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How Moving To Canada Changed My World View

07.23.18
How Moving To Canada Changed My World View

How many times have you heard Americans say, “That’s it! I’m moving to Canada”? Well, I actually did.

Last year, I left California for college in Vancouver, Canada. Before leaving, I’d always identified with my home. I was a Californian, an American. And with those identities came a sense of civic duty. So when I left for school I was pretty certain I’d be back in four years.

Now, I’m not so sure.

Since I left, American identity has become even more tied to political antagonism. And while it was painful to read about Parkland and U.S. immigration raids from afar, the distance also allowed me a break from the doom and gloom that’s part of the American experience today.

There’s a part of me that feels guilty about wanting to leave my country. I get that the problems at home don’t go away when I do. And I’m struggling to find a middle ground between working to resolve issues in America while maintaining some distance.

Regardless of where I land after graduation, though, my U.S. ballot will always be turned in on time, even if it’s absentee.

 

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