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I am a citizen of both U.S. and Canada and lived in Canada for the past 11 of the past 14 years (back in Oregon now).  The most important thing I have taken away from my experiences in Canada is the ability to see the U.S. through different eyes.  It's incredible how much Canadians know about U.S. politics, culture, and society, while generally Americans know almost nothing about our neighbors.  Canadians are very well aware of this imbalance, while most Americans don't give it a thought.  I feel very lucky that I have gained this perspective; it has helped me gain some humility and ability to think of the U.S. as one player on the world stage rather than thee superior country as I was raised to see the U.S. as a child growing up here. Humility is an important attribute for dealing with global issues like climate change, and that is one thing about which I believe we could learn a lot from Canada.

posted 4 years ago
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