I love my country. I love both my countries. I love being able to travel so freely between Canada and the United States. I hate the cost of immigration.

This weekend consisted of visiting my mother and my grandfather in Quebec. I brought Cooper (thus fulfilling one of the requirements of my 101 in 1001). It was a very pleasant trip. It was so satisfactory to make two people I love happy by visiting them.

As I planned to leave to head back home, I wasn’t able to find my Green Card. The piece of information required to prove that my legal status is a Permanent Resident (although Conditional) of the United States. I tore apart my car, I dug throughout the house, I could not find it. I hadn’t been anywhere where I could have lost it.

My only theory is that the Canadian Border official forgot to return my card upon my entry. I stopped at the Canadian border on my way home to see if they had found it. Of course they didn’t have it. But if you had made a mistake that serious would you seriously admit it to your superior?

So I had pay to have my Green Card replaced at the US border. It cost $370. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

I’ve had to pay several thousand dollars in filing fees since I have started this immigration journey. I have a very simple case. I met my husband while I was here on a student visa. I worked on a TN Visa for 2 years so I could live with him before committing to him. We own property and liabilities together. But they can’t discriminate by difficulty.

And now this lost Green Card has made me realize the amount of extra money I could spend if I stay on a Green Card for the rest of our lives in the United States. Every time I lose or have to renew a card, I have to pay money. We never know when the government will change it’s rules about permanent residents.

I’ve pretty much made up my mind to apply for American Citizenship when I become eligible. It’s a point of contention for me. I’m 5 generations of born in Canada. I will always want my Canadian Citizenship. You never know when I will want to return to the country of my birth. But I cannot deal with the stress of additional paperwork and restrictions for the rest of my life.

And applying for Citizenship isn’t cheap either.

Oh the things I do to stay with my husband. I can’t imagine people who have more complicated cases problems with the immigration services.

Ok, rant over

One day I was visiting Bean’s Blog, Without Adornment, and I noticed that she had something called 101 in 1001. I was intrigued. I love challenges and I love setting and checking off goals. So I decided to create my own.

I will eventually set up a blog to keep track of these goals. But I’ll be starting tomorrow so I wanted to post it now.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start August 8, 2009
End May 5, 2012

101 things in 1001 days

Arts/Crafts/Photographer

1. Learn how to make a quilt

2. Make a nice quilt

3. Sew an item of clothing

4. Make homemade Christmas Ornaments

5. Take 2 arts or craft classes (0/2)

6. Make something worth selling on Etsy

7. Finish at least 5 paintings (0/5)

8. Make 5 non-acrylic paint art-pieces (0/5)

9. Paint a painting with some Phosphoresent paint

10. Create NoteCards with my own photographs

11. Complete the Photo365 project

12. Complete the 365 self portrait project

13. Take at least 500 pictures a month for 6 months (0/6)

14. Print and hang at least 5 pictures (0/5)

15. Enter pictures in a state fair

16. Enter crafts in a state fair

17. Organize digital pictures

18. Print a Digiscrap Book.

19. Organize digiscrap supplies

20. Be Published

21. Make a subject/theme list of pictures to take

22. Take pictures for subject/theme list.

23. Take pictures of hot air Balloons

24. Be photographer at 2 events (e.g. engagement, baby shower, wedding etc.)

25. Get a new point and shoot camera

26. Get the Pentax K7 or another High End Prosumer SLR

    Food

27. Take the 4 Wilton Cake Classes (0/4)

28. Make a tiered cake

29. Enter food/cake in state fair

30. Make a recipe book

31. Try 100 new recipes (0/100)

32. Go to 10 new restaurants (0/10)

33. Be vegetarian for a week

34. Be vegan for a week

35. Eat Gluten Free for a week

36. Make one mostly local meal a week for 3 months (0/12)

37. Try 100 Beers in one year

38. Make 10 homemade breads (0/10)

39. Have one dinner party a year (0/3)

40. Go for a Wine Tasting

    Community

41. Donate blood 5 times (0/5)

42. Foster a cat

43. Go to a Community Theater play

44. Go to a Tweetup

45. Clean up a public park

46. Go to a Networking event

47. Remove Conditions on my green card

48. Become an American Citizen (if it doesn’t affect my Canadian Citizenship)

49. Send 50 postcards via postcrossing.com (0/50)

    Music/Culture/Social

50. Go to an outdoor concert

51. Read 10 Books in French (0/10)

52. Read/Listen to 400 Books (0/400)

53. Go to 10 museums (0/10)

54. Visit NYC

55. Visit Washington, D.C.

56. Go to 5 Art Exhibits

57. Send 50 notes to people (0/50)

58. Sing Karaoke

    Outdoors/Health/Fitness

59. Take Wilderness First Aid

60. Cooper completes the NH 4000 footer list (2/48)

61. Complete the Winter NH 4000 footers list (?/48)

62. Geocache in at least 10 States, Provinces or foreign Countries

63. Visit a National Park I’ve never been to before

64. Visit 15 States (0/15)

65. Go Kayaking in the Ocean

66. Run a 5 k

67. Lose 50 pounds

68. Row 250 Miles in one year (outdoors)

69. Row 100,000 km indoors on the erg

70. Do something active every day for 60 days straight (0/60)

71. Learn how to surf

72. Get Certified to Scuba Dive

73. Learn how to Snowboard

74. Be able to do 100 pushups in a row

75. Be able to do 200 situps in a row

76. Do a 20 mile Bike Trip

77. Do a 50 mile Bike Trip

78. Take vitamins every day for a month

79. Complete a 30-day challenge in Bikram yoga (even if not during an official event).

80. Find a Yoga DVD I actually like

81. Go White Water Rafting

    Web/Writing

82. Be Published

83. Do 20 Creative Writing prompts

84. Post to Candiacrew.com at least twice a week

85. Make my own design for my blog

86. Use MiriamWilcox.com for my portfolio

87. Get 5000 views on Candiacrew in a Month

    Pets

88. Compete in Obedience with Cooper

89. Get Cooper to earn his Companion Dog Title

90. Compete in Agility with Cooper

91. Bring Cooper to Canada
    
    Random

92. Visit a Zoo

93. Go Skydiving

94. Finish the Deck project

95. Have a successful Garden

96. Go on a Spontaneous Roadtrip

97. Get another tattoo or piercing

98. Take a College level class

99. Clean house until I am satisfied it is fully clean.

100. Meet a Famous Person

101. Make another 101 in 1001 list and do it all over again.