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

[bloopygirl 20]

It's no big deal, it was like 100 dollars.

[Darnell 8,478]

Lol Darnell. The snow is melting but my van is still stuck in a foot of snow thanks to the plough.

Ug. So that's a no. What's up ? Using a telephone works, without worrying about the snow plow. Boo !

[NikLR 13,228]

People think it's weird to get culture shock coming to the USA but it's real. Our countries are more different than most realize. Even just the difference in health care is enough to make you want to pull your hair out. My husband understands this mostly because he didn't have health care as a child for the most part, and afterwards he was in the military where he didn't have to worry about anything. So choosing a health care plan for us is very stressful and frustrating to me and he isn't much help.

The way I've figured it out is if you want health care like you had in Canada, you can. However, it will COST you a lot of money. Or you can spend less and pay more out of pocket for things. Or be like us and have a big deductible but put money into a health savings plan to help pay for it. Our basic stuff is covered, like a yearly exam. But you don't go to the doctor for just a cold or the flu unless you feel like yer dying.

The foods you buy are different, the places you shop can be different. It's always nice to find that little bit of home. I have only been back to Canada once since I moved here.

[bloopygirl 20]

We are having a lot of trouble with the health care thing. My hubby didn't have it, because he hasn't been to a doctor in like ten years. We were going to get it through his work in December and he forgot, and the enrollment period is over. So, I had to go to the ob/gyn to confirm my pregnancy, and they said they were going to do some bloodwork. I thought they meant for like checking HCG and progesterone, normal stuff. They tested me for all sorts of random stuff and I got a bill in the mail for $1800. We're thinking about bringing it to court potentially. To be honest, I didn't even know I would be billed by a third party.. I didn't know how it worked. So nuts. I applied for the state health care, they approved me for labour and delivery only, so I'm just going to go home for my check-ups throughout the pregnancy. It'll be cheaper that way. The state health care will cover the baby for a year so that will be fine until December when we can get the proper coverage. Ughh it's so crazy.

[La Souris 19]

We are having a lot of trouble with the health care thing. My hubby didn't have it, because he hasn't been to a doctor in like ten years. We were going to get it through his work in December and he forgot, and the enrollment period is over. So, I had to go to the ob/gyn to confirm my pregnancy, and they said they were going to do some bloodwork. I thought they meant for like checking HCG and progesterone, normal stuff. They tested me for all sorts of random stuff and I got a bill in the mail for $1800. We're thinking about bringing it to court potentially. To be honest, I didn't even know I would be billed by a third party.. I didn't know how it worked. So nuts. I applied for the state health care, they approved me for labour and delivery only, so I'm just going to go home for my check-ups throughout the pregnancy. It'll be cheaper that way. The state health care will cover the baby for a year so that will be fine until December when we can get the proper coverage. Ughh it's so crazy.

What do you mean by going home?

[bloopygirl 20]

What do you mean by going home?

Oops, I mean visiting my parents in Canada. I lived with them before I got married so sometimes I accidentally call their house home. lol

[Lemonslice 4,916]

Oops, I mean visiting my parents in Canada. I lived with them before I got married so sometimes I accidentally call their house home. lol

You might want to double check, usually you are no longer covered in Canada once you emigrated to another country; Canadian doctors might charge less to uninsured patients, but test will still be costly, no? Colleagues had to go weekly or bi-weekly to their doctor at the end of the pregnancy, are you sure it's worth the multiple trips, time off work for your spouse to escort you, etc.?

Best option might be to prepay a midwife in your area, or to seek coverage through another insurer.

[NikLR 13,228]

You need insurance for anything medical in Canada. When you immigrated you ceased to be a resident of any province in Canada.

Without insurance your spouse will be paying when he does his taxes. You guys NEED medical coverage.

[BWise 18]

I'm moving to Syracuse on the 13th (less than two weeks)! I live in Ottawa, Ontario so it's a short 3 hour drive but I'm still worried about the culture shock! I've been to Syracuse lots but I haven't stayed there for a long period of time. I'm getting more worried about getting homesick!

I'm definitely going to miss All Dressed Ruffles, poutine, my chip cards, LCBO (which I know is inconvenient but it's all I've known!)

Ahhhh!

[oncefuturealien 45]

It may still be cheaper for bloopygirl to pay for medical services in Canada than in the US, even if she's paying non-resident rates.

You don't have to get services under BC Med here, for example; they have rates for non-residents.

[bloopygirl 20]

Yep that's right, it is cheaper for me to go to Canada for the checkups and pay out of pocket than it would be for me to get insurance in the U.S. Our insurance options are very bad.

[tdotca 41]

Ha. I totally understand about feeling homesick and missing alot of the things that we took for granted 'back home'.

I facetime with my immediate family often so that is helpful. Of course if they are celebrating something, you really feel the homesickness.

I have a bit of eczema and when I am majorly itchy at night, I take a sip of Benadryl Elixir (liquid form of the tablet). Over here, there is no such thing. Closest is the kids' formula which is cherry/grape flavoured and they SUCK! Everything is sweet here. When I went home for Xmas, I stocked up and brought back a few bottles.

I also miss Buckley's especially as I now have a bad cough.

For those in California(San Jose), check out a place called World Market (www.worldmarket.com. Not sure if this store is in any other US states. They and Bed,Bath and Beyond are related. Oh wait, they may be called Cost Plus in other states?). They sell alot of stuff from all over the world, including Canada and UK. They definitely have Maltesers and I believe Coffee Crisp(might be from the UK but still. Thinking back , I believe I saw Maltesers in Walmart!).

Try finding any good ethnic restaurants or supermarkets... oy! In Toronto, on the same block you can find multiples and now you have to drive many miles just to get to (only) 1.

What I can't get my head around is having to give out your SSN for almost everything. I never memorized my SIN and now I got to remember this?! Ugh.

For those K1 who are or will be collecting EI, 1 of the questions that are asked on the reports is ' have you been in training/ school' or such. This is not a good thing to EI. Why? I was told that if you are in training/school, you really don't have time to look for a job.
In this day and age, you are not really pounding the pavement for a job as everything is online. You'd think that you can still go to school/training and then do your searching afterwards or at night.

[Chalandrae 32]

I've been in the US for 7 months now and I am still having a hard time. My husband is patient and willing to help me, thank GOD.

I miss Tim Hortons like crazy!! Dunkin Donut is similar but I don't like their coffee as much. Everyday after work, I used to go grab a coffee, a french vanilla or a hot chocolate. So to me, it's really hard not to have a Tim around.

My husband laughs at me because I miss the food back in Quebec. The taste of the pizzas were different (and much better to me!), I miss the poutine. I can't find anything like that around where I live. Not saying the food isn't good here, I just miss what I had back home.

I am bilingual but always has a fear of speaking to other people. I have an accent and where I live, you have a lot of foreign people, so it makes it interesting. Often I have my husband next to me ready to help me the second I give him a puppy eyes look.

Oh, I also miss my family like crazy. We talk every week, but I miss being able to see them and hug my nieces and nephew. We were living in the same house with my Father, so I could see them everyday.

I have to admit, it is getting better, but it's hard. Some nights I end up crying because I miss a lot of thing, but you have to tell yourself if you didn't make that jump, you would still be living away from your SO.

[jfgk1987 303]

I miss Tim Hortons like crazy!! Dunkin Donut is similar but I don't like their coffee as much. Everyday after work, I used to go grab a coffee, a french vanilla or a hot chocolate. So to me, it's really hard not to have a Tim around.

My husband laughs at me because I miss the food back in Quebec. The taste of the pizzas were different (and much better to me!), I miss the poutine. I can't find anything like that around where I live. Not saying the food isn't good here, I just miss what I had back home.

My husband has been here for a little over a year and from time to time he brings up the "Dunkin' Donuts just isn't like Tim's" thing.

White Plains is getting its first Tim Horton's, when I showed him the "Coming Soon" sign he lost his mind, he's a little TOO excited I see that you live in Nyack so you'll have a Tim Horton's sort of close to you soon!

The closest thing we had to poutine around here was served at Pomme Frites down in the city, but it burned down last year

We were at Red Robin in the Palisades Mall and we saw that they had poutine as an appetizer so my husband just *had* to have it to evaluate it. The cheese curds are fried which was a little strange but he said it was sufficient enough to hold him over until he visits Canada again

You want good pizza? Go to Agnello's in New City, you won't be disappointed! I'll drive over the bridge just for their garlic bread and pizza.

[bloopygirl 20]

I tried making poutine at home! Just made some french fries, and got some cheese curds from the grocery store, and made some gravy. It was not bad. My husband couldn't eat it, he couldn't take how rich it was. LOL. I miss a proper poutine though. I remember going to the pub near my old place on Friday nights and grabbing a pint of keith's and a poutine, or fish and chips with mushy peas.