Description 73 - The Dual Citizens

In the temporary Canadian embassy of Ashtabula, Ohio, I talk with my birth mother about why she went to Canada, why she stays, and how it's even more our home than I'd ever known.

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Associated links
The beginning of the story is at the end of Description 68 and throughout Description 69
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee @Amazon.ca
The Bank of America Center @Wikipedia
1972 U.S. Presidential Election @Wikipedia
The Port Angeles-Victoria Ferry
Oak Bay Tourism
Straight.com
"The Last Streetfighter: the History of the Georgia Straight"
Canada and the Vietnam War @Wikipedia
"What Is An Affinity Group?"
Tourism New Brunswick
CBC.ca article on election for AFN national chief
Walnut Beach Cafe Photo Gallery

By the end of the year, you will be hearing more about Aboriginal people in Canada (having already recorded some stuff) and more about New Brunswick (because I'm going there for Canadian Thanksgiving). Maybe I should say "perhaps on either side of the end of the year," just to keep it safe.

In case you were wondering, this experience has been a big one for my parents. They always said they would support me if I ever wanted to search out my birth mother or father, and when my birth mother's family found me, they were as happy as anyone. Knowing that they were familiar with some of them (there are even more odd connections than I've mentioned) and then learning with me how great these people are, it made what could've been a fairly daunting thing even happier for them, and therefore even happier for me. We had our own driving, eating and talking while I was there too. (Btw, it should come as no surprise I gained five pounds over that week.)

There's not much more to be said here, except that I had a much better time than I made it sound with my morning semi-cold voice. The week with my birth mother's family was remarkable, but exhausting. Strangely, one thing it wasn't was awkward (although I seem that way in our talk - it's no more awkward than I usually am). My birth mother and I had been communicating freely and deeply through phone and email almost every day since June, so a lot of ground had been covered. I hadn't communicated as much with the rest of the family, and even with my birth mother, there's nothing like being in the same physical space. But the whole thing, while a whirlwind, all felt perfectly natural - like we were all supposed to be there.

And we were.