More fun in Canada

I've found it's a lot easier to cross into Canada as a US citizen than it is to come back to the US. It always was that way, but the US side has only gotten worse. Of course, even the Canadian side is a bit more serious. It's not like in the old days when could just slow down at the border and yell to the customs guy that you were going to Montreal to party. He's say “have fun!” and that was that.

I'm afraid my granddaughter has some of my twisted sense of humor. I knew the border agents always asks the kids who the other people in car are. She thought it would be funny to answer, “They are my grandparents . . . there, I told them what you wanted me to say.” While I thought was funny, I had to convince her not to do that. She kept her humor in check until we crossed the border.

Those border agents have no sense of humor. Let in one bunch of terrorists and everything gets all grim and serious.

When I was a little kid I thought all of Canada spoke French. It was a surprise to learn that most of it is English speaking. Since my only experience of Canada was going to Quebec, what else was I to think?

When the border controls tightened up and passports became a requirement, I didn't have one. It took years to bother with doing the paperwork. Money was always tight and passports weren't a priority. Not having one also allowed me to get out of going to weddings and funerals in Canada. A bit selfish but I got to see my Canadian relatives often enough in the US.

Borders are funny things. Near the border, the names are all the same. My grandfather's family was half Canadian and half American. His father kept crossing the border depending on where the work was. My grandfather happened to one of the siblings born on the US side. He decided to stay.

From where I live the closest “big US city” is Boston. Montreal is actually a little closer. There's a lot of interesting stuff within a day's drive in Canada that I've never seen. With the current exchange rate being favorable, now is the time to catch up.

-Sixbears