Respond: “It is a bitter-sweet thing, knowing two cultures. Once you leave your birthplace nothing is ever the same.” ― Sarah Turnbull

I lived in Ottawa (and the Ottawa area) for 25 years.  I considered going to university in Toronto, but when I won my first year tuition at Carleton University in a draw and was accepted to their Journalism program, I decided to stick around.  I always had this idea that I would at least try living somewhere else, but I had no idea it would be such a dramatic change!

I think bittersweet probably is a good word to describe the experience.  I feel like now, wherever I end up, I will always remember the positives of the other place and long for it (at least sometimes). 

In Australia, I will think back to Canada and miss the changing autumn colours, the calm and eerie silence of  newly blanketed snow, the $10 Tuesday night skiing, the close proximity to other countries and all inclusive travel deals, dividing holidays between Russell and Athens, Canada Day in Ottawa, Winterlude, lake swimming, cottages, and all the other quintessentially Canadian things that were part of growing up in Canada.

If we ever moved back to Canada, I would miss the year round Adelaide sun, the 15 minute bike ride to the beach, the world class wine country, the ability to sit in my backyard at any time of the year, the Aussie accent, the colourful flowers and palm trees, the cheap flights within Australia, the easy driving, the sightings of Australian animals, the friends who have become like family, and everything else that has made me love Australia.

No matter what happens now, there will always be an aspect of yearning for the other. 

I'm hoping our brilliant plan will lessen this - live and work in Adelaide for most of the year, Jeremy work as a locum for June, July and August in Canada, Leana stays in Adelaide and continues working but visits Canada for a month every (Canadian) summer.  It's not perfect, but it will allow us to continue living this wonderful lifestyle over here while not neglecting our families back home.  We'll just have to see what happens...