An expat and a repat journey to a new life
TWO NORTHS
Welcome In!
perspectives from AN expat and repat
Life on Vancouver Island: Welcome to Two Norths
As you explore these pages, we hope you discover something familiar, comforting, or genuinely useful. Ideally, you’ll find all three.
Two Norths is for travelers, expats considering a move to Canada, repats finding their way home, and anyone curious about life on Vancouver Island. If you’re drawn to quieter rhythms and thoughtful living, you’re in the right place.
This is not a checklist or a sales pitch. It’s an invitation.
Living in Victoria BC, One Day at a Time
Two Norths isn’t a traditional guidebook. It’s more like a well-used notebook filled with observations, small discoveries, and quiet surprises.
We write about the everyday rhythms of life in Victoria and on Vancouver Island. These are the moments that reveal themselves slowly—over coffee, during harbor walks, or while waiting patiently as a family of deer finishes crossing the road.
It’s the kind of knowledge you gather by living somewhere, not just visiting.
Why "Two Norths?'
If you are wondering about the name “Two Norths,” it felt right because “north” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.
For one of us, north was a return—to roots, memory, and a long-held sense of home. For the other, north was a departure—an act of curiosity, faith, and a willingness to step into a new chapter.
Two Norths reflects those parallel journeys: two compasses, two perspectives, and one shared life unfolding somewhere in between.
What To Expect From Our Two Norths Blog:
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Practical guides, maps, and lived-in resources for expats moving to Canada—what works, what surprised us, and what we wish we’d known sooner
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A nostalgic, clear-eyed guide for repats returning home and rediscovering Canadian life, culture, and change
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Humor, heart, and honest reflections from a long marriage in motion—because border crossings are easier with someone who knows your stories
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A tourism-flavored look at Victoria, British Columbia, seen through two different sets of eyes—one familiar, one newly wide-open
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Thoughtful reflections on identity, belonging, and starting over, at any age and at any stage of life
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And ultimately, a story of two lives, two paths, and one destination, shared with warmth, honesty, and lived experience
Pull Up A Chair and Stay a While
This space will continue to grow and evolve, just as we have. We hope you’ll explore, linger, and come back often.
If something resonates—or if you’ve walked a similar path—we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment, share a thought, or simply return to see what’s new.
Life on Vancouver Island, British Columbia tends to unfold best this way.
One conversation at a time.
From the inside out.
But First, What Is An Expat?
What Does "Expat" Really Mean?
Based on our own experiences—and those of friends—the word expat often carries more emotional weight than it should.
For some Americans, the term can wrongly suggest withdrawal or quiet disapproval. More sharply, it can imply turning one’s back on home or abandoning patriotism. For some Canadians, the word may feel slightly aloof, a borrowed label that doesn’t quite fit.
These assumptions are common. They’re also incomplete.
Two Expat Experiences, One Shared Reality
In our household, expat has always meant two lived experiences.
One of us spent more than five decades as a Canadian expat. The other has only recently arrived from the United States. Neither journey was about rejecting home, country, or patriotism.
Both were rooted in curiosity. Each reflected a choice to live in another culture while holding fast to the values, memories, and identity shaped by where we came from. Living abroad does not diminish belonging. More often, it clarifies it.
Expat Life Is All About Engagement, Not About Escape
Being an expat is not about escape, protest, or disloyalty. It is about engagement.
It means choosing to understand another place from the inside, while remaining shaped by the one that first taught you who you are. Borders may change addresses, but they do not erase identity.
Whether your path leads you away for a few years or a lifetime, the truth remains the same. Living abroad can widen perspective without narrowing allegiance. An expat does not abandon home. An expat carries it forward—with more context, more humility, and often a deeper appreciation for what home truly means.
We’ll explore these ideas further in future articles, and we always welcome your thoughts.
Honoring Two Countries, Not Choosing Between Them
For us, Two Norths isn’t about leaving one country behind for another. It’s about honoring both.
One of us grew up in America, shaped by its ideals, contradictions, and a lifetime of service and belonging. The other was born Canadian and, after many years away, returned home with fresh eyes.
Our move north didn’t shrink our sense of loyalty. It expanded it. Living here has deepened our appreciation for where we came from, even as it asks us to listen, learn, and adapt.
We gather with other expats not to retreat from America, but to steady ourselves as we cross a threshold. We compare notes, share stories from home, and find community in unfamiliar surroundings. Patriotism, to us, isn’t about staying put or drawing lines. It’s about carrying your values with you, wherever you land.
If this perspective raises questions or challenges assumptions, we welcome the conversation. Understanding grows best when it’s shared.
"I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one."