in class, I was taught words like “chaussure” (shoe) and “portable” (cellphone), but in the streets of Québec City, I hear “soulier” (shoe) and “cellulaire” (cellphone). Of course, I’m all for linguistic choice, but as a proud Quebec resident, I feel the need to learn, use, and share the dialect of my new home, so with that in mind, I give you a few of my favorite Quebecisms: 

Notre char:)

Char

Standard French: voiture

English translation: car

First up is the use of “char” for “car”, and I know what you’re thinking, this has to be English influence at work, but no! “Char” was actually used in Old French to refer to chariots, horse-drawn carriages, two-wheeled carts, and the like. In Quebec, “char” happened to stick around, whereas in France people started using “voiture” for wheeled vehicles and “char” specifically for heavy-duty vehicles like tanks. I’ll be honest though, even our little Ford Focus feels a bit like a tank when busting through the snow banks of Québec City! Maybe it’s not such a big difference after all.

Blonde/chum

Standard French: copine/copain

English translation: girlfriend/boyfriend

Another Quebec classic is the use of “blonde” (regardless of actual hair color) and/or “chum” to refer to your significant other. I say “significant other” because most of the time they’re used for girlfriend/boyfriend, but there’s actually some flexibility there; your fiancé or even your husband could be “ton chum”. Of course, “chum” can also refer to just a friend (of any gender), which isn’t confusing at all, n’est-ce pas?

Très frette…

Il fait frette

Standard French: Il fait très froid

English translation: It’s really cold

Sometimes, necessity is the mother of invention, and in French Canada, the harsh climate has led to many inventions, including some of the linguistic sort. Here, we often experience stretches of -20° temperatures, where “cold” doesn’t quite cut it. So, when it’s Quebec cold aka really cold, we can say “il fait frette”, which means you had better be wearing multiple layers!

Sloche

Standard French: neige fondante

English translation: slush

In addition to the temperature differences between Canada and other Francophone countries, we tend to get a lot more snow over here, and like other snow-dwelling peoples, we need to be able to differentiate between the many different types of snow. Enter the word “sloche”, which refers to the nasty grey sludge that appears after the snow and ice start to melt. Known as “slush” in English, this one probably did come to Quebec via English influence, but the English actually got it from the Scandinavians, so it seems sloche is just a fact of life for all northerners!

Paparmane

Standard French: pastille de menthe

English translation: peppermint

Speaking of English influence, I think one of my favorite examples of phonetic borrowing might just be “paparmane”, which is how Quebecers nativized the English word “peppermint”. I love this for two reasons. For one, I’m always ecstatic when there’s a one-word alternative available in French (somewhat of a rarity!), but I also love it because it highlights just how different the respective orthographies are. If you could only see the way I’ve spelled some Quebec place names prior to seeing them written down… Oof! “Paparmane” is way closer than I ever get!

Jaser

Standard French: bavarder

English translation: to chat

“Jaser” is another Old French word that simply went out of favor in Europe, but is still hanging on in Canada. Here it just means “to chat”, but in France, “jaser” is associated with gossiping and has more of a negative connotation. Interestingly, the word used more commonly in France now is “bavarder”, which comes from a word that meant “saliva” or “drool”, which seems a bit negative in its own right, but what can I say? Language is compliquée.

Aweille

Standard French: allez

English translation: let’s go

“Aweille”, which I’ve also seen written as “enweille”, “awèye”, and even “enwoye” is a very useful Quebec creation for whenever I find myself trying to get my dog to hurry up and go pee already! It has such the perfect combination of sounds for whining, which is my preferred usage, but it can also be used in a more encouraging way like “Come on! Let’s go!” Aweille! There are more Quebec expressions to learn!   

Tiguidou

Standard French: parfait

English translation: okey dokey

Another super positive Québécois word is Tiguidou – positive and extremely fun to say, I might add! The origins of “tiguidou” are somewhat contested, but many believe it’s a borrowing from the British/Scottish expression “tickety-boo”, which honestly doesn’t help much for the Anglophones on this side of the Atlantic because what the heck is “tickety-boo”? Anyway, in Quebec, “tiguidou” is just a fun way to say “A-OK”. Et c’est tiguidou!  

Tabarnak

Standard French: putain

English translation: holy shit

Of course, I can’t have a list of Quebecisms and not include the most famous of them all! A little warning though, if you’re not a fan of profanity, better skip to the next word because it’s impossible to talk about “Tabarnak” without swearing in multiple languages… To those still here, Quebec has a whole set of unique swear words that all have to do with the church, such as “Tabarnak” (which literally means “tabernacle”). Why is that a swear here? Good question! Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that needs its own post entirely, so for now, you can just think of “Tabarnak” as a multifaceted, catch-all exclamation, not all that unlike the English “holy shit”! 

Attache ta tuque

Attache-la! Attache-la!

Standard French: accroche-toi

English translation: buckle up

Thankfully, I had already bolstered my Canadian vocabulary in Ottawa before relocating to Québec City, otherwise I might have been a little more confused upon first hearing “attache ta tuque”. Tuques are winter hats, so the phrase is literally saying “attach your winter hat”, but it’s used a lot like “buckle up”, as in, we’re in for something crazy here! Hang on your hats!  

Tire-toi une bûche

Standard French: installe-toi

English translation: pull up a chair

I love this expression because it just feels so…colonial. It literally means “pull up a log” as in find an unoccupied stump and have a seat. It’s so easy to imagine early settlers, sitting around a fire in a circle made up of nature’s chairs coining words like “tiguidou” and “paparmane”. There’s definitely an ease to modern-day Quebec culture as well, and I think that’s why a phrase like this still exists. Tire-toi une bûche and let’s just jaser the night away!  

L’affaire est ketchup

Standard French: c’est nickel

English translation: It’s all good

Last but not least, a phrase that I, as a ketchup-lover, just can’t get enough of! “L’affaire est ketchup” literally means something like “the thing is ketchup”, but it’s used as an idiom for “done deal” or “it’s all good”. The idea is that once the final touch of a little ketchup has been added, we’re all set; we’re good to go, which if you’ve ever seen me eat a hotdog, is a sentiment you know I take to heart!

So, there you have it! Just a few of the many colorful words and expressions that I’ve been learning as I strive to become one with La Belle Province! I hope you enjoyed them too! À la prochaine!

Winter Wonders

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

As I sit here listening to the squall winds roar, swirling the snow around and darkening our already shortened day, I am so happy. I know I’ll have to put several layers of clothes on both me and the dog before we brave the cold and the wet for another trip outside, but somehow, I enjoy that too. I often try to share the beauty I see in winter through my photos and memories, but this month, I want to share my feelings through my words as well. Ultimately, I just want people to give winter a chance! It’s so much more than the sum of its parts, but honestly, I think even those are to be enjoyed. So here it goes, my ode to winter wonders.

The Snow

The first thing I love about winter is the possibility of snow. Fresh snow is so magical! It changes everything: how things look, how they sound, how they feel. It brightens, quiets, and softens even the harshest of winter climates. And even if you live in a place that doesn’t get much snow or doesn’t get any snow at all, there’s still the anticipation. Is it going to snow? Will we get a day off? I’ve have friends from tropical countries who were forever intrigued by snow, wondering when they would see and touch it for the first time. It’s certainly one of the more romantic weather phenomena, right? I mean, there are countless songs and poems written about it; millions of paintings that try to capture its essence; it’s the plotline of at least a dozen Hallmark movies – clearly, it’s something special.   

Winter sports

Some people need more than just weather to excite them though, and that’s where winter sports come in! Winter allows for a plethora of seasonal activities that often make you feel like a kid again, think sledding, ice skating, snow tubing, and building snowmen. Nothing but smiles when you’re flying down a mountain in a gigantic innertube, am I right? Plus, who doesn’t like variety in their choice of exercise: skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, shoveling, etc. Honestly, I’m much more active in winter because when it’s hot outside, I feel sluggish and gross, but when it’s cold, all that generated body heat comes in handy! Winter also offers its own selection of more exotic options like ice climbing, dog-sledding, and snowmobiling – truly so much variety to be had!

The Cold

Okay, so I know the cold is one of the main reasons people don’t like winter, but hear me out. Do you like mosquitos? Of course you don’t. Well, they die in the cold, which is reason enough for me to like it! But more than that, cold weather can be so refreshing! Invigorating, even. Most people sleep better when it’s cold, and cold weather is said to improve heart health, brain function, and metabolic rates, so even if all those winter sports don’t help you out, apparently just being cold every now and then will. I mean, some people pay hundreds of dollars for “cold therapy” or Cryotherapy treatments for better skin, pain relief, and mood enhancement, but winter gives you all those benefits for free! Also, I’d just like to add something pretty much every Canadian has told us: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. As long as you have the right clothes, you shouldn’t even feel the cold!  

Cozy clothing

And while we’re on the subject of clothes… don’t you just love when you get home and switch your jeans out for sweatpants? Or when you put on your favorite pair of pajamas and hop on the couch? What if you could wear pjs, sweats, and all sorts of soft, comfy items no matter where you’re going? Well, that’s much more feasible in winter given all the outerwear that likely means people will never even see what you have on underneath. I seriously get so excited every year when I get to break out all my cozy clothing: the warm, fuzzy sweaters, the fleecy thermals, my giant sweatpants, and thick, fluffy socks. I’ve definitely never been that excited to put on a pair of shorts or a tank top, and I can’t be the only one either because who feels more comfortable sleeping without a blanket or laying on a hardwood floor without a rug? Only psychopaths, obviously. Comfy is king!

The Holidays

If you’re not on board yet, maybe the holidays will remind you of the magic of winter. Sorry to those of you who grew up in the Southern Hemisphere because holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year are all infinitely better celebrated in winter, and I feel like the vast majority of holiday media backs me up on this. Imagine singing, “Oh, the weather outside is delightful, but the horde of insects is frightful”. And can you imagine if Home Alone took place in summer? It would totally lose its heart-warming, “appreciate your family” vibe! Plus, what about the horror of putting on a few holiday pounds while also having swim practice and/or trips to the beach to think about. No, absolutely not. The holidays are meant to be spent holed up inside with family and friends eating all the things and not feeling bad about it because, hey, we’re hibernating here!

Comfort foods

And speaking of the food… I just don’t think we’d enjoy all our hearty soups, cheesy casseroles, and warm, freshly baked cookies near as much if it wasn’t winter. The cold, the dark, the challenging weather – all of that is part of why the foods we eat in winter are so comforting! They stick to your ribs, which is something you definitely wouldn’t want if it was hot, sunny, and you were already sweating, right? I mean, who wants to turn on the oven in summer? But when it’s below freezing… yes, please! Winter also gives us a chance to eat different things. We might never have discovered the delight of pumpkin spice or peppermint drinks if the seasons hadn’t changed. Maybe we’d have never looked twice at gourds or lentils if our go-to vegetables were as cheap and plentiful as they are in the warmer months. Think of all the different flavors and nutrients we might have missed out on!

The Dark

Alright, the shorter days are another difficult one for some of you, and I get it, but I think the real culprit here is Daylight Savings Time (let’s save that rant for another time though). For my pro-darkness argument, I’ll start off with the coziness factor again, which for me is generally brought about by early evenings, twinkling lights, and flickering candles. Ahh! In wintertime, my apartment generally gives off calming, resort spa vibes, and I absolutely love it. Another great thing about it getting dark early is we tend to spend more time at home, which isn’t a bad thing. Winter is a great time to catch up on your reading list or clean out your closets or simply stay-in and save money – the sanctuary of your hearth and home is your oyster!  

Hygge

A lot of what I love about winter is a little hard to pin down, but the Danes use the word “hygge” to sum up the comfortable coziness that I keep trying to describe. Hygge is all about taking the time to enjoy life’s little pleasures. The time spent chatting after or between meals, a warm fireplace on a cold night, a hot chocolate enjoyed in bed, listening to the crunching snow as you walk the dog – these are some of the many little joys we often take for granted; however, I find that I can usually pinpoint and enjoy these moments a bit more easily in winter. Maybe it’s the shorter days or the holiday celebrations or even the starkness of winter landscapes, but something about winter allows for a different kind of focus, and it’s one that I absolutely love!

Slow down 

Another great feature of winter is its ability to slow us down. Everything quite literally takes longer in winter: putting on extra layers, driving more carefully, heating up the house or car – it all forces us to slow down, and it’s not just us. Trees and plants go dormant, many animals hibernate, even our pets tend to sleep more in winter, which should be our sign to do the same! Winter is the best (and longest) excuse we have to take our time, enjoy the temporary calm, and just rest. I love to use the dark and the cold to my advantage and simply do less and relax more – something my usual go-go-go self definitely appreciates! The best part of having all the holidays at the beginning of winter is that once they’re over, we still have months left to focus on other things or nothing at all before the warm weather calls our attention elsewhere.  

Reset

And my final, favorite thing about winter… it’s the perfect time to reset. Whether you’re a New-Year-new-you kind of person or just an avid spring cleaner, this season has always been associated with change. If there’s something new you want to try, winter is a great time to do it. The year starts over, the seasons start over, you can start over. Winter is the perfect time to plan ahead, but even if you don’t have any changes or plans you want to make, I find that winter is also a great time for reflection. Take a look back and see how far you’ve come since the previous winter or the winter of 2020, for example – hard to believe that was over 5 years ago now! Regardless of how you feel about the idea of winter, it will keep coming around, so maybe this year, your goal could be to reset any biases you have about this beloved season of mine. :)

So, what do you think? Can you give it another chance? Can you learn to enjoy winter just a bit more than before? I hope so because as the proverb says, choosing not to find joy in the snow/cold simply means having less joy without changing the amount of snow/cold. So find your joy and relish the wonders of winter! Bon hiver à tous!❄️