Third Stop: Seattle

We went through US customs in Vancouver.  When we entered Canada, Sarah and I showed our Canadian birth certificates. When we re-entered the US, the whole family showed our American passports.  I got the guy to stamp Nathan's passport; he is now a very well-traveled Bean.

(For those of you who haven't heard, I was born in Canada - an American citizen born abroad.  Just like another great American.  Fun piece of trivia: Sarah's BC birth certificate says "do not laminate," while my Alberta birth certificate is laminated.)

After we passed through customs, there was a large doorway with a giant sign saying "Welcome to America."  Even though we were technically still in Canadian territory, it made my American heart go pitter-pat.  (Canadian blood will always pump in my veins, but at this point my heart belongs in America.)

We finally got to ride on a turbo prop airplane, but it was just a quick hop from YVR to SEA over some beautiful scenery so it wasn't a problem.  In Seattle we visited our old friends Cori and Katya and their baby Rina.  Rina is a year older than Nathan.  He was spellbound by her, but I hear he already has a lot of competition.  May the best man win.

We got a day and a half in Seattle, most of which was spent around the house, although we did get to have breakfast with some of Yelena's old co-residents who are now working in Seattle.  (I didn't ask if any of them were working at Seattle Grace.)

While in Vancouver, one of my relatives asked why I preferred to live in the US.  The above-parenthized statement is cute but doesn't really answer the question, especially since Canada is such a wonderful place to live with such a high quality of life, and without so many of the problems of the US (such as lack of gay marriage).  This question stumped me until I had a chance to bounce it off Cori.  We concluded that there are three things that make America better: (1) lower taxes, (2) higher quality medical care (if you can afford it), and (3) better universities.

(1) The common argument is that while Canada (and the rest of the Free World) pay higher taxes than the US, they receive public services commensurate with those taxes.  But is that really true?  Would I, as a middle class citizen, enjoy a higher standard of living in Canada than I would in the US?  Emergency services work fine here and the Canadian public health care is usually financed by employers anyway.  The cost of living in a large city like Vancouver is just about as high as in a large city in the US, but higher taxes mean less money left over.

(2) I was, am, and always will be a fan of public health care.  Not only is health care too important to be left up to private companies, but the reality in the US is that we've been gouged.  Our system is completely broken and if it weren't for the Democrats' push in Congress, I don't know how much longer our health care system could survive at all.  That being said, our medical care is better than Canada's--if you can afford it.  Just like in Canada, most expenses are usually paid by your employer, with the difference that the free market system and superior medical schools and research have created a higher quality of care.  My mom tells me she was amazed at the speed and quality of medical care when she first brought our family to California.  Expense and availability aside, our medical care is better.

(3) Some Canadian schools, like the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta, have made concerted efforts to be top-tier schools which offer world-class educations.  That being said, they don't hold a candle to the best American universities.  Moreover, they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of top-tier schools in the US; undoubtedly the largest concentration of top-quality universities anywhere in the world.  To be sure, we're also one of the largest and wealthiest countries in the world, but there's a reason why China and India send so many students here.  It's the same reason why so many Canadians go to college in the US - and end up staying here.

Bottom line: Canada is a wonderful country and if Obama hadn't won the presidency, Yelena and I would have talked seriously about moving here.  But Obama did win the presidency, and our country is back on track, fulfilling its promise of freedom, prosperity, and the American dream.  This is a good place to be and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  (Except maybe Paris.  That city is pretty awesome.)

Next stop: San Diego!