Have you ever been in a situation where you’re in a completely different place and feel uncertain among a bunch of people? Us too!
Last year, we both made one of the biggest decisions of our lives. We decided to pack our bags and leave our homes, families, and friends and move to a different country. We left our daily routines to start new ones from the very beginning at Thompson Rivers University.
Moving abroad was tough, we felt really lonely and often thought about going back home.
How are we going to adjust? Are we ever going to get used to this? IS IT WORTH IT?
These are just a bunch of questions we always thought about at the beginning.
Little did we know that some of the best times of our lives were coming up.
So here we are, trying to share a little bit about our experience at TRU. An experience that went from questionable to some of the best times we’ve had; and we hope reading this will make your experience only get better.
We’re Camila and Anne, from Peru and India, and here’s our journey!
Cami and Anne at school
A few years ago, I heard someone talking about culture shock and I didn’t really understand its meaning until I came here and experienced it for my own. Moving abroad can become really challenging, especially when you’re the only one from your country like I am. Culture shock is not only about moving to a new place and speaking another language. It’s also changing some behaviours, ways of greeting, weather, food, music… even dating and nightlife here is different from where I am. Back home, I’m used to giving a kiss on the cheek whenever I meet someone, even if it’s the first time I see them, and that’s something I definitely wouldn’t do here. – Camila
Cami and Diego outside CAC
When I first came, I knew a lot of people here were going to be from my country, yet somehow I didn’t get along with them, they were often roaming in groups and weren’t ready to accept a new member so easily. But later that day I met few Canadians and I couldn’t believe how friendly and welcoming they were. Their politeness was so comforting and it took me a while to get used to it. The “sorry”, the “please” and the ‘thank you’. I swear I’ve been hearing these words in every single conversation I’ve had with a Canadian. They’ll smile at you even if you don’t know them. They’ll probably hold the door for you if they see you coming up behind them. It’s different. Nice, but different. It has changed me and made a better person. I say “sorry”, “please” and “thank you” freely. I even smile at strangers and it just makes me feel good. -Anne
Anne and her Canadian Friends, Kensey and Laci
It’s true, we’ve both felt out of place, we can’t lie but trust us, it only gets better. Living thousands of miles away from home has taught us more about ourselves than anything.
A few things we’ve learned so far
- Be open-minded to anything and everything. It takes you a long way.
- Don’t be afraid of the changes.
- Try something new, you’ll never experience new people, places, or tastes if you keep opting for things you already know you like, dare to do something you normally wouldn’t do.
- Don’t be shy, go out and make new friends. Making friends is a lot easier than you think, most of the people here come from another place just like you
They are going through the same as you!! And if there’s something we’ve learned here, it is to be welcoming just like the Canadian students were with us.
Cami with some of her friends
