On the morning of December 27, 2007, I pulled out of the driveway of my home in sunny Los Angeles, merged onto the San Diego Freeway heading north, and four days later (having taken my time visiting friends and relatives along the way), crossed the border into Canada to begin a new life.  I had flown up a few weeks earlier and signed a lease on an apartment, but my furniture hadn’t arrived yet, so I was staying at my friends’ house. They were out of town for the holidays, so my New Years Eve celebration that night was quiet. Continue reading →