As of yesterday I’ve been back living in Canada for one year. Over all it’s really good to be back.

The most notable improvements, in my experience, are:

1. The friendliness and competency of the average stranger (the people you meet on the street, on the road, at the check-out, and at the customer service call center).
2. The general positive attitude of the people.
3. The lack of social/cultural/political division and conflict.
4. Affinity for nature, expressed through outdoor activity and concern for the environment.
5. The number of days with pleasant weather.
6. Not having to jump through hoops to appease the immigration police.
7. The unopressiveness of the health care system. We’re getting better care thusfar without the high premiums and threat of bankruptcy-inducing medical bills.

The most notable declines:

1. The lack of access to good online retailers.
2. Worse restaurants overall.
3. Fewer options for air travel.

I’ll note that a lot of this is regional (Calgary vs. Ft. Lauderdale) rather than national (Canada vs. USA), but a lot of it does apply elsewhere in both cases.

We’re both very happy to be here.