Monday Mar 24, 2025
Express Entry? More Like Stress Entry
Love It or Leaf It
Hey there, fellow adventurers, dreamers, and anyone who’s ever looked at their life and thought, What if we just... moved to Canada? We’re Lori and Clover, a queer and trans couple, and together with our amazing teenage kiddo, we’re packing up our lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and heading north to Toronto, Canada! 🇨🇦 Why? Because, frankly, the United States no longer feels like a safe or welcoming place for our family. Amid the rising hostility toward LGBTQ+ folks, we made the difficult but exciting decision to start fresh in a country where we can thrive, not just survive. And if we’re going through the wild, complicated, and occasionally ridiculous process of immigrating as U.S. citizens, why not bring you along for the ride? The Love It or Leaf It podcast explores the humorous, messy, and eye-opening journey of U.S. citizens becoming permanent residents of Canada. We’ll share the ups, the downs, the bureaucratic headaches, and the joys of making a new home in a new country.
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Episodes
Episodes
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
Ah, Canada, the land of maple syrup, Tim Hortons, and apparently, legislation that protects apologies from being legal admissions of guilt. Who knew, right? As we embark on our journey from the Show-Me State to the Great White North, I find myself questioning everything I've ever known about measurements, money, and even...milk. Yep, friends, we're Lori, Clover, and a queer and trans family of three diving headfirst into Canada, and this ride promises to be wilder than Clover's fascination with beer ounces.
From Apologies to Applause
To start off, let’s ponder this: Canadians apologize so much that they have a legal statute for it in Ontario, proving sorry doesn’t equate to guilt. Imagine telling your partner, "I'm sorry for leaving the lights on," only to have a Canadian referee swoop in to assure you that doesn't mean you broke an environmental law.
Metric Madness
Now, onto more calculated endeavors: the metric system. Clover’s been trying to wrap their head around Celsius and kilometers, only for master Lori to point out that your internal speedometer needs recalibrating. In Canada, 100 isn’t just a number—it’s an existential crisis. Who would've thought?
Funny Money and Tipping Trauma
Canadian currency feels like Monopoly money, converting dollars into more dollars, which seems fun until Lori remembers the punch her wallet takes at checkout. Don’t even get us started on the appalling sales tax. Pro tip: "The price tag is a lie," Clover grumbles. And for all the over-tippers fidgeting with 13% tax calculations, take solace in Clover’s philosophy: those who calculate tips sans sales tax are dicks. Wise words indeed.
Bags of Milk and Other Bizarre Mysteries
Speaking of essentials, milk in bags still baffles Lori. It’s like someone took a standard grocery item and decided, "You know what this needs? Bags!" Whether it’s ancient Canadian propaganda or a bagged dairy phenomenon, the truth is out there—just in a pitcher.
Healthcare: Oh, Canada!
Prepare yourself for the reality—a healthcare system where you’re not reduced to tears at every medical billing. "Hello, universal healthcare, we've been expecting you," Lori wistfully dreams of affordable medical interventions without selling their soul—or spare change.
Tim Hortons: Welcome to the Cult
And then there’s Tim Hortons, or as we fondly dub it, “Tim Bits and coffee at every corner.” While Lori ponders forbidden Tim Bits (thanks to Clover's vivid imagination), I remain innocently indoctrinated, sipping 15-minute-new coffee, which in Starbucks’ defense, wins in volume but loses in ‘crazy delicious’.
To Infinity and Beyond!
As we fasten our emotional seatbelts and adjust our expectations (and compasses), one truth resonates: beauty amidst chaos prevails. Our midwestern roots, pruned with Canadian politeness and snark, unfold like a map—awkwardly folded at first but eventually making sense.
So here’s to no turning back, with apologies, thermometers, milk bags and all. This is just the beginning of our wild move to the land where politeness reigns and, thankfully, the taxes are only plagued by percentages. Join us next time as we continue to hilariously survey the bits and quirks that make our northern adventure truly Canadian, eh?
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Join Clover and Lori on the first episode of Love It or Leaf It Podcast as they navigate the sticky, often maddening world of U.S. passport renewal amidst their preparations to move from Missouri to Toronto in 2025. As a queer American family feeling increasingly unwelcome in their home state due to rising transphobic legislation, they've decided to seek a safer haven in Canada. This episode humorously details the bureaucratic nightmare of renewing passports, complete with tilted head photos, missing receipts, and unexpectedly quick turnarounds. Dive into the lighter, yet hilariously frustrating side of their journey to cross the border, all while tackling the unexpected hurdles and privileges that come their way.00:00 Record-Breaking Passport Issuance in 202400:26 Introducing the Love It or Leaf It Podcast00:44 Our Family's Story and Decision to Move01:29 Challenges of Relocating to Canada02:07 The Passport Renewal Process02:38 Navigating Bureaucratic Hurdles04:51 The Cost of Immigration07:35 The Importance of Passport Photos11:43 Dealing with Passport Photo Rejections12:37 The Lopsided Head Incident12:51 Passport Photo Struggles13:24 The Waiting Game Begins13:58 Confusing Customer Service15:45 Unexpected Arrival16:31 Reflecting on the Process22:02 Final Thoughts and Advice