Newbies to the US from Canada: Anyone else having trouble adjusting?

[bloopygirl 20]

I moved to the US in October... and it seems like everything is just going wrong! Is anyone else feeling the same way? I'd love to talk to some other Canadians.

My AOS is messed up, missing my family, problems with health care. aka I just got an unexpected medical bill in the mail for 2 grand... can't work yet, haven't made any friends.. And a million other things have gone wrong lately of a more personal nature.

Not to mention, I miss Tim Horton's so much! Ketchup chips! Hickory sticks! Driving here scares me because the roads are so busy. And people constantly make fun of my accent It took ten months to get my visa and I thought we were so prepared... HAHA, no. I think I miss OHIP most of all. People here don't eat fish and chips.. they don't know what coffee crisp is.. and they do rock, paper, scissors differently. I feel like I am learning something new and totally unexpected about American life every day, and my whole life people have told me our countries are so similar. I miss sidewalks and bus service, too! And being able to actually walk places!

Can anyone relate?

[canadian_wife 1,822]

I cried every day for 2 weeks when I first moved here. It does get better. It didn't help that I moved to the Deep South where everyone's accent is SO different than mine. For example I teach and I said "OK guys, text books out to page 10". Only the boys got their books out. I asked a girl and she said "you said 'guys', if you want us all to do it you have to say y'all".

I miss Canadian stuff a lot, but you do get used to it. Friends come when you get involved with stuff or start working. Where did you move to?

[bloopygirl 20]

I cried every day for 2 weeks when I first moved here. It does get better. It didn't help that I moved to the Deep South where everyone's accent is SO different than mine. For example I teach and I said "OK guys, text books out to page 10". Only the boys got their books out. I asked a girl and she said "you said 'guys', if you want us all to do it you have to say y'all".

I miss Canadian stuff a lot, but you do get used to it. Friends come when you get involved with stuff or start working. Where did you move to?

Wow, that is a funny anecdote lol. Did you start saying y'all?

I moved to New Jersey. People here are so different. I feel like everybody is being rude all the time but they just talk differently than us. It's hard.

I don't know if I will be working at all because now I'm pregnant. We live in a suburb where everybody is like 50-60 years old, and I'm in my early 20s, so there's not really anybody I can make friends with here. I'm a bit of a loner anyway but it gets lonely without my family. It's only been a few months so I'm trying to stay positive but it is still hard.

[Ontarkie 14,221]

There was so many times I wanted to go back to Canada. I complained about everything and I mean everything. I started feeling better about 7-8 months later when the kids made friends. I homeschooled them since the schools are so messed up here. The spiders and snakes completely freak me out everything is poisonous it seems like and they are huge!!

I really didn't feel normal or like this was home till like the 2 year mark. Then I got pregnant and then more and more I felt like home.

As for accents man I still have a hard time, that southern drawl can be nuts at times. I sure haven't seen the southern hospitality like you hear about. Plus I refuse to say certain things like y'all, and uh huh instead of yes or your welcome. Now that my older 4 are doing really well College and University I don't think I would move back to Canada. Plus I love he short winters and hot summers. I keep telling ppl I still haven't warmed up

Get on here a lot and complain it helps to get it off your chest.

[bloopygirl 20]

Aw thanks Ontarkie, you are so sweet. I'm glad to hear you settled in eventually. I'm pregnant with our first and we are planning on homeschooling too!

There aren't any giant bugs or anything here but they do have "stink bugs..." Those are new for me, and they are gross.

It mostly upsets me how messed up the health care is in this country.. I can't believe how expensive things are, they are really taking everyone for a ride.

[Abby&Colin 40]

My fiancé is in The Natinal Guard and his health care and mine and if we have any children is paid for with the little bit of money they give you monthly. Maybe if your husbands are into that it could be something to look into but I realize other jobs can get in the way. I'm packing all my stuff and I still cry about it I haven't even left yet so I'm nervous. His family is really big though and I've made a few friends from visiting a lot so hopefully it won't be to hard. I am also starting dental hygiene in the fall so that's good too !!

Nervous fellow Canadian.

[Ontarkie 14,221]

Oh yes I completely agree with the health care. My youngest now 22 month spent a week in the hospital back in Oct. They ran every test known to man, x-ray, ultrasounds, cat scans, 2 mri's, blood work, spinal tap. Long story short he developed Guillian Barre's and they had to rule out everything from fractures to stroke. Then the treatments and now still therapy.

The last statements added up to about 80k. Now thank ggod that is not what we will end up with but we have a high deductible so we still don't know what our bill is.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Wow, that is a funny anecdote lol. Did you start saying y'all?

I moved to New Jersey. People here are so different. I feel like everybody is being rude all the time but they just talk differently than us. It's hard.

I don't know if I will be working at all because now I'm pregnant. We live in a suburb where everybody is like 50-60 years old, and I'm in my early 20s, so there's not really anybody I can make friends with here. I'm a bit of a loner anyway but it gets lonely without my family. It's only been a few months so I'm trying to stay positive but it is still hard.

I did start saying y'all, its hard not to. I do maintain as many Canadianisms as I can. The first woman I met was my neighbour who invited me over, served me tea - in a glass, with ice, a spoon and a bowl of sugar. So strange!

Don't discount the 50-60 year olds, one of my good friends down here is 53 and we get along famously!

good luck

[PickleChips 56]

I'm sick of people making fun of my accent as soon as they learn I'm Canadian. Funny how they didn't make fun of it before they found out I was Canadian... maybe because I don't have one?!?

[chrisete 55]

I did start saying y'all, its hard not to. I do maintain as many Canadianisms as I can. The first woman I met was my neighbour who invited me over, served me tea - in a glass, with ice, a spoon and a bowl of sugar. So strange!

Don't discount the 50-60 year olds, one of my good friends down here is 53 and we get along famously!

good luck

[chrisete 55]

I did start saying y'all, its hard not to. I do maintain as many Canadianisms as I can. The first woman I met was my neighbour who invited me over, served me tea - in a glass, with ice, a spoon and a bowl of sugar. So strange!

Don't discount the 50-60 year olds, one of my good friends down here is 53 and we get along famously!

good luck

[warlord 73]

It's funny I've been here for almost 20 years and I still from time to time have people joke about me being from Canada, but then they say how I never have a Canadian accent. I laugh because when living in Canada everyone thought I had an American accent. Guess it was just meant to be. I adapted pretty quick because I was always spending my free time in the US visiting friends and travelling so when I moved for a job, I was happier than hell and adapted quickly.

For those that aren't like the original poster, you can see if there are any meetups in your area. Another group is Internations that you can join where it's an expat community and if you're in a decent sized city or close to one, they have get togethers once a month usually and you might even meet a few other Canadians in it as well and that can help you get adjusted or at least learn from their experiences of how they adapted and how they over came things that Canada does different compared to down here, etc...

[Mad & J 25]

I've never been a huge Tim Hortons fan, but ketchup chips and all-dressed Ruffles, oh man!

I've only been here for about 3 days, so I'm sure I'll get some homesickness eventually. I've spent a lot of time here before (nearly a year, broken up in various visits) and know most of my fiancee's friends, but I'm sure it will be different this time because it's permanent. I think it's ok to feel homesick once in a while and to vent about the things you miss, especially on VJ! I'm sure things will sort themselves out soon enough, right now things are stressful because all of these changes are coming at once!

Have you thought about enrolling in prenatal classes, or even prenatal yoga, prenatal water aerobics, things like that? I would think it would be a good place to connect with other moms-to-be in your area and make new friends who are close to your age. Just a thought!

[lkerky 25]

I have lived in the US since high school with a few years back and forth. The hardest thing I struggle with is living in a VERY small, conservative town and I am VERY liberal. Everyone asks where we go to church and what religion we are, not that it is any of their business but they ask anyway. I use to find myself holding back my beliefs and opinions but I don't anymore.

I still am quite isolated- my best friend here is my mother in law. It gets better!

[Cm84 1]

I'm glad to hear others have similar feelings as me. I didn't think it would be an issue moving to the US - as I had lived here before with little issue (albeit I did kinda live in a bubble being here on various exchange and J-1 camp counsellor experiences). Regardless I felt that moving 7 hours away from home in Eastern Ontario to Northern New Jersey wouldn't be a big deal but I am struggling trying to find a way to be more comfortable here. Yes driving scares me in NJ too! There is a bit of culture shock for me, dealing with less friendly people and a more urban environment.

I've only been here a few weeks, so I know I really have to give it some time. I'm hoping once I get a job that things will be better. I can't imagine what this would be like for someone moving across the world or someone who doesn't speak english.