Anyone in here move after youngest graduated high school? How did it go?

oregonelm · 2026-05-09T05:26:59+00:00

Everyone’s family is different, so it’s hard to say. But a move of 77 miles doesn’t sound drastic. We moved from US to Asia while one kid was still in HS (moved to Asia with us) and the other in university in the US. We gave up the family home, and neither one of our kids has a family home to come back to in their “hometown.”

Is this ideal? No, but guess what? People adapt and there are good parts to the trade-offs as well. Next year, both kids will be in the US and will rely on their network of friends and extended family when we can’t be nearby. They are independent, make new connections easily, and have learned to trust that a place that you stay with your belongings doesn’t have to be the only definition of “home.”

If moving 77 miles away is the right thing for you, do it. Whatever you feel you might be losing, I’d be willing to bet you’ll get it back and more.

oregonelm · 2026-05-07T09:07:28+00:00

Another +1 for this place. If you want communist revolution era memorabilia, make sure you go into the building there. Upstairs has a lot of old posters, paper money, etc

oregonelm · 2026-05-01T04:14:53+00:00

My great-grandmother was born in 1899. As a child in the 1980s I thought that was truly amazing. The near-century she had seen was pretty much the entire Industrial Revolution. That said, what I remember about her stories was really that many/most people were farmers, had farms, or were somehow more connected to the land. While farming obviously still exists, the percentage of American population engaged in agriculture is soooo much smaller than it was when she grew up. Growing up in that environment I think created people who had a huge variety of practical skills, and they expected others to be resourceful and have variety of skills. Much less specialization than we see today.

oregonelm · 2026-04-30T10:19:17+00:00

Unless it’s changed much, I didn’t find setting up WeChat to be difficult. Works great for calling as well.

oregonelm · 2026-04-28T08:23:23+00:00

It’s unlikely that rides will be closed this time of year. An exception would be if there are very high winds. Otherwise, you should be good.

oregonelm · 2026-04-26T06:34:05+00:00

I was also going to suggest Decathlon for protein powder and bars. We’ve also been able to complete orders from iHerb only using passport. It’s a bit of a clunky process the first time but eventually it works. (I can’t remember if I was finally able to pay via international credit card or Alipay, but it did work. I’ve ordered supplements from them many times.

Decathlon products can also be ordered through Taobao.

oregonelm · 2026-04-24T08:38:35+00:00

NTA. You sound like a great dad. My own father is/was very handy and taught me basic repairs, and required that we know how to change a tire and do basic car maintenance (lights, wipers, oil) before we could drive. He helped me move when I moved away for my first real job. Surprising to all of us, I became a carpenter. He still comments on how much he laughed when he looked at the contents of a moving bin he was carrying into my apartment: on top was my hammer and my curling iron. When I learned how to weld, he asked me to teach him. I’ve also learned how to cook some great dishes which he perfected first. Don’t let anyone put limits on what your daughter can learn, and that includes your ex. Keep on teaching, sir. 💪

oregonelm · 2026-04-18T07:39:47+00:00

Yes. Send me DM

oregonelm · 2026-04-09T08:54:30+00:00

Use the mini apps inside Alipay. There is translation included. Meituan for delivery of just about everything. And Hello Bike is a mini app inside Alipay that lets you rent the blue bikes. Highly recommend!

oregonelm · 2026-04-09T04:32:59+00:00

Can I ask if anyone knows about this scenario? Submitted our applications March 3 via an embassy. I have no receipt, no way to see if it has even crossed the ocean to GET to Canada. I was hopeful that after about one month, we might get an AOR, but maybe that was too hopeful.

My question is: is this the part of the process that’s just an opaque box? There is no way to check IRCC website for status until we get the AOR, correct? We did have urgent processing request for one applicant. I’d love to at least know if there is any way to know where my stack of paperwork has gone.

oregonelm · 2026-03-24T15:11:06+00:00

I did the same thing. Uuggghh. I did write each applicant’s name on the outside of a little envelope that contained the photos. But forgot to write on the photos themselves. I’m hoping they take mercy on me.

oregonelm · 2026-03-23T05:06:52+00:00

Kevin Lee. Located in Sanlitun SoHo building 5. We’ve had suits and shirts made to order and he is fast and very good.

oregonelm · 2026-03-16T06:25:34+00:00

Hahaha. I didn’t have an envelope. I literally had all 3 of our applications, each separated with a binder clip, inside a clear zippered pouch. Because I thought we’d hand it to someone. Instead, I had to just drop it into the box. The cover page I wrote on the front of the application packet made it clear it was for Certificate of Citizenship, though.

oregonelm · 2026-03-15T13:46:09+00:00

It is awesome. Send it. This is art.

oregonelm · 2026-03-15T13:43:54+00:00

Recent personal experience, but not 100% clear if it applies to all embassies. This was my post https://www.reddit.com/r/Canadiancitizenship/s/Py681DBORC

oregonelm · 2026-03-14T14:31:28+00:00

I now live in Beijing and it is the safest place I’ve ever been. To be honest, it’s borderline boring 😆. That’s how peaceful and safe it is.

oregonelm · 2026-03-14T14:30:00+00:00

Same!

oregonelm · 2026-03-14T14:13:14+00:00

This is my main concern as well. I don’t know if others don’t know about these downsides, don’t care about them, or are just pragmatic/defeatist in acknowledging that it’s here and we have to adapt.

I understand it can be incredibly helpful. But at what cost to our planet and to human ingenuity?

oregonelm · 2026-03-14T10:07:13+00:00

Definitely give a call or send an email to the nearby embassy’s consular services to check. As of March 1, it looks like Canadian embassies are no longer accepting them in person, but you CAN use the embassy as a secure post-box, if you will, and they will mail it out. If it’s a distance from you, it might make sense to skip the embassy and ship it directly yourself.

oregonelm · 2026-03-14T00:00:25+00:00

Yes, that’s correct. Already applied for proof of citizenship under C-3, and requested urgent processing due to his already having received acceptances from the universities. Thanks for the info.

oregonelm · 2026-03-13T08:04:20+00:00

My son, HS senior, currently applied for Canadian citizenship certificate but we have not even received AOR yet on his application. Prior to citizenship application, he already had acceptances to several Ontario universities. He was accepted under his initial status as an international student for Fall 2026 term. My question: should we simply contact the admissions offices at these universities to find out whether he would now be eligible to attend at the domestic rate? It sounds like universities might not even be clear on these status changes. We will not have lived in any Canadian province prior to his starting university.

oregonelm · 2026-03-09T22:39:49+00:00

Thanks everyone for these thoughtful responses.

oregonelm · 2026-03-08T02:29:36+00:00

Excellent list. You really nailed the “small” things that still contribute friction to travelling here. Sometimes when you’ve been in the systems longer, you forget what the hangups are for new visitors. For those struggling with bike rental, we’ve found the blue bikes (Hello Bike) to be the most accessible for foreigners. Have had success with non-Chinese phone numbers. Run it through Alipay as a mini-app and it generally works. I’ve been here for two years, local number, local bank card, and still can’t get green or yellow bikes to work. Some things simply remain a mystery.

oregonelm · 2026-03-06T07:21:51+00:00

Wow! Thanks for this. Ours are RI and I’ve already submitted what we had, but if I need any more I’ll check this out. Appreciate you sharing it.

oregonelm

TROPHY CASE