Canada Stole My Coffee Dates

The past few weeks have been tough.

We said “See You Soon” to my youngest sister as she set off to study a year abroad in St. Catherine, Ontario. No one could blame her for accepting a FREE opportunity to pursue her master’s degree while also getting the experience of teaching at the university level. However, that doesn’t make it any easier.

Thank God for the technology age! Since her departure we’ve been able to stay in contact via FaceTime and social media, but nothing will replace our usual weekend coffee dates that I’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

We both share a passion for reading, writing, and coffee. Each week we would catch up on life and good books while warm mugs and rich aromas fueled our conversations. We’d show up and forget about the stresses in our lives as this habit became a time we both looked forward to every week.

Our coffee dates look very different now.

I’m eager to make a few migrations northward over the next year. It’s been several years since I visited the Niagara region, but from what I remember it is beautiful. She is blessed with the opportunity to live only miles from the beautiful landscapes of the falls. I cannot wait to reunite soon and drink coffee while the mist dances around us. All will be right in the world when we can talk about authors and essays and recollect all the months of missed time.

If you track with me over the next year I hope to keep you informed about my travels to St. Catherine. Canada truly is a beautiful place. It’s a perfect destination for an Ameri-Brit family like mine because the *culture is a true assimilation of American and British tradition.

I’m learning alongside her.

I’m learning to embrace a new chapter. I’m learning to branch out. I’m learning to break free of the things holding me back. And I’m learning that even though you place six hours and a couple Great Lakes between us that sisters will continue to have a bond that cannot be broken.

The Ameri Brit Mom

*I am also learning from my sister that “Canadian Culture” doesn’t actually exist. The Multicultural Act has aimed at dissolving a “Canadian Identity” in order to place value on immigration.