You Asked, I Answered: Part 3

Danielle at The Lifestyle Project says,

I'd love to hear about your experience as a Canadian immigrating to the States and any obstacles you had to go through to gain permanent residency/work permits etc. 
So that I could legally work while we lived in the US, I was on a temporary status called a TN status. This status is obtained through NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement and is available to citizens of Canada and Mexico. Long story short, individuals practicing one of the professions identified by NAFTA are able to obtain TN status. The gist of it is that you must first obtain the employment, it has to be temporary, and you have to obtain a letter from your new employer detailing the position, salary, length of employment, etc. There are many great resources online to help you with the process of obtaining a TN status, and if you would like more information, feel free to email me. My husband was on a special status for professional athletes, also temporary. If your spouse is on a working visa, you are able to be added to theirs, however, generally you are unable to work legally. Before moving back to Canada, Steve played in the US for 10 years, so technically he could have applied for his green card. However, without help from an employer or sponsor, it tends to be a lot more difficult and pricey.

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Stephanie at The Mechanics Wife asks,

Is living in Alaska as hard as the TV shows make it out to be?
There are so many Alaskan reality TV shows! Some of them I absolutely love to watch, some, not so much. My favourite part of watching these reality shows is seeing the familiar places and faces. One of my favourites is Alaska State Troopers.  Some of the stuff that those men and women deal with and experience is incredible! I'll admit, some of the shows do embellish a little bit, but some are also very truthful. Alaska is a totally different way of life. We lived in the largest city in Alaska, Anchorage. They had all the conveniences that you would have in the lower 48 and Canada - shopping malls, big box stores and your choice of bank and grocery store. However, in some parts of Alaska, there are no roads, there are no grocery stores, and life is very different. Groceries need to be ordered in advanced, some times for a month's time, and flown in, ATVs are a reliable form of transportation, and subsistence hunting and fishing helps fill the freezer and feed the family for the year. 

Lisa from Ice Road Truckers

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Heather at Heather's Hurrah asks,

Are you guys NHL fans at all, and what team do you cheer for?
We are a hockey family through and through. Living in Toronto, there's really only one team to cheer for, the Leafs. Love em or hate em, being a Leafs fan is pretty much a requirement for any Torontonian. But when we cheer them on, we're usually doing it from the comfort of our couch because tickets to games are hard to get and extremely expensive.

Do you recommend an Alaskan cruise as a vacation one day?
Absolutely! Even though we lived there, I would still do an Alaska cruise. I think it would allow me to see the state in a whole different way. There are many cruise operators with Alaskan itineraries and there are many options for excursions off the ship. I've heard good things about cruising both the Inside and Outside Passages, for both one week, 10 days or 2 weeks. You really can't go wrong with any of them.


Ask Me Anything, Part I
Ask Me Anything, Part II

Thanks so much to everyone who sent it questions. They were so fun to answer and I can't wait to do it again!