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. 

A Change in Attitude...

Eight months seemed like forever before I came to Canada, and during the first few weeks I was wishing that it would just hurry up and be December already so I could go home and be back where everything is familiar, even just for two weeks. I still have bursts of that sometimes, when I see all of my home uni friends together or when I get a bad grade, but now, over two months in and halfway through this semester, all I want is for time to slow down.

I've had my fair share of lows since coming to McGill. My academic performance is far from even being considered decent and my workload is insane. Throwing that in with being so far from everything I have ever known and having to adapt to living on the other side of the Atlantic has meant that there I've had some very low moments - I've looked at countless flights back to the UK and even considered not coming back next semester. 

This weekend however, my mentality has completely shifted. 

It's suddenly hit me tonight (I'm writing this at 11:35pm on Sunday) that I am so incredibly lucky to be here and that I spend a lot of time feeling sorry for myself when I have nothing to complain about. Sure, my grades are nowhere near what I expected or wanted, yes I have a lot to do and yes sometimes I do just want to curl up in a ball and sleep for week, but I'm in CANADA - life is pretty damn good. In two short months I have had so many incredible experiences, I've adapted to a whole new way of working (who knew the British and American education systems were SO different?) and I've met some amazing people, all whilst making Montreal my home. 

I think a lot of the reason for this sudden change in attitude is to do with the people I've met and realising that I only have a few weeks left with a lot of them. I'm living in a house with 30 people from completely different and diverse backgrounds who each bring something different to the experience. Some of them work harder than anyone I have ever met, some of them have such interesting life stories and some of them are so incredibly positive that it's hard not to feel inspired. I've always known that I would only have one semester with a lot of them with yet somehow it never really hit me until this week that in 7 weeks, it's goodbye, and with some of them it may be forever. I think it’s the fact that it's now November, and while part of me is ridiculously excited that I’m seeing some of my best friends and my family next month, the most overwhelming feeling is sadness that I will be saying goodbye to the people that have become my family over that last few weeks. The people who will be replacing them next semester have so much to live up to, and I hope to be writing a similar post to this in a few months confirming that they did. 

I am so so lucky that I will be coming back after Christmas for round 2, even if I don't feel it sometimes. I needed this wake up call to remind my pessimistic little brain that although important, grades aren't everything - I can get back on track in my third year and still end up where I want to be. The experiences I am having here are so much more valuable, it's just a shame it's taken me 2 months to realise that. 

Dear October...

Dear October, 

You'll always be my favourite month, although this year I have definitely paid for enjoying you...

Concrete Jungle 

Of the four weekends in October I only spent one in Montreal, and that was my birthday weekend so I have had a pretty busy month!

The first weekend was spent in New York City, and was potentially one of the best weekends of my life. Going to New York has always been on my bucket list, and without wanting to sound too cliché it was literally a dream come true finally going there. The first day started in Times Square and then we went to Grand Central (I had a Gossip Girl fangirl moment), The Empire State Building, The Met (another Gossip Girl moment), Central Park, along the High Line and then 'home' to Brooklyn after dinner. My fave moment of that day was when we were up the Empire State, overlooking the city and I could see the skyline that I had seen so many times in photos. I had one of those heart bursting moments where I felt incredibly lucky to be where I was. 

Top of the Rock 

Day two was just a busy as day one. We visited the 9/11 memorial which was a humbling experience, and is such a beautiful tribute. I had the same feeling there as I did at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, a feeling I can't quite describe. From there we went on the Staten Island ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty, before going for lunch at Shakeshack and almost crying at how good the chips (fries) were. We then walked back to Brooklyn over the Brooklyn Bridge, where I had another heart bursting moment - it was so beautiful! That evening we went to Top of the Rock and saw New York by night from above. This was probably the highlight of the whole trip for me, it was so peaceful up there and we almost had it to ourselves because we went so late, we even got a photoshoot (shoutout to the guard who provided the torch and photography skills).

Bday with my bday twin

It rained on our last day so it was a pretty chill day. We ate at Grimaldi's Pizza in Brooklyn and then studied in a cafe opposite the Library (which was closed) before heading back to the bus station and braving the journey back to Montreal. 

The week after New York I had 3 midterm exams which were a new experience for me. They did not go well at all, whether that be down to the New York trip or just my inability to grasp the Canadian university system, we will never know (hoping it's the former else my degree not going to go as planned). That weekend was my 20th Birthday, and was one of my favourite birthdays ever. If you'd have told me last year I was going to turn 20 in Montreal, surrounded by a group of people from all four corners of the world I would have laughed in your face, but it happened and it was amazing. We spent my actual birthday at a college football game, which I didn't understand at all. I can't thank my 3653 fam enough for making my bday so special and for getting me the cutest card and gifts!

Niagara Falls

Toronto from the CN tower

From the 19th - 30th my family came over from the UK which was so lovely. We spent the first weekend in Toronto where we literally walked the whole city, and went up the CN tower which was another insane view of another insane city. Toronto is one of the most diverse places I have ever been, it's huge and I would love to go back and explore more in the future. We spent the Sunday of that weekend at Niagara Falls which was another bucket list experience. It is hard to describe the beauty of it and the pictures definitely don't do it justice. It was so nice to be able to go there with my family because it is somewhere none of us ever thought we would actually go to! It was probably one of the highlights of my Canadian experience so far, especially the boat trip which took us right up to the Falls.

Quebec City 

That week I met my family for dinner every day, and we did some typical Montreal things like going up Mont Royal and to a hockey game (which they loved). Then for their last few days here we went to Quebec City which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to! It is like being in a small French town which I love. The architecture was stunning and it was just such a gorgeous place, I'm definitely going back when it snows there! 

Yesterday was Halloween and also the eve of one of my housemate's birthdays (shoutout to Mother Moss) so we dressed up and celebrated. It was such a good night and was nice to celebrate Halloween in North America where it is such a massive thing. 

Mean Girls on Halloween  

Overall October was a really good month fully of a lot of travel and a lot of memories were made. My academic life hasn't been going so well and I'm not doing as well as I perhaps hoped but with the amount of travel and experiences I have had I can see why. Hopefully November will be just as good, but perhaps a bit more successful academically (I would like to actually pass this year!)

Dear September

September, where did you go?

If August was the longest month of my life then September was for sure the quickest. I feel like I blinked and it became October. 

The beginning of the month was Frosh, which is the American version of freshers. It involved a lot of activities in groups and we got to know each other and the city a lot better. My fave day has to have been beach day, the weather was perfect and I spent it with my housemates. That night we ordered food and watched High School Musical and it was probably one of my favourite days of the whole experience so far. 

Monday the 4th was Canadian Labour Day, so we had the day off and went to a food festival a the Old Port, which was really lovely. 

Classes started on the 5th and it's been non stop since then. The picture on the right was taken on Campus on the first day. As I mentioned in my last post, lectures here are so much harder than at Notts so it's been pretty intense so far!
At the beginning of the month we discovered a Ben&Jerry's shop and it's pretty safe to say we have been to a few too many times...

One of my favourite memories from the month was definitely when some of our housemates went to see "It" and we pranked them, so when they came back the house was decorated with red balloons and things from the movie. 
We had a potluck night on the 10th which was so cool, I've never done it before and it was nice to get a taste of everyone's cooking (I made a salad, poor effort Hol). 

My Canadian studies class climbed Mont Royal earlier in the month, and although I had been before the view never gets old. 

I've had a number of auditions/interviews for societies with varying levels of success, and I've settled on joining dance and salsa classes, because they are a nice break from work and don't have a huge level of commitment. It would have been nice to do something with a bit more substance but I'm so busy with work and travelling that I'm not sure I would be able to commit to it.


It was a housemates' birthday in the middle of September so we celebrated that which was really lovely. It was our first birthday as a house which made it even more exciting. On the same day we saw Justin Trudeau (Canadian Prime Minister for those of you who don't know) on the McGill campus. It was such a surreal experience!

One weekend we road tripped to Coaticook, a town about 2 hours away that has a gorge and mountains to hike. It was the most stunning thing I have ever seen and it really made me realise the size of this country. In the UK everything is close together and although there is countryside it's nothing like that of Canada, you can literally drive for hours without seeing any sign of habitation, it's so strange. Coaticook was the first (and only) time I have left Montreal so far, and it was really nice to get out of the city for a bit and see another city to Canada.

WE BOOKED A TRIP TO NEW YORK!! I am so excited because it is literally my number one dream to visit NYC and we are going next week! aaaaah

Around the 18th I started getting really homesick, something that I have been feeling for the last couple of weeks. It tailed off towards after a few days but then hit hard last week. I called my mum and two of my best friends in tears. I'm going to write a whole post about it in a few weeks to explain what is going on, but it's not been the best couple of weeks.
We have done some pretty cool things, like going on nights out, out for food and to Picnic Electronik, which is a weekly music festival in the city. I've danced, studied and met so many new people as well, but for the last few days there has always been a feeling of wanting to go home. Some of my housemates went away this weekend but I decided to stay home, catch up on some work and chill a bit which seems to have done me a world of good, I'm feeling a lot better now and I hope it continues because I hate feeling miserable.

Overall September was full of highs and lows (the highs were high but the lows were so low). I've packed so much into such a short amount of time and spent wayyy too much money along the way. I can't believe a whole month has gone already, that's 1/8th of my time here which is crazy. October is looking incredibly busy so I can't wait to reflect on it in a few weeks!!

UoN vs McGill

I was warned that McGill was very different to Nottingham but I shook it off. How different can two unis be? They're all teaching the same thing aren't they? 

I've never been so wrong. 

From day one it was apparent that this year is going to be very different. The workload has increased, it's a lot tougher, and you actually have to contribute in lectures (except they're not called lectures, they're classes with about 40 people in, as opposed to the 200+ I'm used to). This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just taking a bit of getting used to. Last year I did some of the reading and most of the work and still did well, here I switch off in a class for five minutes and I may as well have skipped the lecture - I'm lost. You have to do the reading, the homework and the group assignments else you lose part of your grade, and class participation and attendance is mandatory. Add a couple of midterms and times it by five for my five classes and you have my current situation - it's overwhelming. 

This all sounds negative, and though there are days when I wish I was back at Notts as an anonymous face in a lecture theatre, most of the time I feel really engaged in class and as if I am actually learning something (except finance, I'm allergic to numbers). 

Participation has proven a bit of an issue for me, as I'm generally not one for getting involved in class discussions, so this is something I am trying to work on. It's pretty daunting sitting in a room full of eloquent Canadians who form perfect sentences and make points you never would have thought of, especially when you speak your accent already differentiates you from them, but I'm working on it. I still don't think you should be graded on participation as some people just don't like to speak in a group, but it's the norm here and I'm sure I will learn to love it (one can hope!)

Midterms. There's no such thing as midterms in the UK so the thought of sitting an exam in a class I have only been in for 4 or 5 weeks is slightly terrifying. The positive thing is it has made me stay on top of work (for the most part, there is an exception to every rule and mine is always finance). It also takes a bit of pressure off in the final exam as it is not 100% of my grade, and it's rare to even have a final worth over 50% because of the continuous assessment. 

That's another thing, I am working towards my grade every single week, whether it be 1000 words reports worth 5% of my grade, a group project or even just attending a class. At home I was used to the odd group project and then a month or so of revision for the exam. I'm not sure which one I prefer yet, but I can say without a doubt that I felt a lot less stressed at home, although I do quite like having to stay up to date and on top of work as I feel like I am actually getting somewhere. 

The Canadian school year ends in April, 6-8 weeks earlier than in the UK and it must be because of the intensity. In October alone I have 3 midterms, 3 group projects due including 2 presentations, and weekly essays for one class, not to mention the fact that I have 3 trips planned and my family are coming to Montreal, so I am going to be very stretched for time. It's intense but also stimulating, and it's pretty cool to be able to see how it works in other countries. 

I never expected it to be so different but here we are, 3 weeks in and I am already feeling the pressure. It's hard to say who wins between Notts and McGill this early on, I love them both for very different reasons and I guess only time (and grades) will tell. Check back with me in April!

Dear August

Dear August,

I'm pretty sure you were the longest month of my life! 
The month began in Cyprus, which feels like a year ago. It was the end of a perfect holiday in a new country, a country that I would love to return to in the future and discover more of. I was fascinated by the history, and for someone who hasn't done history since year 8, that is a big thing for me! I wasn't even home for 18 hours before I went back to work, and then ice skating with some work friends which was so much fun. 
The weekend of the 7th was spent with my friends in London, where we threw my bff a surprise party as we had all missed her birthday. We had such a lovely couple of days, I managed to drive us there and back without killing anyone, and the surprise was a success. 
The day after I came home from London (about 12 hours later), I was off to Geneva to be reunited with another bff. I've written a whole post about it so I won't say much, but it was one of the best trips I have ever been on and I miss it and her every day. This trip was also where I (kind of) conquered my fear of flying as I flew home alone. I'm still slightly terrified but it's nothing compared to how I was on my first flight of the Summer to Cyprus.
The 17th marked my last day working at Next after being there for 3 years. I was gutted to say goodbye but I am hoping to go back when I am home from my year abroad. It's so weird not having a job and not having to plan things around when I am working. I weirdly miss it, and I really miss the people there. 
My aunt, uncle and cousin went on holiday a week before I flew to Canada, so we went out for a meal with them so I could say goodbye. It was lovely to spend time with them, and I can't wait to see my cousin again at Christmas when she is a year older!
The 19th was such an emotional day. I had a leaving party kind of thing to say goodbye to all my friends and family at the same time. I had a really nice day with everyone, although many tears were shed (especially saying goodbye to grandparents and uni friends), but I'm so glad I got to see them all before I left! 
My mum's birthday was the 20th, so we went out for a meal and celebrated with her - and then I finally got some time to relax! Despite all the packing and stress with Visas and last minute things for Canada, I had a pretty chilled week. On the Friday, my mum, sister and I went out for the day for our last day together. We went to a gorgeous little town near where we live and I had a lovely day with my two fave women. That evening my family took me to my favourite restaurant for our last meal together. They gave me the cutest presents, and I cried a lot. 
The 26th was the day I flew out to Montreal, which is what my last post was about, and the final few days of August were spent finding my feet in Montreal. 

So August, you were pretty exhausting. You brought so many emotions, from the tears of joy I cried watching the fireworks in Geneva with two of my best friends, to the the tears of sadness I cried leaving my friends and family last week. I travelled more than I ever have before, I spent more days out of the UK than in it and I spent so much time with my favourite people. I'm pretty sure I will remember this month forever.

Welcome to Montreal!

omg, I am in Canada. I have been here four days and I'm still having to remind myself that I am actually here, and I'm staying for a year. It's been such a busy few days sorting bank accounts, phone contracts and all that good stuff, but it's also been some of the best days of my life. I've met lovely people, seen some amazing places, and I am so excited for what is in store for me here.
After landing on Saturday I made my way to my house, which is in Downtown Montreal. As a village gal, I was and still completely am in awe of the skyscrapers and the vastness of the city - it's huge. I met my housemates and we explored the city by night.
Sunday was a day of admin, but also a day of exploration. Jet lag hit and I woke up at 6am, but it meant that I had a long and productive day, we even went to Walmart which really made me feel like I was in an American TV show.
Monday was pretty chill. I got to know more people and we climbed up Mont Royal, which has the most beautiful view of the city. I've never seen anything like it, and it made me quite emotional, as this has been such a long time coming and now I am finally here!
Yesterday we had Discover McGill day, which was basically orientation. It was the most stereotypically American thing I have ever experienced but I loved it. We spent the evening at OAP (Open Air Pub, not Old Aged Pensioner), which was so cool. The food was cheap and the company was good. 

It's now Wednesday and we are planning on going down to the river this afternoon and relaxing tonight before frosh (freshers), which might actually kill me off. Classes start next week and I am really looking forward to starting and getting into my routine, as well as joining societies and getting to know more of Montreal and Canada.

In terms of feelings so far, I am loving it. The jet lag has pretty much gone, and most of my main worries haven't been a problem at all. I have met lovely people from all over the world in my house who I'm sure I will get really close to over the next few weeks and months and I'm excited to meet more on my course and at clubs. I was worried about missing my friends from Nottingham, which I do and will continue to do all year, but I'm glad to have met people here who will be there for me during this phase of my life, and I'm so lucky to now have friends back home, in Canada and around the whole world. I have some provisional travel plans which are getting me so excited, and I am already planning where to take my family when the come over in October. I am excited to start learning (although not for exams, as it seems a lot harder to do well here). There have been some slight feelings of homesickness but it's been more because I have been with my family at home since June, so i just need to get used to being away again which won't take long, I'm already pretty comfortable here. More than anything, I am feeling lucky. Lucky to be here, lucky to have a family that will support me here, and lucky to have an amazing support system both here and in the UK. Bring on the rest of the year!