By Alesha-Ann De Penning

As I write this, I am halfway through my exchange at the University of Calgary. It has been two months since I arrived in Canada, and what a time I have had. I was fortunate enough to secure a position in the on-campus accommodation, which has made my experience a lot simpler and helped me orient myself easily. Accommodation was one of my larger stresses before arriving in Calgary, as I was on the waitlist for on-campus accommodation until 11 days before my flight. I had organised a homestay as an alternative as I did not want to arrive and have nowhere to stay, however, I ended up cancelling once finding out I had a room.

My room is in Yamnuska Hall, which is the largest of the residence buildings and is 6 floors. I have a bedroom in a 3-bedroom apartment and share the bathroom and kitchenette with 2 other roommates. Living on campus is super convenient, as there are tunnels that make accessing the buildings in winter super convenient as you don’t have to go outside to get to classes. Living on campus makes it also super easy to take part in Campus events or attend University sports games.

Due to the current housing shortage in Calgary, not every exchange student got into on-campus housing. As there is a large student population, housing close to the university campus or downtown is very competitive, and I would say it is more expensive than what you would expect to pay in Hamilton. I have friends who stay in apartments or long-term Air BNBs, and in general, it takes them around 20-40 minutes to get to campus when they use public transport.

Calgary is located close to the Rocky Mountains, which is one thing that I and the other exchange students have taken advantage of. We have done multiple day trips to Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country. It has been very fun to see the Autumn Larch Trees (a specific type of pine tree that changes colours in Fall) on hikes, as well as the many lakes and summits. Some of the hikes we have been on include Grassi Lakes Upper and Lower trails, the Beehive walk by Lake Louise, Emerald Lake to Hamilton Lake, Johnston Canyon and Mist Mountain Hot Springs (which were natural hot springs at the summit of a mountain). I am still hoping to see a Moose in the wild, which would complete my Canadian experience. I am looking forward to the end of November when the Ski Hills open for the season, and seeing the Rocky Mountains differently.

Other travel plans include a trip to the Eastern side of Canada during Reading Week (similar to the mid-sem break, but only one week long). We plan to see Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal during this time. I am looking forward to this time and hoping to make the most of it. I must say that travelling around Canada would be a lot more difficult if unable to rent a car. Fortunately, some of the other exchange students are old enough, which makes a trip like this possible.