It is so crazy to think that 4 months ago I moved my life over to Canada, with no idea about what was to come. I have very mixed emotions about leaving. Although I am excited to see my family again, I have made such amazing friendships and feel settled here, so to leave feels very weird. It is so strange saying goodbye to people who you know you may not see for quite a long time!
The people and friendships I have made during my exchange I know will last me a lifetime, and I am already so excited to reunite with friends all over the world in years to come. I have met not only so many Canadians but also other exchange students from every corner of the world. One of the coolest things about an exchange in my opinion is the people! Everyone is coming to a different country with no connections made, so everyone is very keen to meet people and build friendships, which made it so easy to find the people I connected with!
One of my favourite parts of my exchange has been all of the travelling I have gotten to do! I have been all over the East side of Canada, as well as NYC, Boston and Connecticut in America. My weekends and mid-semester breaks were very much filled up with travelling plans, but this is pretty much the only way to fit it all in without missing classes. I would definitely recommend finding people who want to go to the same places, and travelling together, as it decreases the costs and also makes for a more exciting trip!
One thing I was not ready for was how quickly the whole exchange would go! It truly feels like yesterday I arrived in Canada and all of a sudden it is time for me to pack up my things. I would recommend to anyone going on exchange to not have the mindset of ‘I’ll get round to doing that fun trip or doing that activity’ because time truly does fly, and you don’t want to end your trip with the regret of having not done everything you wanted to.
I would recommend going on exchange to anyone and everyone! I have grown so much as a person, and have had the most incredible experiences. It is such a unique experience that only so many people can say they have done, and is truly life changing!