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

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Yes, why such dislike for vinegar here?

[goolia 54]

Denver has great greek, thai, and pho! We also have lots of sidewalks. Move here!

(I do notice a distinct lack of sidewalks in small towns in Alabama and even in OKC.)

So my husband and I are actually trying to narrow down where it is we would like to move (he would prefer we leave NJ, whereas it's starting to grow on me). Denver however intrigues us both for a multitude of reasons.

Serious question, how bad are the winters? Husband is a total baby whereas I just absolutely despise them after living in Toronto for 26 years where winters just stretched on and on. I'm perfectly okay with NJ winters though which seemingly only last a couple months. Is Denver more like the latter or former?

[Clifford27 11]

Well its been awhile since I checked out this thread.

I arrived in California on Jan 22 this year and there is not one day that I regret the move. Sure I miss some of the stuff back home in Canada, and not having my friends around the corner.

But I have met some amazing people here in Cali, and have started to play baseball again in a league which has allowed me to meet amazing people.

I will say the most frustrating thing for me has been looking for work. I find that people here in California seem to move at a much slower pace than I am used to. When I ran businesses I wanted staff to get back to people in 24 hours either by phone or email. I find here they take a week or weeks to even acknowledge the VM or email. Which makes it more difficult to get things rolling work related for me. But beyond that what can you do.....

I have had a chance to find some places that sell Canadian Chocolate Bars which was amazing.... and I have met some fellow Canadians here in the Bay Area and in the process of setting up a group of Canadians that will get together to watch sports and have drinks once a month, allowing us to network and just catch up.

So all in all its been a very productive time so far. Plus the weather is pretty gear! hahaha

[NikLR 13,227]

So my husband and I are actually trying to narrow down where it is we would like to move (he would prefer we leave NJ, whereas it's starting to grow on me). Denver however intrigues us both for a multitude of reasons.

Serious question, how bad are the winters? Husband is a total baby whereas I just absolutely despise them after living in Toronto for 26 years where winters just stretched on and on. I'm perfectly okay with NJ winters though which seemingly only last a couple months. Is Denver more like the latter or former?

There are good and bad winters but normally the snow doesnt stay. So it will snow and melt a few weeks or a month later, then snow, etc... Ive worn hoodies in January and a day later get my winter coat out for a few days. You do need front wheel drive with snow tires, all wheel drive, or 4 wheel drive. Summers can be hot and dry. It does take a while to acclimate to the lack of humidity and the elevation.

Coming from Central Alberta, the winters here are a cake walk. My husband, from Alabama, seems to do okay with the winters. It can randomly snow in April and May (it's supposed to snow this weekend) but generally after Mothers day yer fine to plant.

So when it snows, it tends to dump a lot of snow (like almost a foot) but the snow this weekend will be gone in a few days to a week.

[oncefuturealien 45]

They have Ruffles All-Dressed on Amazon (including Prime Pantry).

[warlord 73]

Serious question, how bad are the winters? Husband is a total baby whereas I just absolutely despise them after living in Toronto for 26 years where winters just stretched on and on. I'm perfectly okay with NJ winters though which seemingly only last a couple months. Is Denver more like the latter or former?

We're an alpine desert. So I've seen snow in Sept and in June here before on the ground and have had it in the mid-70's in Jan.

Usually it's warm until Oct then our Winter season begins until mid Dec. Then it will switch to Spring/Fall season until March when Winter season happens again until Mid May.

Our biggest snow will usually be in Oct/Nov and March/April/May with a lot less the other "winter months".

I've seen 75 degree day turn into a foot or so snowstorm by the next day and then back into the mid 60's the following day.

So because of our altitude, and the mountains and the proximity to the Gulf and Pacific and Canadian weather patterns, we truly are unique here.

Without the humidity you might get 2-3 days total in the entire Winter where it's in the teens or lower. Generally winter temps will usually be above freezing with some periods in the 20's or lower, but also going as high as 70's. In Ontario I remember winter began really in Nov and peaked at the coldest in Feb, but with the humidity, it was nostril sticking frozen hell that was usually well below freezing for extended times. So ours is a lot milder in comparison...

Vinegar? I've only used vinegar for some recipes and for cleaning microwaves. It's just another British thing that we never adopted here...

[NikLR 13,227]

I love vinegar. I agree its a british thing. Hubs likes it fortunately.

[Lupigirl 67]

Love this thread ❤️

 

For those missing hickory sticks, I found these BBQ potato stix by Utz.  They're just missing that smoky flavor, but otherwise are the same thing.  Addictive!  I think I got them at Walmart. 

[Ontarkie 14,221]

I saw the plain ones in Walmart. BBQ would be better. 

[pajobra 1,395]

Ok I haven't moved yet but I got back a week ago from a 9 day trip to visit my fiance and got a taste of living together which was awesome. The one thing I noticed a lack of was reusable bags. Here in Manitoba you now pay for plastic bags if you don't have a reusable bag for your groceries. When I got home, I said to my Mum that now I knew why I had so many reusable bags and they were all travelling down with me to colorado springs. LOL I was never homesick in my time with my fiance and he worked 6 of the 9 days I was there so I was alone a lot. But we also went to dinner at a friends of his and I loved them. Such a lovely couple and I have the feeling we will be hanging out once I move. I did notice a lack of recycling in the complex we live in and that does bother me. The public transportation is alright and it comes every half hour, I took it a few times and found it efficient enough. Once I can work though my money will go towards a newer vehicle since my fiance's will probably bite the dust in a few years. lol I am also lucky because one of my best friends lives in Denver so that will help out.

[NikLR 13,227]

Recycling is a thing many people dont do down here.  Im constantly fishing recyclable items out of the trash.   My mom was supposed to bring me reusable bags since mine seem be missing.  Target will give you 5 cents for using a reusable bag but I find that charging peoole, like they do in Canada is more effective for change. 

[amicablebride 25]

13 hours ago, NikLR said:

Recycling is a thing many people dont do down here.  Im constantly fishing recyclable items out of the trash.   My mom was supposed to bring me reusable bags since mine seem be missing.  Target will give you 5 cents for using a reusable bag but I find that charging peoole, like they do in Canada is more effective for change. 

I noticed that too!! My husband and I drive 30 min away to dump recycling into the only recycling bin we know of. Why are they so against recycling here??

[NikLR 13,227]

9 hours ago, amicablebride said:

I noticed that too!! My husband and I drive 30 min away to dump recycling into the only recycling bin we know of. Why are they so against recycling here??

I dunno.  It costs me just as much to have recycling on my waste bill as it does to have the garbage and they pick it up half as often.  Very few states have bottle deposits.  In BC as a kid I would use that as candy money as an adult, it was some extra money for pizza or something.  

[pajobra 1,395]

23 hours ago, NikLR said:

Recycling is a thing many people dont do down here.  Im constantly fishing recyclable items out of the trash.   My mom was supposed to bring me reusable bags since mine seem be missing.  Target will give you 5 cents for using a reusable bag but I find that charging peoole, like they do in Canada is more effective for change. 

Yeah I just don't get it. When I visited my fiance a few weeks ago. I asked him where the recycle bin was in the complex. He looked at me and said recycle bin. I said yeah and he said nope don't have one. I was like WHAT. My little village of 350 people here in Canada has had a recycling program since the late 90s. In fact tomorrow is recycle pick up day. 

 

Yeah I went to Walmart in The Springs and was like oh I will buy a reusable bag as they are stronger for carrying the stuff in and in Canada you find them at the tills and Nada nowhere. I was like huh and I asked my fiance and he said hmm good question. Oh well I have like 15 reusable bags in my closet here and now I am going to pack them into a box for when I move. I also noticed no one walks much. lol There is a grocery store like a 20 minute walk away and I can't wait to use my little grocery bag on wheels to go there. Again also something you don't see down there. lol

[NikLR 13,227]

31 minutes ago, pajobra said:

Yeah I just don't get it. When I visited my fiance a few weeks ago. I asked him where the recycle bin was in the complex. He looked at me and said recycle bin. I said yeah and he said nope don't have one. I was like WHAT. My little village of 350 people here in Canada has had a recycling program since the late 90s. In fact tomorrow is recycle pick up day. 

 

Yeah I went to Walmart in The Springs and was like oh I will buy a reusable bag as they are stronger for carrying the stuff in and in Canada you find them at the tills and Nada nowhere. I was like huh and I asked my fiance and he said hmm good question. Oh well I have like 15 reusable bags in my closet here and now I am going to pack them into a box for when I move. I also noticed no one walks much. lol There is a grocery store like a 20 minute walk away and I can't wait to use my little grocery bag on wheels to go there. Again also something you don't see down there. lol

It's better in Colorado than elsewhere.  Honestly the speed limits are so high here that someplace that takes you 10 minutes to drive, after stopping at 3 lights, will take you 45 mins to walk.  Literally it takes me about 40 mins to walk to work when it takes me 8 mins to drive.  

 

In Oklahoma City the only places you see sidewalks are rich, new neighborhoods and downtown.  There aren't any else where and there's a McDonalds every 2 blocks.  I'm not kidding!  My friend who lived in Virginia and Georgia after living in California, says that she doesn't recall many sidewalks in either of those places.  Since she was on a reservation in Cali, it's not indicative of what it's normally available.  

 

Are you guys going to be living in the springs or up closer to Denver?  There's more recycling up here than down there since the Springs really is just military based. 

Edited July 5, 2017 by NikLR
spellcheck