When I moved away from Canada to embark on the European journey of my dreams, there were a few things I knew I'd miss for sure: My friends, my family, my local coffee shop. But they were the things I'd mentally prepared for. You know, the stuff you know will be difficult to manage during a huge transition like moving to a new country.
While that's been a whole experience of its own, other things have popped up that I wasn't quite so prepared for. Things I probably took for granted when I lived in Canada. So, even though packing up and moving to France has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had the privilege of having, here are the things I didn't expect to miss after moving away from home.
Gym culture
I don't actually know how much of this has to do with the friends I've made or if it's truly a Canada vs. Europe (or France) thing, but it was totally normal to go to the gym pretty much every day back home. In France, it seems to be considered kind of cringe.
Like, I get lightly made fun of for having a pair of dumbbells in my apartment, even though to me, it's a totally normal thing to have. I'm called "so American" for doing things like going to Pilates classes, which I didn't expect at all. I'll admit, despite how amazing it's been to soak up all the third-space culture there is in France, I miss having my weekend routine with my gal pals, going to a spin class, and grabbing a quick coffee somewhere afterward.
Wide open roads
Since living in France, I've had access to a sweet van that I've been able to take on a few road trips. Doing so has been an absolute blast, but learning to drive stick has been quite the adventure, especially on all the twisty-turny (and distractingly gorgeous) French roads.
Of course, there are highways that look a lot like ours, but most of the streets in cities and villages are not for the faint of heart (or for the Canadian who got their license at 30 and only ever drove an automatic with a rear camera).
The food (believe it or not)
I've been living in France for about a year now, and obviously I can agree with the rest of the world and say the food is delectable. That being said, there are a few foods and snacks I really miss from home that I haven't been able to find here very easily.
It's not even that I miss how delicious these particular snacks are, but rather more the comfort they provided. Like, I'd kill for a bag of Stacey's pita chips. Drown me in a bucket of Farm Boy's not-so-spicy edamame dip. Hit me in the face with a smoked salmon bagel with heaps of cream cheese. And while you can find maple syrup now and then, the price is so absurd it simply isn't worth the gash in my bank account.
Speaking English
This one might seem obvious, but to me, it wasn't at all something I was worried about missing when I decided to move away. I was more excited about the fact that I'd be learning a new language than concerned about how often I'd get to speak my own native tongue. But turns out it's taking me a heck of a while to learn French, and being somewhere where you can't fully express yourself as you can at home can be tiring.
While I've made quite a few friends who can speak some English, I miss being able to have a full-on gab fest as I would with my friends back home. You know, no slowing down, no mid-sentence explanations, no switching back and forth between languages.
Although it has been amazing to learn to speak French (and I feel eternally grateful for the French friends I've made who make a huge effort to help me understand), it's not always fun when you feel like you're constantly being misunderstood.
The theatrics of Canada's seasonal changes
After spending an entire year in and around the south of France, I'll admit I've been pretty spoiled when it comes to weather. You can still sunbathe at the beach in October, and I even went for a few chillier swims this past January. I don't exactly miss the frigid cold of Ontario winters, but I do miss the drama that comes along with the changes of each season.
In the south of France, it basically went from hot and sunny to mild and sunny with the occasional rain shower. Totally glorious, it's true. But with such glorious year-round weather, you miss the intensity of autumn's leaves, and the utter relief of that first warm breeze after a long winter. You also miss the unbeatable peace of waking up in the early morning after a blizzard, when the snow is perfectly still and untouched.
Canadian bathrooms
I probably talk about this too much to my French friends, but if there's one thing I really miss about Canada, it's our plumbing. Our toilets. And our toilet seats, which are pretty much always present, no matter the toilet. Bathrooms certainly weren't on my list of things I'd expected to miss after moving away from Canada, but here I am, pining for a shower with decent water pressure and a toilet that can handle more than a few measly squares of toilet paper.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.