I'm back from my trip!

[sheeshkabelle 153]

I had an awesome time while visiting my husband and his family for the holidays!

I started out with a 15 hour day just getting to Calgary. Soo many lay overs. I finally get there and forgot about the 20 mile hike from the gate to customs at the Calgary airport.

Since I'm a NEXUS card holder I zipped right up to the kiosk. I went to hand in my slip of paper and I was asked a few questions. Then asked "Why are you staying so long?" (19 days) "I'm on my semester break from school and wanted to be with my husband for Christmas" I was immediately whisked off to secondary...

I was asked a bunch more questions and the last, he asked "How do I know you're going to leave Canada and not stay with your husband?" "Because I have four children in the US that I am NOT, nor do I ever intend to abandon" I guess that was a good enough answer, then I got something I've never had, nor ever heard of before. He stamped my passport and wrote 5/1/12 under it. He said he was giving me an extra day to leave Canada (my return flight was on the fourth) I walked out in a kind of daze thinking 'holy #######, I got my passport stamped' This was such an anomaly that everyone in the family wanted to see my stamp!

There are places I MUST go while in Calgary, one of them being Chianti in the NE part of town on 32nd Ave, Keith's Deli by Chinook Centre

I've been to Canada many times. But only to Calgary and Winnipeg and a few day trips to Banff.

On this trip I experienced:

Hockey games! We went to one Flames game and two World Junior's games. While not being my first NHL game, it was my first World Junior game and WOW.

I traveled (what felt like) half way across the country to Winnipeg with stops in Esterhazy, Sask and Shoal Lake, Man along the way. Going 100km/h on snow covered gravel 'hiways' totally blew my mind.

Ukrainian-Canadian's eat a metric tonne of food at Christmas. The 12 courses of Christmas Eve was a bit over whelming. Christmas day, holy crow, we had 6 meals during the day and a 'midnight snack' that was another meal. By the second meal I was skipping over the turkey and ham (we have turkeys and pigs in Tennessee) and loading up on perogies, holubtsi, kubasa and kutya. How those people don't weigh 1000 lbs each I have no idea! I also learned some Ukrianian so I can some what converse with hubby's grand parents. Totally awesome to experience another culture and their customs.

Kit-Kat bars and ketchup are NOT the same as in the US.

I'm not fond of Smarties.. I'll stick to M&M's, thanks.

Timmy's coffee tastes 90000 times better from a store than the pre-packaged coffee my in laws send me on my birthday.

I discovered my new favorite candy bar (yes, I know, chocolate bar to you Canucks) Coffee Crisp, I bought a dozen back home.

I also played my first bout of shinny. I'm sure my slap shot where I fell on my #### and missed the puck was a sight to behold.

I can't wait until next Christmas!

[TheFantastics09 19]

I had an awesome time while visiting my husband and his family for the holidays!

I started out with a 15 hour day just getting to Calgary. Soo many lay overs. I finally get there and forgot about the 20 mile hike from the gate to customs at the Calgary airport.

Since I'm a NEXUS card holder I zipped right up to the kiosk. I went to hand in my slip of paper and I was asked a few questions. Then asked "Why are you staying so long?" (19 days) "I'm on my semester break from school and wanted to be with my husband for Christmas" I was immediately whisked off to secondary...

I was asked a bunch more questions and the last, he asked "How do I know you're going to leave Canada and not stay with your husband?" "Because I have four children in the US that I am NOT, nor do I ever intend to abandon" I guess that was a good enough answer, then I got something I've never had, nor ever heard of before. He stamped my passport and wrote 5/1/12 under it. He said he was giving me an extra day to leave Canada (my return flight was on the fourth) I walked out in a kind of daze thinking 'holy #######, I got my passport stamped' This was such an anomaly that everyone in the family wanted to see my stamp!

There are places I MUST go while in Calgary, one of them being Chianti in the NE part of town on 32nd Ave, Keith's Deli by Chinook Centre

I've been to Canada many times. But only to Calgary and Winnipeg and a few day trips to Banff.

On this trip I experienced:

Hockey games! We went to one Flames game and two World Junior's games. While not being my first NHL game, it was my first World Junior game and WOW.

I traveled (what felt like) half way across the country to Winnipeg with stops in Esterhazy, Sask and Shoal Lake, Man along the way. Going 100km/h on snow covered gravel 'hiways' totally blew my mind.

Ukrainian-Canadian's eat a metric tonne of food at Christmas. The 12 courses of Christmas Eve was a bit over whelming. Christmas day, holy crow, we had 6 meals during the day and a 'midnight snack' that was another meal. By the second meal I was skipping over the turkey and ham (we have turkeys and pigs in Tennessee) and loading up on perogies, holubtsi, kubasa and kutya. How those people don't weigh 1000 lbs each I have no idea! I also learned some Ukrianian so I can some what converse with hubby's grand parents. Totally awesome to experience another culture and their customs.

Kit-Kat bars and ketchup are NOT the same as in the US.

I'm not fond of Smarties.. I'll stick to M&M's, thanks.

Timmy's coffee tastes 90000 times better from a store than the pre-packaged coffee my in laws send me on my birthday.

I discovered my new favorite candy bar (yes, I know, chocolate bar to you Canucks) Coffee Crisp, I bought a dozen back home.

I also played my first bout of shinny. I'm sure my slap shot where I fell on my #### and missed the puck was a sight to behold.

I can't wait until next Christmas!

Ugh!! I envy you!! I have been looking everywhere for these in the PA, and I finally realized that they are not available here :'(. Send some my way?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Sounds like you had a lovely time

[CAdreamer 14]

Sounds like a great holiday!

[Canadiandggal 49]

I had an awesome time while visiting my husband and his family for the holidays!

I started out with a 15 hour day just getting to Calgary. Soo many lay overs. I finally get there and forgot about the 20 mile hike from the gate to customs at the Calgary airport.

Since I'm a NEXUS card holder I zipped right up to the kiosk. I went to hand in my slip of paper and I was asked a few questions. Then asked "Why are you staying so long?" (19 days) "I'm on my semester break from school and wanted to be with my husband for Christmas" I was immediately whisked off to secondary...

I was asked a bunch more questions and the last, he asked "How do I know you're going to leave Canada and not stay with your husband?" "Because I have four children in the US that I am NOT, nor do I ever intend to abandon" I guess that was a good enough answer, then I got something I've never had, nor ever heard of before. He stamped my passport and wrote 5/1/12 under it. He said he was giving me an extra day to leave Canada (my return flight was on the fourth) I walked out in a kind of daze thinking 'holy #######, I got my passport stamped' This was such an anomaly that everyone in the family wanted to see my stamp!

There are places I MUST go while in Calgary, one of them being Chianti in the NE part of town on 32nd Ave, Keith's Deli by Chinook Centre

I've been to Canada many times. But only to Calgary and Winnipeg and a few day trips to Banff.

On this trip I experienced:

Hockey games! We went to one Flames game and two World Junior's games. While not being my first NHL game, it was my first World Junior game and WOW.

I traveled (what felt like) half way across the country to Winnipeg with stops in Esterhazy, Sask and Shoal Lake, Man along the way. Going 100km/h on snow covered gravel 'hiways' totally blew my mind.

Ukrainian-Canadian's eat a metric tonne of food at Christmas. The 12 courses of Christmas Eve was a bit over whelming. Christmas day, holy crow, we had 6 meals during the day and a 'midnight snack' that was another meal. By the second meal I was skipping over the turkey and ham (we have turkeys and pigs in Tennessee) and loading up on perogies, holubtsi, kubasa and kutya. How those people don't weigh 1000 lbs each I have no idea! I also learned some Ukrianian so I can some what converse with hubby's grand parents. Totally awesome to experience another culture and their customs.

Kit-Kat bars and ketchup are NOT the same as in the US.

I'm not fond of Smarties.. I'll stick to M&M's, thanks.

Timmy's coffee tastes 90000 times better from a store than the pre-packaged coffee my in laws send me on my birthday.

I discovered my new favorite candy bar (yes, I know, chocolate bar to you Canucks) Coffee Crisp, I bought a dozen back home.

I also played my first bout of shinny. I'm sure my slap shot where I fell on my #### and missed the puck was a sight to behold.

I can't wait until next Christmas!

perogies, holubtsi, kubasa and kutya......MMMMMM I miss My grandmothers cooking and our big ole Ukrainian Dinners.... Please take me with you next time

[CristyH 0]

You almost make me not want to leave....almost Glad you had fun and the weather here in the prairies had been awesome this winter so you lucked out!

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Ya it was a lot of fun and a lot of eating!

Next year we will make a road trip out of going to Manitoba and taking the kids. They'll get a kick out of it!

[warlord 73]

I'm not fond of Smarties.. I'll stick to M&M's, thanks.

I discovered my new favorite candy bar (yes, I know, chocolate bar to you Canucks) Coffee Crisp, I bought a dozen back home.

An example of British engineering ha ha. Smarties are horrible and wish the British would have never imported them to North America. On the other hand, I'm glad they did import the idea of the Coffee Crisp (which was based on their chocolate crisp).

The only people I know that would even touch Smarties are some British people I know, just because it reminds them of home. Coffee Crisp though, I know a lot of people here that actually bring back those bars from visiting Canada. They are quite popular here, though, for some reason they don't bother making them here...

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Glad you had a great trip. I can't wait for my first visit back to Canada.

[X Factor 1,112]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience.

[Bern` 0]

I was born and raised in Calgary, glad you enjoyed it so much <3

[dukeandduchess 141]

Glad you had fun, and for reminding me of all the junk I need to eat before I go!!

Just an FYI - when they stamp and write a date on your passport that's the day you need to leave by or they can ban you from entering. That's what happened to me when they almost refused me going to the US. I had to give them a card back when I returned from the US. Thank god I did or I would be screwed for my K1!!