Things I have learned living abroad...

...you change as a person. This can be in a multitude of ways. For me, I have been able to say what I want and to stand up for yourself. I have been able to speak up when things are not working out or when I'm not happy. I've always been a "don't rock the boat" type of person so this is a whole 180 for me. And it feels good. Without it sounding swarmy or cheesy, you realise your worth and that when you're undervalued you need to speak up or step out or seek changes.

 

...time is very important. Never underestimate how little we all have. When you're only faced with a year you realise weeks, months, days matter in a way they never could. You can't take months to make decisions, you can't let shitty moods take over your entire week and cloud it, you can't stay or do things in the hope that stuff just needs time to get better.

...you will miss your family and friends and your whole previous life in varying ways. There are times when I have a bad day and realise I have no one here that will be there for me no matter what in the way your family is "obligated" to. There are times when I wish I could be transported back to my old flat, my old room, even my old car to just feel like things are going to be alright. There are times when all you need are the arms of a familiar friend to wrap around you, tell you you are loved and make you feel okay.

 

...you will meet some of the nicest people in the world that you instantly click with and wonder where have they been your entire life.

...you will also meet some of the not-so-nice people in the world and thank whoever in charge that you have been spared them for the majority of your life.

...you will avoid all social media because it can be a sad reminder of the life you left behind and how surprisingly the world has moved on without you. 

 

...you will also stalk all your friends online to ensure you don't miss a single moment of their lives so things never change. and you'll have friends who are still friends no matter what.

 

...you will apply hundreds of jobs and question your worth, your skills and your competence. You will get rejected by Starbucks (happened to my friend, also called Allison), you will be forced into group interviews and you will never hear back from people.

...you will do some jobs where you get unlimited praise, you will feel like you have achieved something and you'll feel great.

 

...you'll realise the same problems follow you everywhere and just shows that the world is not that different. Work will be hard or unfulfilling, boys won't call you back or be mean to you, there will be mean girls, there will money problems, there will be traffic problems, you will get caught in the rain without an umbrella and you will question why you made these life choices daily.

 

...you miss little things like getting coffee with your work besties, swapping stories the morning after with your girls and gays, your crazy family lunches, the taste of your mother's cooking, hugging your niece and nephew and your favourite bars and clubs.

 

...you realise how important it is, to have your house feel like a home. You feel like you can do anything if you start off from the right place.

...little things matter. Whether it's getting a cup of coffee every day or hanging up pictures of your friends and family, treating yourself to new clothes and nail polish, if they are your favourite things, they will make you happy. 

 

...things happen for a reason.

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

One Month In!

Yay for me, I survived a month in a new city without a job and friends. Disclosure, it’s a few days short of a month but 29 Days In just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Also I make I sounds as if the city I moved to has been taken over by a zombie army hellbent on killing me with no running water and no other survivors.

I probably could not have picked a better place to try this whole year abroad thing. First of all, everyone is friendly and lovely. Secondly it’s a bonafide First World Country which means luxuries for days. Thirdly, it’s summer which just makes everything better. And finally I’ve been working my ass off so I’m kinda reaping a bit of what I sowed.

To begin…I have sent out 74 job applications in the month I have been here. I have joined five temp agencies/recruiters.  I have been on 23 interviews including three group interviews which are the worst thing ever. I’m not sure why they are a thing. I have walked from one end of the city to the other in a blazer trying to look professional but merely looking sweaty and red-faced. I have printed a gazillion copies of my resume and references and I can now school people on my cover letter skills.

So after all that, I can say that I am on my first temping assignment and it’s all going well. I am enjoying not perusing Craigslist daily for a new job (until the assignment ends and then I’ll be bookmarking that shit) and it’s great to feel productive. Before this my only achievement was not eating junk food. As is life, I've also be contacted for more interviews while on this placement. Obviously I cannot go which means the universe is just taunting me again. Like that time I thought I had lost weight but my jeans actually just stretched.

In case you didn't realise, this is the pink strip in Vancouver.

 This job couldn't have come at a better time. Vancouver is very expensive. That’s all aspects of Vancouver. If you’re willing to shop around, you can definitely be smart about saving money. But housing and transport will kill you. The transport is great here. The trains are fast and always on time. The buses are mostly always on time. And they’re a bit more confusing. But I’m making my way. I am started to worry when it gets colder or wet. I’m not so sure I’ll be lamenting the joys of the public transport then. Unless you’re really lucky, you need public transport to and from your place of work. This is where the costs creep up on you like a dodgy guy at a club. The nice thing is once you move to the right Zone, you will be saving daily. The bad news is there’s just no way around the cost though.

So apart from being a working girl, I also moved. My dream was to live Downtown. The rents crushed that dream. Unless of course I was open to sharing a room, literally living in a living room or in a closet (no joke) I was not going to be able to afford it on my savings. So I started to look around (never giving up hope on that Downtown dream though) and I found cheaper, worse, okay, better and nicer places. 

This is bike polo. Which is real. Apparently. 

Some of them had weird rules, others were a health hazard. But in the end I found a great house with other people from around the world. It’s close to the trains, the neighbourhood is pretty and the WiFi is included. I just need a moment to discuss the amount of available WiFi in this city. I love walking past all the places I've visited and have my phone instantly connect. It’s definitely one of those things I’ll miss.

My new hood. 

Other highlights in my life are:

Experiencing my first bit of rain. It was a light drizzle, it was humid and my hair didn’t go big.

Watching the fireworks at English Bay for the Celebration of Light. We went to watch France’s night and even managed to score free tickets to the observation deck.

The Pride Parade! Not just the parade but the build-up like the stadium being lit up in rainbow colours, Davie Street and getting free shit. People walk the parade and hand out stuff. It’s amazing. I walked away with two rainbow flags, beads, coffee, band-aids, seeds, sweets and condoms. Lots of condoms.

Discovering Michaels craft shop. If you know me, really me, you'll know how much this means.

I'm still enjoying all the coffee. I now just have the iced versions.

Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!