It was easier to enter the US on my way to India than it was on the return trip to Canada. I don’t think the immigration officer was too impressed with my glazed stare – I’ve had less than 4 hours sleep in the last 32 hours – when he asked the purpose of my trip to the US. You’d think that the response “I’m just here to catch a flight home to Edmonton, it was cheaper to fly North West than Air Canada” would merit some bonus points. After all, the immigration officers are always so concerned with citizens of other countries ‘stealing’ their jobs…and as a Canadian traveling on a US airline I’m sure my actions can’t be construed as removing anything from the US economy. Eventually, he must have gotten tired of giving me a hard time. He let me pass and I headed off to grab my luggage and re-check it for the next flight.

After clearing US Customs, my 4 hour layover has been reduced to 2.5 hours. I found my gate, a working electrical outlet, and plopped down to work on the journal.

Boarding has begun and I watch row after row of US hunters trudge down the gateway. Apparently when I left Edmonton, it was ‘bow’ season and now it’s ‘rifle’ season. The ticketing agent announces that we’ve been assigned a bigger plane, but that all the seats are full. We’re not to sit in any seat other than the one assigned on the boarding pass. Over 130 people embarked… 3 women (not including myself) and 2 men in suits…the rest are anxious hunters wearing too much camouflage and swapping pictures of past trophies.

This flight seems longer than the others. It’s only 2.25 hours, but the time seems to drag on. Soon I will be touching down at Edmonton International Airport and will see Drew again. Time slows down to a crawl.

Disembarkation.

It’s cold outside. I can see snow through the windows. There is ice on the ground.

The Canada immigration agent welcomes me home and quickly passes back my passport. Only a few minutes left while I wait for my luggage, then I can see Drew again.

Duties and Taxes wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be. Despite being 200$ over the exemption limit, I paid only 14$. While I know that this is the standard 7% tax rate, I still consider myself extremely lucky not to have been subject to any special import taxes or duties.

Have I mentioned lately that Drew is wonderful? Unlike my trip to Jax last December, he remembered to bring a winter coat (his, mine died a horrible death last winter) for me to wear now that I’ve returned to the great white north.

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