What Canadians Love About America

I’m just returning from vacation in the States right now. I always enjoy visiting America. We’re only a short distance away, but there are many things we can’t get back home:

• Target – I know it’s not for everyone, and I’ve heard more grumbling about it lately, but there nothing in Canada quite like Target. No visit to the States is complete without it.
• Cold Stone Creamery – We have something like it, but we don’t have Cold Stone. I love Cold Stone. It is, after all, “the ultimate ice cream experience.”
• The Kindle – It drives me crazy that there is this invisible line that separates us Canadians from the Amazon Kindle. When will Jeff Bezos take pity on us and let the Kindle cross the border to Canada?
• The Dollar Bill – We used to have the one dollar bill, but not anymore. It’s kind of fun to see it again.
• Reasonable Shipping – You have no idea how many times Canadians go to buy something that ships for free within the States, but costs a huge amount of money to ship to Canada – if at all. What’s that about?

I have to admit, though, that it’s nice to go home. Canada has lots of advantages. I don’t want to get cocky, so let me just list two:

• Colored Money – Americans, your money is monochrome. I know they’re adding color, but come to Canada to see how it’s really done.
• Tethering – It’s a small thing, but Rogers allows iPhone tethering, and AT&T doesn’t. We’re rarely ahead of you in bringing things to market first – but then again, the whole world seems ahead of AT&T right now.

I love America – but it’s good to be home.