1. The People.
Everyone is friendly here. Everyone speaks to everyone. And yes, they do say sorry , please and thank you a lot. Its awesome. As a Brit we are considered overly polite so being in Canada it was easy to fit right in! Canada is very diverse and it feels like there is every community possible here.
2. The Weather.
In spring/summer. It’s actually quite warm. Warm here is over 0 degrees.So it’s not hard to accomplish but when that sun is shining, it makes a difference!The snow is pretty neat… at times. I’m not one for extreme weather but i managed the Canadian winter without too many issues.
3. University
I ended up at a university in the Niagara region about an hour from Toronto. I was surprised that there were so many clubs and things going on to get involved in. Lots of volunteering opportunities here too! This is day one: The summer games. Our court is court 1, the Spartans. So we all donned black clothing and got active! There was massive blow up assault courses and I rocked it! Something my freshers in the UK was definitely missing.
4. Ice Hockey.
A lot of awesome sports here to go watch that I haven’t seen before!
I was lucky to have Niagara Ice Dogs, Toronto Maple Leafs and Brock badgers right on my doorstep. It’s taken me ages to understand
all the rules and that puck moves about fast!
5.Travel.
Canada is huge and I had no idea of its size before I came.The views here are amazing and it feels like there are millions of lakes. I took a trip over to Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec! It was soo cold (in the minus’) and I forgot my jacket..but, it was still amazing. Quebec is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen especially when it is all lit up with Christmas lights!
6. Thanksgiving.
Any excuse to have a roast dinner and delicious dessert is as good an excuse as any for me.Our first thanksgiving resulted in us cooking up a storm ( Maybe not so much me, I can’t cook for anything) but it was good to celebrate. It’s like a mini Christmas half way through to tide you over until December!
7. New Friends.
Being away from home for what feels like forever is a lot more fun if you meet some people along the way. In Canada I’ve met some cracking people who will make it all a lot more memorable and special. Everyone is in the same boat so meeting people is easier. Everyone already has things in common because they’re all studying abroad! It’s a perfect set up! Friends all over the globe!
8. The parties!
This is an obvious one for me, being a drinker and a party fan! Living in a
student village has been awesome for house parties because everyone is so close by. You have to buy alcohol from the LCBO a specialised Ontario liquor shop. Not just any supermarket you walk by. This has probably saved my life as I’m just too lazy to go out in them snow storms and jump on buses to make the journey. My liver thanks me!
9.Niagara Falls
Living only 10 minutes from Niagara falls it has to be on the list. It’s a crazy sight to see! On weekends at night they light it all up in different colours. It looks awesome and the best part of it all is the maid of the mist boat. I went on because I saw it on Bruce Almighty! You get SOAKED! A lot of fun that little boat!
10. British Accents.
Everyone here absolutely loves the British accent. I don’t know how or when it happened but i love it. Everyone always wants you to say some crazy Mary Poppins things. It’s a fact that being British in Canada will automatically mean when you speak people will be gob smacked that you’re British. Have your passport handy as proof i learned!
thehitchhikersguidetotravel 