I Am Canadian! (Resident....)

Yesterday we were offered a lift to Victoria by a friend who was going there for the day. This was the perfect opportunity for me to pop across to America and back so that I could activate my visa that allows me to be a permanent resident and work here.

For arcane reasons, I have to leave and re-enter the country to do this. So I hopped on the fast ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, which takes fifty five minutes and costs not a lot. I had half an hour in America, grabbed a sandwich and confirmed that Port Angeles is not a top destination for a day trip. An hour later I was back, at the counter with a very gracious Canadian immigration officer and we took about forty-five minutes to complete all the paperwork. Not only am I now allowed to live and work here, but all our possessions, including the boat, are officially imported and we can get on with bringing things over from storage in the UK and changing the boat to be Canadian registered.

It was all very straightforward and I got the chance to read a lot of my book. Back in Victoria, I searched out a pub where I could sit quietly and enjoy a pint in celebration, before fining the family and going for ice cream. They'd had a fun day in the city and Gesa had finally found a pair of walking boots, after a long search.

Now it's on with other new life stuff, like social security numbers, healthcare, driving licence and so on. So much to do....