Edited by: Veronika Potylitsina
I remember very vividly the day I left the comfort of my home in Montreal and drove to Toronto to begin my life at the University of Toronto. I was excited to live on my own and thrilled to see what this city had in store for me. Once school began though, the excitement kind of faded. I found myself scrambling in an unfamiliar and overwhelming setting, surrounded by students who already had their circle of friends. There were people shoving their way to class and I felt unnerved, a bit out of step with the fast-paced environment.
People weren’t very friendly and generally seemed to be in their own world. I was running to classes with phone maps in one hand and my books flailing in my other arm. I didn’t realize how big and sprawling the U of T downtown campus is. This school and city that I couldn’t wait to get to and explore were suddenly roughing me up! I felt alone. My heart was melancholy from loneliness, my legs were exhausted from all the running from building to building and my morale was low. This is not the experience I signed up for. I realized though, that in this journey, I needed some time-time to feel more settled and have some window of adjustment.
It has been almost two months since I moved to the 6ix and I find myself feeling more at ease. I have joined a few clubs at U of T, I have met a lot of people and I am navigating the city with confidence. I am happy to report that I am once again really excited to be here, and am ready to explore, and enjoy everything this city has to offer.