milestone?

I suddenly realised a few days ago, we've been here for 3 months now....a quarter of a year! I can't quite believe that time has gone so quickly. So, what is the verdict so far?
Well, we all feel very settled now. Everything that seemed so new and strange to begin with - like going shopping for unfamiliar food, watching unfamiliar TV programs, seeing a weather forecast with a new and unfamiliar shaped country on the radar, driving according to different rules such as 4 way intersections and turning right on a red light - all these things and more seem just...well...normal now. We have adjusted quickly to our new everyday lives and feel at home in Okotoks.
There's no doubt that having a job helps to normalise things even more. The day to day routines have become second nature and we are all really enjoying our new lives and daily activities.
What do we miss? Well - friends and family have to be top of the list, although we are meeting new people every day. Good, deep friendships take years to develop, and all that lies ahead of us still. Ironically, most of the people we've struck up initial friendships with happen to be British Expats! This was not intentional, but there are SO many British people around Okotoks. Neil got a comment from a customer in the video store the other day along the lines of 'You English guys are everywhere!'
Other little things spring to mind now and again. Decent TV! We get some BBC programmes here - all of which we've seen before, and are beginning to enjoy some US and Canadian shows, but there are many many channels of poor quality chewing gum for the eyes. We definitely don't watch TV as much as we used to!
There are certain foods we miss. My facebook friends will know already about my hankering for Bisto Gravy Granules (they sell the powder stuff here which is gross). You can get British favourites but at a cost. Decent cheese is a fortune! Chicken, whilst a reasonably cheap option in the UK, is expensive here, as everyone loves Alberta Beef (we are in Cowboy Country after all!). There are no Curry houses in Okotoks sadly, so I miss the takeaways too, although we have a good chinese here.
However, over all, there is nothing too drastic about these little changes to our lives. After all, we didn't come all this way to live exactly as before. With emigration comes lifestyle adjustments, some big...some small...some positive....others not so much. We have enjoyed learning new habits, making small changes and reaping the rewards. We may not be financially as comfortable as we were before, but that will take time. We are however experiencing quality time together as a family like we never did before. I love having weekends to spend time with the children, and it is great to get home earlier in the day and have a family meal together. So far so good. We are all loving our new life so far and look forward to all that this first year brings us.