Californian Turned Canadian

Before coming to university, my experience with Canada and Canadian culture was limited to a few things: Drake, Justin Bieber, maple syrup, and moose (still confused about the best plural of moose—meese?). 

That changed in September 2024, when I suddenly went from knowing two Canadians to knowing a dozen. Before I knew it, most of my closest friends hailed from the “Great White North.” Whenever relatives or friends back home asked me what it was like going to university abroad or to have such an international friend group, I’d respond, “Well… most of my friends are Canadian.”

Why, you ask, is this relevant or worthy of note? It’s simple: it’s made me appreciate the process of picking things up from the people around you.

Unexpected Influence

As a proud Californian—specifically a Bay Area native—I came to St Andrews swinging, throwing out “hellas” left and right and blasting Mike Sherm on my way to Younger Hall. I knew I would meet and befriend people from a wide range of countries; however, I wasn’t necessarily expecting these cultural exchanges to be as impactful on my habits, slang, and everyday routines as they have been.

It didn’t take long before I started to feel a little bit Canadian myself. Beanies turned into toques (which I still sometimes pronounce wrong and never hear the end of). Toronto turned into the 6ix. Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior turned into Grade 9, 10, 11, and 12. Shoes always came off at the door. Scottish “maple flavored syrup” was decidedly unsatisfactory. 

I have been quizzed on my knowledge of Canada’s 10 provinces, been educated on the accent differences between British Columbia and Ontario, and learned that nothing really goes on in Saskatchewan (no offense to any Saskatchewanians reading this). These are all silly, small things, but collectively they’ve had a significant impact.

Cultural Osmosis

Above all else, they’ve made me realize the beauty of cultural osmosis, the idea that as humans we pick things up from the people and cultures that surround us. There is something special about picking up pieces of the people you love. It feels almost like an unspoken love language, learning words, rituals, and rhythms not because you have to but because it feels natural. 

These borrowed habits can quickly become living reminders of this closeness. The Canadian acculturation I’ve felt at St Andrews (which is ironically 3,000 miles away from said culture) represents both the love and care I have for my Canadian friends and the love my friends have for their home, which they so eagerly want to share. 

There is something really beautiful about learning your friends’ cultures not from textbooks or travel booklets, but from small parts of everyday life. I’ve learnt about Canadian culture through late-night kitchen talks, early-morning walks, and sleepovers. 

I know about the local LCBO (Canadian liquor store), the best late-night DoorDash burgers in Toronto, and the go-to sushi spots in Vancouver. I know about the butcher shop all the guys used to work at, the pilates studio, and the most refreshing ice cream shop in the summer. I am absorbing their culture not as a visitor or a tourist, but as an observer who has been welcomed into their life with open arms. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that this is what university, and young adulthood in general, is really about: making yourself a tapestry of the people you love. 

I will never experience Timbits after a rec soccer game or a white Christmas in Whistler, but I feel incredibly lucky that memories so vivid have been shared with me, ones I can almost feel were my own. Getting a peek into my friends’ worlds has been a beautiful, treasured, and lasting part of my university experience so far, and I know it will stay etched into my life. 

But don’t worry, my Mike Sherm and Mexican food will never be replaced. I might celebrate Thanksgiving in October sometimes.

• #college experience
• #culture
• #friendships
• #identity
• #life