Buy Canadian

People say you appreciate something more when you no longer have it - your health, a partner, your country...

Being an expat can teach you to appreciate the country of your birth in many ways, sometimes not entirely expected.

After having been an expat of some sort for a decade I have gone through a range of things - at grad school in the US I had no problem with toiletries or clothes, but found myself craving wine gums, mars bars, and salt and vinegar chips that make the inside of your mouth hurt they are so strong. In India it was hot chocolate, cheese, and sushi (yes, I got teased about that one, but Vancouver has some of the best sushi I've ever eaten).

In Japan my biggest problem is clothes. Since many stores in Canada don't sell pants long enough for me I'm not surprised that in a country where the average female barely comes up to my shoulder the pants are a little short. So trips to Canada always entail a suitcase coming back with a new wardrobe - packed around sauce packets (gravy mix, hollandaise sauce powder, etc), wine gums, pita chips, maple syrup and maple cookies for gifts, deodorant sticks, and various other toiletries. And drugs. Not the kind that'll get me stopped by the sniffer dogs, of course, but extra strength Advil liquid gels and extra strength Midol.

With our trip to Canada coming up in just over a month I'm excitedly making lists of things and goods to bring back. I've also started getting omiyage (gift) requests from friends and coworkers. One wants duty-free cosmetics, another wants decaf tea bags, and my coworkers want maple cookies, except for the two who asked for "pain killers that actually work."

If you could have one thing from Canada, what would it be?