HEY, maybe it's time to do what YOU want. Life it great without having to compromise every waking moment of it. You can always go back for visits. Just say "IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU". She won't likely understand but at least you made your point. Tell her we don't get the raging forest fires that destroys homes by the block either like in Colorado. Or crazies that slaughter people by the truckload with too easy to purchase firearms. Washington State is almost identical to B.C. I've been down there and can't tell the difference. Lots of trees and rough rocks and mountains,rivers,lakes,ocean,killer whales to watch,etc,etc. Give it a try by yourself and remind the relatives of the old saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder". (or something like that.) The last American I spoke to moved here and was overwhelmed by the fact that he only paid $120 per month for health care here and he was paying over $1000 in the U.S. I reminded him that there are other taxes that also pay for health care but he didn't seem to feel it was an issue. But it isn't "free" like so many suggest. Just a variety of ways it gets paid for rather than one person paying it all monthly in one lump. Much the same way your Police force is paid for collectively by taxpayers. Or teachers or firemen etc. They don't bill you for each school built or crime committed or fire but collect it like a tax collectively. You pay for these social services on your property taxes and other taxes that cover these costs. Same basic idea. It all has to be paid for but smoothing it out like a moving average keeps it affordable and manageable. And we don't have 'pre-existing conditions" preventing you from treatment either. Far from a perfect system but seems to work well. Germany and France have a similar system of universal health care that works far better. The U.S. is the only country in the industrialized world that doesn't have universal health care for whatever reason. I just try to stay very healthy and avoid health problems. Perhaps it's time to take a solo holiday and re-assess the situation.
