Having lived in Britain all my life, I’ve spent an extremely large amount of time complaining about English weather. It was a surprise, therefore, to everyone (myself included), when I decided that I wanted to spend my year abroad studying in Canada – notorious for its harsh winters and cruel weather. Truthfully, I had no real idea of what to expect other than a few tropes and staples ingrained in me through pop culture. In fact, I think beyond the dreaded cold, my knowledge of North America was limited to maple syrup, Drake and ice hockey – a list I hoped might be expanded by actually visiting the place properly. Thus, despite my uncertainty over what might occur during the next 8 months of my life, I packed up my meagre bags and flew across the world to explore Canada.
The first conundrum I faced was how on earth I would find my way to Waterloo with no mobile data, given that I’m one of the most directionally challenged individuals alive. I’m still not actually sure how I did it, but much to my surprise I made it to my accommodation, where I met the two girls soon to become my best friends. We bonded over our combined cluelessness and shared excitement, and before I’d even finished unpacking, we had already begun making memories that I will forever cherish.
From what we understood, Waterloo was a smallish town but had a good nightlife, was close to a lot of great spots, and had the best St. Paddy’s Day celebrations in Ontario. The result was that we spent a lot of our time either partying or travelling, averaging way too many nights out each week, a trip every month or so and a lot of relentless cramming to keep on top of schoolwork. We were lucky to be housed near other similarly minded exchange students set on making the most of our time here, complete with the chaos, drama and joy that university is indicative of.
Coming from London, where it’s not uncommon to be moody or slightly indifferent to most people, it was a refreshing culture shock to experience how friendly people are in Canada. When I visited home over Christmas, I found myself telling people to ‘have a good one’ at the end of every conversation – a habit picked up from a Canadian culture that is so much more inclined towards politeness and empathy. I got to see Banff, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited, as well as some of Ontario’s most famous attractions like Niagara Falls and Toronto’s Distillery District. I got to try an array of maple-flavoured foods and drinks, of which the maple-flavoured baked beans curiously had me by a chokehold. St. Paddy’s in Waterloo lived up to the hype, with a mimosa brunch and a day of partying that I loved every moment of. Additionally, I learned so much about Canadian history and culture, not only through lectures but through talking to people and forming friendships that have enriched my life.
It’s incredible to think how much I have learned and how much joy I’ve had by doing my exchange here. There’s something liberating about being in a place that you know you’ll eventually have to leave. It’s sad but it’s equally inspiring – there’s nothing to lose when you only have 8 months. The prospect of ‘doing it for the plot’ had always appealed to me before were it not for the fact that there seemed to always be anxiety-inducing consequences later. Coming to Canada, though, felt like an opportunity to embrace spontaneity. I’ve loved every moment of it and if I could, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I would urge any student considering an exchange to do so, and to make the most of every single moment. I’m already looking back nostalgically upon my first few weeks here at Laurier, wishing there was a way to know that I was in ‘the good old days’ whilst they were still happening. Nevertheless, in the absence of a time machine, I’ll be forever grateful for the experiences that I had and the memories that were made whilst I was here.