Starting My Semester Abroad

This setting may look slightly different from my previous blog posts. I have swapped the shorts for the salopettes and the sunny shores for the frozen lakes. I am beginning a semester abroad in Saskatchewan, Canada. 

I am in my third year studying International Business and, with the aid of a brief application, my home University decided to place me here - in Regina. The opportunity to study abroad is a dream come true and my excitement and anxiety has only built over the months leading to this moment. 

I have wanted to enter into this journey since the moment I was filling out my university applications in my final year of high school. Now that the moment has come I am both terrified and excited, but mainly terrified… 

Over the past few years I have discovered that learning about myself is addictive. As cliché as it sounds, I really don’t know who I am yet. Every day I learn new things about myself and feel things that I cannot understand. Entering into a journey filled with various bumps in its road is a great approach to growth. Dealing with new surroundings and new emotions along with learning how to live thousands of miles from home is a challenge - but it is one that will only help me grow. 

One lesson I hope to strengthen through my experience is that life isn’t about being the best at something or perfect in any way. It’s about being yourself and embracing both your strengths and your weaknesses. Not every moment is perfect and sometimes there’s no telling which ones are going to stay with us the longest. I want to use my writing and this blog to detail some of these special moments. 

First Impressions 

Arriving in my room after almost 24 hours of traveling all I could really feel was relieved. Waking up the next day to venture out into the -10°C weather was quite a shock to the system. However, once I had all my heavy suitcases unpacked and my pictures on the wall it felt a little more like home.

I would be lying if I said I haven't had any minor freak-outs about the fact this is where I will be living for the next 4 months. However, since starting classes and settling more into a routine I am beginning to find my feet. The workload is a little heavier than my home university so far but this is all helped by the engaging professors and the interesting content of the classes. In our first few weeks we have started to explore the city, been to an ice hockey game and experienced some of Regina's nightlife. 

So far Canada, and this small but distinctive city, has blown me away in both beauty and freezing cold winds. The sun shines just as bright here as it does anywhere else in the world and the sunsets (almost) make the freezing cold temperatures worth it. I am excited for the adventures ahead.  

Canadian beauty through the eyes of a Scottish beholder.

 

This may just be the beginning of my blog being about more than My American Summers.