Waiting Feels like Forever
After you submit your application, there’s nothing really left to do other than . . . wait. But it feels like waiting. UGH!
Here are some things that I’ve done to try to distract myself from the wait:
Learn French (especially if you’re planning to move to Québec)
Enjoy the place where you live now
Are there places you want to see again? What about restaurants that you’ll miss when you don’t live there anymore?
Are there friends that you want to spend time with?
Are there family members, especially older ones, that you want to enjoy time with before you go?
Get ready to move
Start cleaning out your home! International moves are expensive, so it’s best to take only what you need and can’t replace once you get there. You probably need less than what you think and it feels really good to get rid of all that stuff that’s been weighing you down! I love Marie Kondo’s approach
Make a list of all the subscriptions and utilities that you need to cancel when you move out. How do we end up with so many of these?!?
Research housing in your target city (or cities if you aren’t sure). Housing is expensive in Canada, especially when you consider that wages are generally lower than in the US, so you don’t want to have to rush the process of finding somewhere to live
If you’re planning to move with pets, make sure you’re familiar with the requirements to import a pet and make sure that you have hard copies of the required documentation. There are also requirements around importing dog food and treats.
Learn about the financial implications of dual-citizenship, including taxes (gross!), and the Settlers’ Effects (this can save you a whole bunch of money, but only if you do it correctly)
Help someone else. Now that you have all of this great knowledge you gained from submitting your own application, share your lessons learned! Help Me Leave (HML) maintains a Discord where you can give and receive support throughout your journey leaving the US and settling in a new country. There are also plenty of subreddits where people are so grateful for help and insight. Check out the links in the Free Resources for more info
Flex your genealogy skills. Now that you’ve done some research on your Canadian ancestor, why not look into more of your family tree? You might be surprised by what you find out and even draw inspiration from their stories
Show gratitude to yourself for the hard work that you put into getting your application ready. You did great! Have a cup of tea and bask in your awesomeness
