@papayalily – please don’t send us so far away! :)
This question was actually something I had to think about last year. I was planning to do my MA in Italy, and when that fell through, I was accepted to the University of Wisconsin, where I would’ve gone to do both MA and PhD. (Finances turned out to be a big factor – university in the US is much more expensive than here.)
I’d miss the free health care, good beer, hockey fans, winter… But most of all I think I’d miss the general Canadian-ness. I’ll admit that I’ve never spent a prolonged period of time in the US (no more than a couple of weeks), and I’m not pooping on the country, but the general sense of community seems stronger to me here. I know that’s in large part due to the fact that I’ve been Canadian all my life, but it just seems to me that we’re more accepting of everyone – different religions, colours, languages, etc.
I’d miss being able to walk down the street and hear 4 different languages being spoken. I’d miss the signs on the bank window saying that they can serve customers in 5 languages. I’d miss the fact that the whole country tunes in to CBC at 7pm on Saturday for Hockey Night in Canada. I’d miss that feeling of pride that comes after Team Canada wins an international tournament. I’d miss having to press 1 for English or 2 for French. I’d miss being able to get a large double-double any time of day or night. I’d miss poutine. I’d miss ketchup chips. I’d miss cigarettes that don’t taste “American”. I’d miss going to a specific store to buy my beer or liquor.
Wow, that was a lot longer than I had intended :)