I'm a Canadian who's lived in the US for over 30 years. I don't get why so many Americans want to move to Canada.

• Jim D. moved from a small town in Canada to the American South to escape cold winters.
• He's lived in the US for 30 years, enjoying better food and easier travel around the country.
• Jim warned Americans looking for greener grass in Canada to lower their expectations.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jim D., a Canadian who moved to the US when he was 27 and currently lives in Arizona between Flagstaff and Phoenix. Jim, 59, asked to withhold his full last name due to privacy concerns. Business Insider has verified his identity. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in Fort Frances, Ontario, across from International Falls, Minnesota, the coldest spot in America — they call it the freezer of America.