Dual(ing)

This is in response to Boulder + Bloodfruit

When I was ten years old, in 1998, my mom and stepdad and I moved from Morden, Manitoba, Canada, to Eugene, Oregon, USA. I’ve gone back to Canada several times a year since, as my entire family’s still there, excepting my stepsiblings who joined us in Oregon years later.

There’ve been certain times since 1998, while in either country, that I've felt homeless, lost, a half-citizen of two countries, neither of which quite fit. This is, of course, unadulterated bullshit.

A closer reality is the opposite: I actually have two homes, and two countries I can fit into my identity and claim privilege to, and most of the time, “homeless” is not as adequate as a description of my nationalistic feelings as is, “this is fucking sweet”.

As long as I’m a nomad, I’m fine. If America ever elects Bush III and reinstates the draft, I can jaunt back up to Canada. If Stephen Harper ever guts the social health system, I can merrily tear up my Social Insurance Number card and set up shop in Massachusetts. And if global warming nukes the planet and turns Oregon into Waterworld, I can make a new home in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, where real estate prices, by the way, are marvelously low. And I can vote in both countries. It’s a good life.