O Canada

It's been around 7 weeks since I left Canada, and since then life has moved incredibly fast - I've been up and down the country visiting friends, I've celebrated my sister's 18th birthday and I've started an internship. Weirdly my exchange experience feels like a dream and the more time that passes the more surreal the whole thing seems. When describing trips and moments to people, I feel like I am talking about someone else's life or I am recounting a film I have just seen. I thought it would be a good idea to kind of go through and sum up the entire year and what it taught me before it becomes nothing but 'that year time I went to Canada.' I also figured that it would be a good way to organise my thoughts and feelings, and to round off my 'Exchange Series' on this blog, plus I'm listening to Drake's new album and it's Canada Day so I'm really feeling the Canadian vibes. This will probably just be a huge jumble of thoughts/word vomit as I try to get a grip on what I really am feeling.

Something I have realised since I got back is that my year it is really difficult to explain it to people who didn't live it. Saying 'yeah it was really good thanks' to someone who asks how it was is the biggest injustice but I just can't put into words how it really was. It was the most amazing, surreal, difficult, scary, humbling, valuable year of my life, and I think that just telling people that it was 'really good' has meant that all of these feelings are still inside me. I want to tell people the euphoria I felt when I was standing at the top of the Empire State Building, when I was on a boat in Niagara Falls or when I lay eyes on the Hollywood sign for the first time but I don't want to appear to be bragging. I want to tell people the despair I felt when my grades dropped, when we didn't make it to San Francisco or when a run of bad luck hit the house and my friends were suffering but I don't want to sound ungrateful - it's a weird balance between trying not to mention it too much and trying not to pretend it didn't happen, and I think the only people who that will make sense to is those who were part of it.

First semester was all about finding my feet, my friends and adapting to the Canadian education system. I was homesick for my family, my friends and familiarity but I also accomplished more than I ever thought I could do. I left Europe for the first time ever and travelling across the Atlantic on my own, I moved in with strangers and I started at one of the best universities in the world. I never thought I would spend my 20th birthday in Canada, I never thought I would go to New York and I never thought I would see Niagara Falls with my family. 
One of the best things that exchange bought me was a million 'moments,' and the chance to go at the experience with two different families. Whenever I am in a surreal situation that I cannot believe is my life I call it a moment. Some of my friends will vouch for this as they have probably heard me say 'omg guys I'm having a moment.' Obviously when visiting such amazing places I had these moments, but there were also other times that were way more understated but 'moments' in their own right. The first one that comes to me dates way back to September when it was 30 degrees and we would go to Ben and Jerry's every night. Sarah accidentally got a vegan ice cream, Without You by Avicii was playing in the shop and I looked around at the people I had known for less that a 2 weeks and suddenly felt a rush of love for them and appreciation for the moment. Soon after that there was another moment, when we went to Coaticook and a few of us got stuck in traffic on the way home. We hadn't known each other long and in the car there was a German, an Aussie, a Swiss girl and a Brit with nothing in common apart from the situation we were in - I often think about the conversations we had on the bridge into Montreal and how in that moment I gained 3 forever friends. Girls night first semester will live with me until the day I die and the images of Phoebe falling through a table and Sabrina dancing to High School Musical often pop into my mind and make me smile. The final 'moment' from first semester was when a few of the fam went to Mexico for the weekend, and the rest of us went to Mont Tremblant. I was so so happy to see everyone after 3 days apart and that was when I realised how lucky I had been to meet those people and how hard it would be to say goodbye

Second semester gave me a second chance in the city that had become my home. Going back to the house that held so many special moments from first semester with 20 new people waiting there was difficult and took some getting used to, but I was blessed with the best once again and got a whole new family. I went into second semester determined to get better grades (didn't happen), travel more (happened), and make more lifelong friends (definitely happened) - it was different for sure but it was incredible in a different way. We travelled further, saw more of Montreal and became locals rather than tourists/students/confused. There are a few 'moments' that stand out from second semester aside from all the travel, and the first was building a snowman on Mont Royal. We were freezing and barely knew each other but it really stands out as a moment where I started to see my new housemates as new best friends (plus the snowman became some sort of tourist attraction and I loved the attention). The sheer volume of brunches really impressed me (thanks Anna) I now truly believe that brunch is an occasion and I am convinced that I will never taste anything as good as the ham at L'Avenue. Legging it from the Plateau Downtown to Ben and Jerrys for free ice cream with Lucy and Rachel after demolishing pizzas and missing the free ice cream by one minute literally broke my heart, as did not being able to finish our chocolate feast at Juliette et Chocolat. Sitting on the wall up Mont Royal, overlooking the city on cold nights with Phoebe, talking about anything and everything until one of us got too cold gave me so much to think about, and mine and Vic's final trek to the top to say goodbye was possibly the most heartbreaking moment of the year. I miss hearing Luz and Laura laughing and chatting away en Espanol from down the hall, I miss hearing Around the World playing from Iman's room at 3am, I miss late night DMC's with Siubhan - I even miss the snow plough.

The year taught me so much more than what I learnt for my degree (although McGill gave me A LOT). I learnt that the world is huge and there is so much more to see, the Canadian education system is insanely hard, arm wrestling is not a good idea, American Airlines are trash, cold in England is not cold, Timberlands are the best thing I have ever bought, beavertail flavours are hard to choose (aren't they Sabrina?), Ottawa is the most boring capital city in the world (sorry not sorry), social media is a blessing to keep in touch with friends old and new, Five Guys is amazing (thank you Claire), Justin Trudeau is just as hot in person, and most importantly that I can do way more than I ever thought I could do.  

I think what I have grasped from writing this post is yes, the travel, the education and the whole living abroad thing were all unbelievable and made me question how this was my life, the people and the more spontaneous, wholesome (hehe @ Boston Crew) moments are the things that I will remember forever. The strangest thing is that it will never be the same again. There will be new exchange students in our house as of September, ready for their year of sharing a temperamental washing machine between 30 people, mouse spotting and trying to figure out who stole their food. They will make friendships and memories to last a lifetime, and will make that slightly grim and run down house a home. They won't know about all the potlucks, pres and movie nights that came before them and although it makes me sad that our presence in that house will be gone, I am so excited for them because I know what they have to come. 

I'm not even going to read this back because I have literally word vommed this entire post, but I guess it's a good way to bring the Canada blogs to an end.

If you were part of this year in any way please know that I love you and miss you endlessly.

Bonjour Bye x

Dear Montreal...

Dear Montreal,

With a reputation for the harshest winters and not much more than that, you’re a city that I never would have visited. Yet here I am, sat on a bench looking out over the St Lawrence river in the Old Port and I can’t imagine not being here. 

August

This is my final weekend on exchange and my final weekend in Montreal before heading to Cuba next week and I am beyond gutted. Although I am excited to go home and see my family I’m also heartbroken to leave the city that so quickly became another place that I can call home. Montreal’s diversity, rich history and beautiful architecture make it one of the most interesting cities I have ever visited, and getting to be a Montrealer even for just 8 months has been a pleasure. I could talk for hours about the people I’ve met and the places I’ve visited this year but for now I want to focus on the city and everything that makes it what it is. 

October

From the corporate feel of downtown to the quirky streets of the plateau and the tourist hub that is the Old Port, Montreal is truly a place for everyone. Canada is an extremely diverse country and Montreal displays that perfectly. This year I’ve watched locals switch from speaking French to English without pausing, I’ve seen the indigenous communities honoured how they should be, and I’ve celebrated everything from Australia Day to St Patrick’s Day. There are times I’ve been certain I am in Europe and others when I can’t see anything but North America and all of these things are what make Montreal so welcoming.

January

Perhaps one of the best things about Montreal is how it changes with the seasons. When I arrived in August it was 30 degrees. We went to the beach, we ate ice cream and watched the Tam Tams in the Park. As Summer because Autumn the whole city changed from green to red and orange and instead of ice cream we ate poutine, visiting coffee shops rather than the beach but all the while discovering new parts of the city. As Winter descended hot chocolate was our drink of choice, and putting on 5 layers to go out into 10 inches of snow became second nature. There’s something so magical about a city covered in snow and although the novelty wore off, I did feel a pang of sadness as it slowly disappeared. Montreal is now transitioning back into Summer and the days are mostly grey, perhaps not the nicest image but another perspective of the city, and in some ways a reflection of my feelings as my time here draws to a close. 

April

As I turn around from the bench I’m sat on, I can see the skyline that has become so familiar, the silhouettes that make my heart skip when flying in from a weekend away, the buildings that light up the night sky in a way that I have never seen before.   

I’ve fallen in love with this city and it's going to be so hard saying goodbye.

Thank you Montreal, I will be back soon. 

Our Spontaneous Spring Break

March was off to a good start, two of my exchange besties and I were about to set off for Spring Break in California and I was excited to have a week without work and with a bit of sun.
March 1st was a day of stress thinking that I couldn't re-enter the US, but funnily enough that was the least of my worries.  
We headed to the airport on May 2nd dressed for California; no coats, just trainers and I had packed mainly shorts and Tshirts. We were going to the Golden State so seemed sensible, no? Our flight connected through Philadelphia, so on arrival at the airport we were slightly concerned that almost every flight to the East Coast of America was cancelled. New York, Boston, Washington, even some to Philly - cancelled. Our flight went ahead as planned though so we didn't really think anything of it until we arrived in Philadelphia after the worst flights of our lives to a snow storm. At this point we kind of realised that we might not be leaving Philly for a while, but we thought it would be a couple of hours delay and we would make it to San Francisco that evening. The departure boards were a sea of red, more cancellations and delays than flights leaving the airport and the arrivals board was a similar story, but somehow our flight was still on at that point. 
We sat at the gate for a couple of hours until 15 minutes before we were supposed to takeoff and the American Airlines rep informed us all that the flight was cancelled, the airport was closed and their system was down so we couldn't book onto another flight - great. Many frantic phone calls were made; the hostel in San Fran that we were supposed to stay at, American Airlines and our families back home. Eventually we all got booked onto a flight to LA on the Monday (three days later), and had found a hotel (with no help from the airline and no compensation @ American I'm looking at you), but we now had three days in Philly and were not even going to make it to San Francisco at all - it's safe to say we were pretty upset. That evening we moped around the hotel (is there anything more depressing than an airport hotel? I think not) and made some provisional plans for the next couple of days. 
We spent our first day exploring Philadelphia and freezing as we had packed for Cali. Despite the cold and not being in San Fran we had a really good day. We went up the tallest building and got a great view of the city, ate a Philly Cheesesteak and explored the old, colonial part of the city including Elfreth's Alley and Independence Hall. Philly is actually a gorgeous city that I never would have visited otherwise so I am glad that if we were going to be stuck somewhere, it was a place with plenty to do. 
We had seen on the map that Washington DC was fairly close by, and after exhausting our options in Philly, we decided to book the 3 hour bus to Washington for our second buffer day - it was one of the best decisions we have ever made. DC is stunning, I completely fell in love with it and we got to see so many sights that I never imagined I would see. The White House, the monument, Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial to name a few, we even managed to find a Nandos to cure our broken hearts. Although I was worried the entire day that our bus would break down or we would miss it and not make it back to Philly in time for our flight, it was one of the best days of my exchange experience so far. 
On the Monday we went back to the airport for our second attempt at making it to California and my hopes were so low, I had even thought about other options in the Philly area in case we didn't make it. This was where our trip turned around. Our flight boarded on time, we took off and made it to LA mid afternoon. Los Angeles has always been near the top of my bucket list so I was over the moon to have made it. As soon as we stepped off the plane we felt the sun on our skin and I could have cried with happiness and relief. 
We arrived at our hostel and I was amazed by its location. I was on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I would highly recommend if you are ever in the Hollywood/LA area (https://walkoffamehostel.com/). The rooms were lovely, breakfast was provided and the employees were super helpful, especially as we arrived a day earlier than planned. That evening we went to Universal CityWalk, somewhere I have seen in so many vlogs (lol), and always wanted to go. It was pretty cool but very expensive and our meal was far from nice. The time difference was messing with our bodies and we were in bed by 10pm and woke up at 5am, yay. 
The second day was easily one of the best days of my life. We started by walking through Hollywood to Melrose Avenue, walked all the way down that to Beverly Hills and explored that area. The whole city was gorgeous, the weather was amazing and I was so so happy. I could totally see myself living in California (LA is super busy with traffic but I could def live nearby). We ate incredible food at Urth Cafe on Melrose and somehow managed to walk 13 miles that day. In the early evening we caught a bus down to Santa Monica and watched the sunset on the beach which was another bucket list thing done. We then walked down to the Venice area and had the best Mexican for dinner (http://casalindamexicangrill2.com/). 

We spent our final morning doing the Walk of Fame, yet another bucket list thing, before going to Burbank to do the Warner Brothers Tour. The tour was one of the best experiences ever and I am so glad we did it. It was around $60USD and worth every penny. We got to see all kinds of sets (totally freaked out at the Gilmore Girls set), and learnt so much about film and TV production. I would love to go back to LA and do Universal and Disney as well! That evening we went to Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills and watched another sunset, this time in front of the Hollywood sign. We also went into the planetarium which was so cool. This was one of my favourite things we did and would definitely recommend it, the bus from Downtown LA is like 50c so 100% worth the journey. We then went back to the hostel to collect our stuff and made the trek back to LAX for our flight out (and spent another 3 hours in Philly airport on the way back to Montreal).
The entire trip feels like a dream, from the nightmare that was not making San Fran, to the whistle stop tours of Philly, Washington and LA. I had the best time and feel so grateful to have seen three diverse and different cities in such a short space of time. San Francisco isn't going anywhere and I will make it there at some point. I would like to give my travel buddies Vic and Sab a little shoutout and thank them for putting up with me in all my emotional states, proving that we can make the best of any situation, and for being the best duo to spend my Spring Break with - so much love. 

Dear February...

I cannot believe February is over already. After the eternity that was January February seemed to slip by too quickly. It was a pretty lowkey month for me, and all of us here really. Workload increased and I have just finished 2 weeks full of midterms and deadlines. We didn't leave Montreal this month (we are saving that for March), so it's been fairly boring, if exchange life can ever be called boring! 
The month started with the return of an old housemate of ours from last semester. It was so nice to see her and get a little taste of last semester back. In fact we have had three old faces return to us this month which has been lovely. 

On the first Saturday of the month, the afc (if you know you know) went for hot chocolate at a little cafe in the Plateau called 'Au Festin du Babette,' which claimed to have the best hot chocolate in Montreal. I went for the hazelnut hot chocolate which was one of the best I have ever had. We spent the morning doing what we do best, eating and drinking hot chocolate - I definitely have to go back before I leave the city. 
One Saturday night the British gals went out for dinner and I had the most amazing burger. It was also nice to spend some time with the Brits and talk about how much we are missing grass and digestive biscuits. I can see a food theme forming here and I have absolutely no regrets. 
This month was where I became a proper Canadian and went ice skating twice. The first time was at La Fontaine Park and the second at Beaver Lake, both of which were so much fun, although there is nothing that ruins your confidence like watching Canadians skate. 
We had a couple of birthdays in the house in the last couple of weeks, so spent some time celebrating those and getting together with everyone in the house.
This month I feel like I have been bleeding money because we have booked a couple of trips. A few of us are going to Boston over Easter which I am SO excited for - my inner Business nerd is crying at the idea of seeing Harvard Business School, and I'm excited to see what the city has to offer. It's always been somewhere that I have wanted to go (probably thanks to The Suite Life of Zack and Cody). Yesterday we booked a trip to Cuba for after exams, which is something I never thought I would do and have doubts about since. I'm doing my research and I think that although it will be a very different and sometimes difficult experience, I will definitely be happy that I did and I would definitely have regrets if I didn't. 

That is basically everything we did this month and I've just realised how little that is...two pictures, skating and lots of food. I always knew that February would be a pretty laid back month though, I had a lot of work to do and the weather was pretty terrible (although it's getting warmer now, just as the UK is getting snow). Because it's so short it kind of became a filler month before the excitement that is March. Spring Break is next week so I am heading off to California for a few days to see San Francisco and LA - the excitement is so real. Then a week later my grandparents are coming to Montreal which I am really looking forward to! We are going to a hockey game which will probably be my final Habs game, and I can't wait to show them Canada. Once they leave I have four days until I'm off to Boston and then March is over! It's absolutely mad that it's March, I finish at McGill at the end of April and then I'm back home for good mid May which I know will come around way too quickly. For now I am just ignoring the passing days and taking in everything that I can because I know that this will be over so soon and I'll be back home getting ready for my final year (sos help I'm not ready).

Dear January...

January has been the longest month of my life, no joke. I started the month (and year) in Nottingham with my uni friends, and I am finishing it in Montreal halfway through week four of my second semester at McGill - it's amazing what can happen in such a short space of time. It hasn't been the best month , but I've still done some pretty great things.

As I said, I started January in Nottingham to see the New Year in with my friends from UoN. It was so lovely because the plan was thrown together literally the day before and I had fully expected to spend New Years alone at home. I got to see a friend I didn't think I was going to be seeing until May which was so nice, and I spent the night back where I belong with a lot of the people who made 2017 so great. Despite spending £20 to get into Ink (daylight robbery right there), we had a great night and I even ran into one of my best friends from school in there. It was so surreal to be back but it got me excited for third year! 

The day after New Years was my dad's birthday and we went for a cute family lunch in a really nice pub. I have missed pub lunches since being away (such a Brit, I know) and it was such a lovely meal. 

During my last few days at home I met up with old work friends, saw my family and relaxed after such a busy semester - the break was definitely needed. 

I flew back to Montreal on January 8th and was reunited with the snow, cold weather and McGill, as well as my friends from last semester and 20+ new housemates. I have only been back for a few weeks but it feels like I never left, and it is good to be back.

My first week back was spent getting back into the swing of things and the intensity of McGill, getting to know my new housemates (they're great, if you were wondering), and adjusting back to the time difference. We went to the International Student Festival at the end of the first week and I had a great time. It was our first night out (of many) with our new pals and queueing for a club during a snowstorm in a bomber jacket is something I will never forget and a mistake I will never make again...

Another highlight of January was going to Igloofest, which is essentially an outdoor music festival in the middle of Winter. Only in Canada, eh? We saw Kaytranada, and although my toes basically froze off, we had a pretty sick time. Again, I feel like this is something that I will never get to experience again so I am super happy that I went. I'm so conscious of the fact that I am leaving Canada and North America in May and once I'm home I don't know if/when I'm coming back, so I am making the most of everything which is probably why I'm so tired right now...

A couple of weekends ago we had a such a lovely couple of days. On the Saturday we went up Mont Royal and built a snowman, potentially the most Canadian snow-related thing I have done so far. I hadn't done anything except complain about the snow up until this point, so it was nice to appreciate it a bit more. 
The Sunday of that weekend we went to Ottawa with the intention of getting a Nandos and Denny's (praise Ontario), and ice skating on the Rideau Canal. The only thing we managed to do was get a Nandos but I would say that 1/3 is pretty successful. We skated on Parliament Hill and took a tour of the parliament buildings before going to get Beaver Tails and taking a picture with the Ottawa sign - spot the tourists. Jokes aside, it was such a lovely day and it was nice to see the capital of Canada, although it was probably the quietest city I have ever been to, definitely the quietest capital!

These are the main things that I did in January, but I have also been out to eat way too many times, been to see The Greatest Showman (SUCH A GOOD FILM), been on a few nights out and almost lived the American Dream and joined a sorority (but didn't). We had a fun weekend in Montreal this week which included Australia Day (I am surrounded by Aussies), karaoke and a night out for a friends' birthday. I have also experienced rain that lands on top of snow, freezes and becomes a sheet of ice (needless to say, I have slipped over a couple of times). 

Despite it being a jam packed month and doing so many cool things, I will definitely be glad to see the back of January just because it has been so insanely long. 

My 2018 Goals

omg, it's 2018. 

2017 went so incredibly quickly and was the best year of my life so far. I was going to do a reflection post on it but I've left it way too late now so I thought I would do a 2018 goals one instead. 

The reason I have decided to do this is because a professor I have last semester said that if you wish things into existence and write them down, then you are more likely to make them happen. I want 2018 to be better than 2017 which is going to be such a hard task, so I am going to make some pretty ambitious goals and hopes for the year ahead. I only have five because I actually want to focus on them and make them happen. 

1. To Travel

This was my number one aim of last year and is my number 1 aim of this year. In 2017 I visited Amsterdam, Cyrus, Geneva, France, Montreal, Coaticook, New York, Toronto, Quebec City, Mont Tremblant and so many new places in the UK, making it my most travelled year. I want to make 2018 full of more new places and new countries as I feel like it may be one of my last year to do so without restrictions in terms of work commitments, etc (real work, not uni). This year I want to visit Ottawa, Banff, maybe Vancouver, Chicago, Boston, Florida and some of the Islands off of the Southern US. I also want to visit more places in the UK and Europe. 

2. To do well in University

In 2018 I will finish second year and start my final year, so my grades are very important. I am aiming to do a lot better in my second semester at McGill than I did in my first, and then smash it when I'm back in Notts.

3. To Get Fitter

Something I really want to do this year is to get fitter and eat healthier. I have eaten so much rubbish over Christmas so I definitely need to start eating better and I want to do more exercise as well. I bought a FitBit today (new year new me and all that), and I am determined to use that to help me get a bit healthier. 

4. To be more Positive

I feel like this has been a running theme of the blog as I am such a negative person but I really want to change that. 2018 will be my year of positivity. 

5. To Cook More

I am THE worst chef on the planet. All I eat at uni is pasta and it's actually a bit of a joke. I want to expand my cooking horizons this year and branch out a bit. Watch me keep eating pasta because it's cheap, lol.

I'm going to try and blog more as well, and keep you updated with how these goals are going as well as my usual monthly(ish) reflection posts and some other surprises. 

Happy New Year!!! 

important lessons from amazing people

The beauty of being thrown into a house with 30 other people from all over the world is that you meet and connect with people you never would have crossed paths with otherwise. I now speak to people from places like Australia, Iceland, Mexico, Chile, parts of Asia, and all over Europe on a daily basis, sharing stories, experiences and ambitions. The world is a diverse and interesting place, and having the chance to share part of my life with people who can teach me about places I never would have thought about before is a very special thing. Even those from the UK who I would consider myself similar to in many respects have changed my perspective. 
Some of the most valuable lessons I have learnt here have not come from lecturers, they have come from the people who I am living this experience with, and I am going to share some of these.

Positivity is so important
There are a handful of people in this house who have such a positive outlook on life. They find the good in every situation, and this is something that I find both inspiring and daunting. As a naturally pessimistic person I rarely see the good in bad situations and let them get me down, but somehow these people are able to turn anything into a positive situation and rarely let things get to them too much. I feel like this has rubbed off on me a bit (I want to stress the words a bit, I still like a good old moan), and I hope to be able to channel more of their attitude and gradually work towards a more positive mindset. 

It's ok to rant
On the flip side, I have also learnt that it is ok to have a rant and get things off your chest from time to time. It stops you bottling things up inside and exploding at the poor person who happens to hit a nerve on a bad day. 

What's meant to be is meant to be
This is so cliche but I have learnt from the people I have met here that if something is meant to be then it will happen. We have all ended up in this position because we are meant to be here for this portion of our lives, whether we expected it or not. Everything that has happened here and will happen here over the next few months is supposed to happen and thinking ahead/planning for the future can only get you so far. I've learnt that I need to sit back and relax a bit more and let life follow its path rather than planning every detail of my day and the months ahead. 

Culture is so important
I'm not sure as a through and through Brit I can say I'm particularly cultured. I've travelled parts of Europe and can appreciate the importance of different cultures around the world, but I'd never really realised how you can learn from being surrounded by many different ones 24/7. Even the Canadian culture has taken me by surprise as I ignorantly assumed that it would be very similar to what I'm used to. I have definitely learnt to appreciate the value and importance of culture more, and will definitely try to embrace what's left of the British culture when I get home (even if it's nothing more than sarcasm and complaining about the rain).

The world is so big, but also so small
I didn't know that it takes hours to even fly off Australia if you live in the South. I had no idea how far away I live from most of the world, and how lucky I have been to be within a couple of hours of most of Europe. This planet is huge. If I think about it too much it really messes with my head. The fact that for most of the day my Aussie friends are living in a different day to their families is crazy. Canada is massive too, Quebec is 12 times the size of the UK and driving for two hours doesn't even get you to the next nearest city. Two hours from home and I'm South of London, in Yorkshire, by the East Coast or almost in Wales. At the same time, the world is so small. I have housemates who grew up in the same area and only met here. I've met someone who knows another friend of mine from home. I'm constantly reminded of that 'It's a Small World' ride in Disneyland. 

There's more to life than grades
Echoing my last post, one of the most important things I have learnt is that there is more to life than grades. As I mentioned before, it took me a while to accept that but now I can appreciate that sometimes an experience is worth so much more and I have learnt this from the people I am living with. 

This post is slightly cringe, but as the semester draws to a close and I start having to say goodbye to some of my housemates, I think it's important to reflect on what they have taught me, whether directly or indirectly. I'll definitely be going home with different attitudes and outlooks on things thanks to being surrounded by so many different backgrounds, and I'm pretty lucky to be able to do that.