Sunday, June 10, 2012

Pleasure Beyond the Border

Somehow, driving to the neighboring country seems so different and rewarding than driving across cities within the province. And driving all by myself without Nasir or the kids-absolutely wonderful. Of course I had Asna for company. Nasir is too paranoid to send me across the country alone. Especially, because this was the first time I
was driving to the States without him. The first time is usually a little bit uncertain and unsure. Once you get the first time label off your system, you instantly become a pro. And it is exactly what I feel I've turned into. I feel like a seasoned cross-country driver and it is super exciting.


The main purpose of our trip today was to fill up gas and do some groceries. We did not go to the usual Bellingham which is 20 miles further into the State of Washington. We went to Blaine which is the first city once you cross the USA-Canada border. It is the city "where USA begins." We went to the Cost Cutters grocery store and did our groceries, went to RiteAid for some make-up, had a subway sandwich and then filled gas. Saved our main purpose for the last.

Shopping across the border is fun mainly due to the savings. A gallon of gas in Canada costs $6 while in the US it is cheaper by about $2 dollars per gallon. You instantly save $15-$20 dollars per tank. And with extra jerrycans we saved even more. The saving doesn't stop there. Groceries, clothes and household items are priced cheaper in the USA than out here in Canada. Saving is always fun and like me, if you love long drives and adventures then its a win-win all the way. The one down side is the long border waits. Unless you track the border wait times online, you might have to wait for as long as an hour or more. However, the joy of shopping makes you forget the wait in no time.

Before heading home, we took a little break to enjoy the view. Took some random pictures despite being watched by a cop. He was probably doing his regular city scanning but stopped by to see two seemingly crazy girls, having some crazy time taking some crazy single pictures of each other. Its always a pleasure going across the border.

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