by Sarah Harrison

I was excited to leave New Zealand but definitely nervous. This is my first time both travelling solo overseas and living abroad. The thought of even getting myself to Canada was intimidating and it didn’t feel real. The moment that it did feel real was when the plane was lifting off the tarmac in Auckland at 8pm on the 1st of September – in that moment, that was that. I was going. 

A 14-hour flight is a while, I thought the sun was rising at one point but it was the moon rising over the clouds. I landed in Vancouver at about 2 p.m. on the 1st of September. I then caught a connecting flight to Ottawa which lasted about 4 ½ hours and I landed in Ottawa at about 2 a.m. on the 2nd of September. The first time I saw Vancouver after staring at the ocean for several hours was also a moment in which it felt very real. I could see the cars driving on the other side of the road already. 

Homesickness and jet lag has been very real for me and both things that I definitely underestimated. The first few days in Ottawa, the jet lag was intense. I would be exhausted in the evenings and feel nauseous in the mornings to the point of being unable to stand. Ottawa was in a heat wave with temperatures reaching over 30 degrees Celsius and I had flown out of an NZ winter so this was definitely a shock to the system. 

I developed a cold and a sinus infection. This lasted about two weeks and was not good. I have recovered now but I think in hindsight I would’ve really rested before the flight because I didn’t expect the extent of the effect that it would have. My ‘she’ll be right’ mentality didn’t help either as I figured it would go away on its own pretty quick. One piece of advice would be: don’t be afraid to ask for help from locals or from the international student associations, as they can offer a lot of support in situations like that. 

The way that I have dealt with my homesickness is to fully engage in life here, and through making the most of opportunities available. It is important to recognise it for what it is but not to dwell in it. The welcome week here was super cool as well which definitely helped in the first few days.  

Some highlights from my first week:

• International student get-together
• Hiking in Gatineau Park
• Seeing squirrels for the first time and picnics in the park
• Exploring the city 🙂

Canada has a beautiful culture and I have met incredible people. My classes are giving me unique perspectives that I may not have been able to see otherwise. This is an incredible opportunity that I sometimes have to pinch myself to really believe that I am experiencing.