I've received a "welcome home" from Canadian customs officers maybe a dozen times, and each time I find it nice to hear, particularly after a long trip away.

I think it feels good to hear because at the sociological level we're being accepted back into our tribe. We also subconsciously realize that we're back under a social system (including laws, customs and culture) that we are much more familiar with than wherever we've been to.

I travel to the U.S. a lot, and although Canada and the U.S. share a lot of similarities, it is the many subtle differences that affect me. It's comforting for me to be back "home" where my expectations are the norm and not in the minority.