I am Canadian (part 1)

When I was teaching overseas last year, I used to tell the children stories about life in Canada. They were fascinated by the thought of another London all the way across the ocean that had trees everywhere and a Thames River so little that barges couldn't go down it. They stared at the pictures of both Londons and couldn't believe how different they looked. The most difficult concept for the kids was how Canada could be so much bigger than England but our London was so much smaller than it's namesake.

It was a point of great pride for me to show them how green everything was here - how huge the yards are and how clean the lakes. By Easter half of the class was determined to visit Canada one day.

I've traveled from one end of this country to the other, swam in the oceans on each coast, and driven through mountains and prairies. I've walked on the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, seen hockey games in Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto, explored Stanley Park in Vancouver, seen the Cabot Trail, and flown over large cities and small towns. I've seen Canada by car, bus, train, plane, and boat.

I know my country. And it just makes me even more proud to be Canadian.