White Canary

Dear all,

So this is it. I have already spent most of the time in this beautiful country Canada, so I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about my experiences, my travels and my resume of taking an exchange semester in the eh-land.

First of all, Canada was the best choice I could have ever made. From beautiful nature to breath-taking cities, the home of maple leaves, beavers and moose offers so much for everyone, who loves to travel around and who is keen to get to know a loveable culture.

When I first came here to Canada, I was overwhelmed how big this country is. You can drive for hours and still get the impression of not having moved that much. Many people at home asked me why I chose Canada because they think it is too far away and it is cold all the time. In fact, a more than 10-hours flight was a bit intimidating at first, but totally worth it. I experienced the warmest and lovliest late summer, a beautiful Indian Summer, which Canadians call the colour-changing season alias fall, but also the stormy and cold side of this northern country. Shit happens, Austrian friends! :D

So, before I am going to tell you more about my experiences about being an exchange student and about my travels, I want to write about some specific things I have learnt in Canada and from Canadians itself:

Canadians always apologize: I think the word "sorry" was one of my most frequent used words here as I just internalized this oh-so-lovely habit. Canadians even apologize if they did not do anything wrong. It is their kindness and well-educated manners, which many other people could learn from.
Friendliness - I have never met friendlier people than Canadians. They are nice, kind, always keen to help, outgoing and loveable, and I don't even exaggerate. I have experienced several times that people helped me with finding the way in the city. I didn't even ask for it. I just stood there, holding my map and strangers came to me and said: "You look kind of lost. Can I help you?". You wouldn't encounter such situations in Austria (unfortunately).
Queuing - I think I haven't lined up anywhere as long as here in Canada. No matter if you want to grab a coffee, waiting for the bus or just going to the toilet, there is a line everywhere. So a good advice for anyone who wants to come to Canada: it will take more time than you think! ;)
Wideness - as I already said above, this country is huge. So what looks close on the map, is far away in reality. In fact, going from the east coast (Toronto) to the west coast (Vancouver) takes you at least 5 hours by plane with a 3-hours time shift. INSANE! When traveling through Europe, you will be able to see our whole continent within these hours.
Because of the fact that this country is so big, you never get the feeling that it is crowded. Having less inhabitants than Germany (thanks to the general knowledge of my favourite German girlie), even cities don't get congested, as it naturally takes its way to stay still calm and peaceful.
Money - Yes, I know! Money rules the world and (unfortunately) you can't do anything in Toronto without paying for it. You even have to pay admission for visiting a christmas market which is weird for us Austrians. That's probably the disadvantage compared to the countryside.
Tip at least 15% - when people are not used to tip waiters, it is sometimes unsual for them that most Canadian bills already include their tips to make it easier for the customer. If you want to be nice and if you want to make the waiters happy, tip at least 15% ;)
How are you doing, eh? - every language has its stilistic features but the "eh" after nearly every sentence is one of the sweetest! HAHA
Canadians are sport freaks! Whether Blue Jays or Maple Leafs - when you are sitting in the subway, you will notice that it was matchday.
Almost noone knows Austria. So several conversations were either like this: "Where're you from?"-"I am from Austria"-"How cool! Which part of Australia exactly?"-"No, not Australia, Austria. We are the country without kangaroos". Or like this: "Where're you from?"-"I am from Austria"-"So cool, I have been skiing there with my parents." So yes, Austria is being represented in a weird but funny way.
Last but not least, don't ever call Canadians "Americans". Although they are living on the same continent, they are worlds apart of each other. (I could even experience that on my own, and I am glad about it!)

Why taking an exchange semester?

I have had the opportunity in my life to visit several places in the world and I just can say that everyone should do it at least 1-2 times a year. Take this time to explore the world, its different facets, its various cultures lived by so many fascinating and interesting people.

When I started studying, I always knew that I want to go abroad for some time. Especially, when you are studying a language, visiting a country where this language is spoken is almost mandatory. You don't learn the "true" language at any school or university; talking to natives can change your way of perceiving and producing language next to some many other benefits.

However, taking an exchange semester is not a thing for everyone. Even though it's just less than half a year, you are fucking (sorry for this expression) alone! You kind of leave your loved ones behind, you challenge friendships and you leave your place within your family. And I have to be honest - nothing will be the same again when you come back home. Such a journey does not only change your personality, the people back home change as well because they try to figure out ways how to live without you. But this is a positive thing, because it just tells you that life goes on and everyone becomes more mature throughout this experience. This should not be the reason to refuse going abroad. People kept telling me: "How can you leave your home, your family and friends?" But I just answered: "That is life. I am not leaving anyone. When I'll come back, everyone, who is worth fighting for, will still be there. Maybe some friendships change or people change, but they will be there, waiting for me. And if not, they are just not worth it." But if you don't have this trust into people, you should not opt for an exchange semester, which is fine as well.

Moreover, every semester abroad starts with little issues. I came to Canada without having my fixed contract for my apartment. For the first two weeks, I didn't have internet, so it was quite hard to explore my new place or even stay in contact with family and friends at home. I didn't know where the next supermarkt was, or which number to call when there is an emergency case. It was a new country, a new langauge, new people, new lifestyles - so much you have to encounter in the very first days! But these experiences let you grow, they strengthen your personality and teach you that life is not all guns and roses. There comes a point where you just have to be independent and mature enough to face these "challenges" and to do everything you can in order to build up a social circle.

This brings me to my next reason, why going abroad is a once in a lifetime experience. You'll be able to get to know people from all over the world. And I am not even kidding - I got to know the lovliest people from Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Italy, France, Sweden, Korea, Chile, Mexico, Japan and even more from the Netherlands (haha sorry Dutchies <3). Not only teach you these people more about their cultures, their languages and lifestyles, they also become very important during your stay as they are in the same position as you are. And - important to mention as well - they can be the reason for further travels around the globe.

I think the purpose of an exchange semester is to broaden your horizon, not only academically, but also personally. We live in a world where so many different cultures have struggles with finding their way together, so it is our responsibility to change it. Getting to know various people from all over the world is essential to distant yourself from this narrowmindedness and prejudices every human being "suffers" from. It is the perfect opportunity to open up your mind and to experience different opinions and attitudes, to learn more about the world and to accept every human being.

I know, most of the people choose an exchange semester to travel the world. Indeed, this was one of my major reasons as well but these personality-changing experiences are something noone can take away from you anymore!

My travel experiences:

To end my writing with some travel stories, I also want to tell you what I have seen so far.

Of course, Toronto itself offers so much to explore and I fell in love with this beautiful city from the beginning on. The balance of this big city with its skyscrapers, traffic and hoards of people and the beauty and calmness of Lake Ontario makes Toronto a place with a high quality of living.

My first trip outside Toronto was a camping trip to Algonquin Park, which is a 7725 km² national park located in the province of Ontario. From real camping while it was raining, to a campire and singing together, to hiking and exploring the beauty of Canada's nature for several times, to canoing on a lake, this trip gave me insight into the Canadian wilderness.

Our next trip was French Canada. As you might know, Canada is bilingual, namely English and French. So a nice weekend getaway into the European-influenced parts of Canada was perfect to experience the different lifestyles in these specific areas. During this trip we visited the capital Ottawa, Montreal and one of my favourite cities so far - Quebec.

After some intense studying for my midterm exams and hundreds of essays, my parents came over for a week to explore my adoptive home. Moreover, we also went to Niagara Falls, which was nice for a daytrip. If you want to travel to America or Canada some time, visit the falls. It is just great to see how this contradiction of nature and amusement parks, which reminds me of little Las Vegas, complete together as a very famous touristy place.

After that, summer faded and winter finally arrived with the first snowfall/storm. As my friends and I weren't ready for Canadian winter yet, we booked a spontaneus trip to Miami, which was beautiful and crazy at the same time. 28 degrees, beach life, palm trees, christmas decoration and carols on the streets at the end of November was a very unique experience for me! HAHA

Last but not least, there is one more trip I will be doing in a couple of days. Actually, this trip has been on my bucket list for years and now I am able to do it - New York City during christmas time. Although I have been to NYC already and to most of the biggest cities on the east coast, this has been a wish ever since. I can't even realize it yet, and I probably won't be able to realize it until I stand in front of the famous Rockerfeller Christmas tree. <3

(To be continued!)

To be honest, I wanted to do more trips and adventures, especially more out in the wild nature but there is university as well, which SHOULD actually be the main reason for an exchange semester! However, I will come back during summer at some point to explore the west coast. YAAASS!

Thus, I think I have told you enough about my time in Canada and why taking an exchange semester is a once in a lifetime experience. Anyway, it was one of the best decisions in my life and I don't want to miss any moment or any single person of this journey. We are all in this together here and such a time can shape your personality and your way of looking at things. So for all the people out there who are thinking about taking a gap year, studying abroad or just traveling the world: DO IT! There is no excuse because later in life you will just remember these moments. And this is enough reason to just go for it!

P.S. Enjoy the following flood of pictures from my stay!

Cheers,

Meli