Greetings from Surrey, BC,
I haven't completely fallen off the grid but have been busy getting settled and trying to regain some of my sense of humor before I write. Our caravan crossed the border into British Columbia on Wednesday evening about 7pm. We then (per Canadian border agent's command)drove to an adjacent border crossing 10 minutes away,where we returned to the U.S.at 7:20. After a grilling by the U.S. border patrol and tears on my part we, fifteen minutes later (per the U.S. agents direction)made a U-turn and crossed back into Canada.
Let me explain......When we arrived at the border, there had just been an incident. Two cars had collided and then run into a border agents booth. An ambulance was just driving away when we arrived. Needless to say there was gridlock.Without any real problems actually getting through we were told to go to another crossing about 5 miles to the east to speak with customs and immigration officer to obtain visas, work permits, etc.
We drove to the crossing but already being in Canada we had to go back into the states "Why were you only in Canada 10 minutes?Who is the man in that truck to you? (Jim had been in line ahead of me)Why are you so upset?" By this point we had been driving for 10 hours, total exhaustion had sent in and I just wanted the trip to be over....now I'm crying. I explained what had happened as best as I could and seeing I was quickly approaching a complete meltdown he eased up a bit and told me, as he had Sam and Jim before me, to just make a u-turn get back in the Canadian line and have a good day.
I was now making my second entry into Canada in less than one hour and this one went much smoother.Jim, Alexis and I went into the customs and immigration office where we were kindly attended to by a very lovely young lady...who I wish I had taken note of her name so that I could write a most appreciative letter to ger boss. After all the drama she was just a gem.Within an hour and a half we had all teh documentation that we needed and the even dulled the tedium of the process by providing free entertainment...a shakedown and search of some poor guy and his car.
Losing battery power so will write more later...all is well, praise the Lord!
Vancouver
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About Me
- Tamera Jenkins
- Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
- In politically correct language I am called a non-traditional student or,as my mother would say, a late-bloomer. For twenty years I was a stay-at-home/home-schooling mom but surprise.. kids grow up. When my son asked me what I was going to do after he left home I told him I was sure it would involve crates of Kleenex, junk food, and a lot of self pity. He suggested college instead and I took him up on it. I graduated in Dec. 09 with a BA in Criminal Justice/Corrections from Park University in Parkville, Mo. Through internships that brought me into contact with both the victims and offenders of violent crime, I have acquired a passion to assist each in addressing issues of accountability and healing through the restorative process of victim-offender mediation. As a 2010-2011 Canada-U.S. Student Fulbright recipient I will travel this fall with my husband and granddaughter, to British Columbia where I will be attending Simon Fraser University's Graduate School of Criminology. With a superb symmetry, Mother, arbitrator of children’s squabbles has progressed to victim-offender mediator.
What an adventure! See you should have learned by now that all of my mother's trip story's end with, "only you Pam" as in, that could only happen to you! Glad you all arrived safely. Tell my mom we miss her & love her & that the kids got her message. Enjoy your time together.
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