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

[BWise 18]

For me, I lived across the road from two grocery stores. We would buy food for a day or two at a time and just carry the groceries home.

I just got my licence (my G by Ontario standards) and I POE on Saturday. I'm not looking forward to driving everywhere in the US. I think I'll really miss my transit system!

[bloopygirl 20]

I remember when I used to live in thunder bay and didn't have my license yet, carrying like thirty pounds of groceries onto the bus.. and waiting for it in blizzards because it only came every 40 minutes.. it's not fun lol.

[NikLR 13,227]

I mean I lived in Calgary without a car but generally we could borrow a friend's for grocery trips as we all could drive. (Our truck was broken.)

I bet going home with groceries on a bus in a blizzard had to suck!

[k_stacky 65]

I just got my licence (my G by Ontario standards) and I POE on Saturday. I'm not looking forward to driving everywhere in the US. I think I'll really miss my transit system!

I miss transit sometimes, especially since where I am now it is nonexistant. But congratulations on getting your G license and good luck at POE! I hope your travels go smoothly.

[bloopygirl 20]

Yes it's not fun! oh my goodness. I've decided to just drive my vehicle back to canada and sell it. If anyone else has their vehicle in their parents' name, make sure you transfer it to your own name BEFORE you drive to the US. Otherwise it just gets way too complicated! We were so excited to get married and have me drive down right away after waiting so long for the visa, we really didn't plan things out properly. The foibles of being young and impatient.

[Ontarkie 14,226]

I used to go do my grocery shopping and the store had a delivery service so I paid an extra $5 to get them delivered. It was cheaper then a cab ride home, I picked the time I wanted them delivered at and made sure I had enough time to walk home.

The public transportation here sucks. The bus stops are so far away you can't even walk to them in a decent amount of time. It's so bad ppl ride their bike to the bus stop and the bus has a bike rack for them.

My husband couldn't figure out for the life of him why my kids didn't want to rush out to get their license the minute they turned 14. He just couldn't grasp that it wasn't the norm for them and how back home they wouldn't have even bothered at 16 as it's costs a bloody fortune to get your beginners.

[bloopygirl 20]

That sounds like an awesome service Ontarkie. My town doesn't even have buses... I think they were trying to keep the lower-income people out or something like that. It's mostly retirement age people around here. It is inconvenient though, I used to take public transit even when I had a vehicle back in Canada.

My husband thinks the same way, he finds it so strange that Canadians are more laid back about getting their license. I got my G2 at 19 but didn't get my G until I was 21. On the other hand I read somewhere that fewer American teenagers are getting their license today than used to. I know that here in NJ it's now a pretty difficult process for teenagers to get them, according to my friend.. her daughter is 17 now and had to jump through all kinds of hoops... and with people having less money around maybe they don't want to be bothered about buying their teenager a vehicle and adding them to their insurance policies.

[NikLR 13,227]

Took me a bit to realize what a g2 or g was... the graduated licensing in Ontario right?

[k_stacky 65]

Took me a bit to realize what a g2 or g was... the graduated licensing in Ontario right?

Right.

It goes; G1, G2, and then G.

[NikLR 13,227]

Right.

It goes; G1, G2, and then G.

I got my license before they mandated graduated licensing in BC. Went from my learners to my full license. It would have been impossible for me to not to have it.

I understand the homesickness, I had it too. Not because I missed most of my family or a lot of friends, but just how little things and healthcare made me unsure of how things worked down here. Yesterday we bought some pencil crayons which Ive always called thst but are only called colored pencils here. My husband said my Canadian was showing.

[k_stacky 65]

I got my license before they mandated graduated licensing in BC. Went from my learners to my full license. It would have been impossible for me to not to have it.

I understand the homesickness, I had it too. Not because I missed most of my family or a lot of friends, but just how little things and healthcare made me unsure of how things worked down here. Yesterday we bought some pencil crayons which Ive always called thst but are only called colored pencils here. My husband said my Canadian was showing.

If there wasn't graduating licensing when I was trying to get mine I probably would have my license right now. Whenever I tell someone that getting a license in Ontario takes up to two years regardless of age they can't believe it. In FL as soon as you're over a certain age you can pretty much take your driving test the same day you get your learners if you really wanted to.

I don't think i'll ever convert to calling them coloured pencils, and I can't spell things the 'american' way (ie colour VS color) either. A lot of people say I talk really "proper" because I don't have the southern twang haha

[Ontarkie 14,226]

Oh yes coloured pencils seems so wrong to me.

Here they have a graduated system for under 18.

So at 14 you can get your learners.

[NikLR 13,227]

In AB the kiddo can get her learners then too. That only just over a year from now.

[mdcatelli 16]

I got my license before they mandated graduated licensing in BC. Went from my learners to my full license. It would have been impossible for me to not to have it.

I understand the homesickness, I had it too. Not because I missed most of my family or a lot of friends, but just how little things and healthcare made me unsure of how things worked down here. Yesterday we bought some pencil crayons which Ive always called thst but are only called colored pencils here. My husband said my Canadian was showing.

I remember when I just met my husband and he made fun of me for calling them pencil crayons, which I've always called them as well. I'm glad someone else had the same experience as me in that regard!

[bloopygirl 20]

My husband's friend pronounces crayons really weird like "crowns" ... it weirds me out.