“Where are you from?”
The question that I’ve been asking and answering the most frequently since starting my travels two weeks ago. When I answer with Canada, the usual reaction is excitement, the occasional ‘Oh wow, that’s so far!’ – but generally, it is genuine interest in the country that I am very fortunate to call home.
Telling people about Canada and hearing about their adventures in my country has furthered my gratitude for the blessing that was for me, and many others, simply being born there. I think that despite the generally increased awareness of what is happening all over the world, we might not realize the true value in the hand that we’ve been dealt.
I was already very well aware that having something as simple as tap water that you can drink, to the flip side of having personal freedom, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, are just two of our many realities that take Canada to the top of most “Best Places To Live” lists.
My realization has not been a long-awaited enlightenment and discovery of what is so amazing about Canada. This is also not a comparison between different nations, be it with another first world country or with one that is currently war-torn or engulfed by famine. Because, for the most part, those whom I’ve met while travelling are fortunate to have the personal and financial freedom to take the decision to go abroad, regardless of their country of origin – making them more similar than different from me. Therefore, my realizations have not come about by simply comparing my life experiences or opportunities to those of others’.
Realizing what a true blessing that I have in being Canadian has come about in the moments when people are taking their turn to answer the easy and ice-breaking, ‘Where are you from?’. On many occasions, I have been able to create an instant connection with them, a completely new acquaintance, through my Canadian friends, coworkers, neighbours and family members who are thousands of kilometres away.
Whether they originate from Brazil, Morocco, France, Spain or India – I have realized that most Canadians are not solely defined by one country, and that the one thing that we have in common with each other, and the rest of the world.
Our country’s multicultural DNA is not limited to those who speak either of our two official languages, grew up eating maple syrup on snow or were born within our borders. A lot of us, or our parents, or grandparents, have called another country home at some point. Because of this, being Canadian isn’t really about our physical traits, what language we speak, how we dress or which foods we eat.
We are a country of immigrants, and, while we may not have the extensive art collections of Europe, the vibrating energy of Africa, the biodiversity of South America, or technological advancements of Asia – parts of all of us are from those places.
So, even though I am currently far away from my home country and usually in unfamiliar places, surrounded by strangers, I frequently find myself feeling a sense familiarity. A sense of being at home coming from people with whom I do not share physical traits, spoken languages, way of dressing or foods I eat, just as I am fortunate to feel on home soil, in Canada.
JL
