No matter you are studying or working away from home, sometimes homesickness creeps up and loneliness has you sink into depression. And as you experience different emotional states, you figure out your deepest desire within every breath you take. Moving to a new place, I assume the upcoming journey is the search of joy, of the glow of small or great triumph. But at the end of the day, like other human beings, I do crave a sense of belonging.

Some nights I kept staring at the ceiling asking myself if I should reduce or even get rid of my associations with my heritage culture to blend into a new society. It kept lingering in my mind until I bumped into a Canadian woman, the conversation with her was an epiphany for me when she said: “Thank you for being here and bringing your culture with you, your existence makes a difference for our community.”

Her kindness reminded me that sometimes self-critical thinking and bias keep us from truly experiencing happiness. And I am reminded of how I have chosen to live:  to keep both my mind and my heart open to this new place that I will someday call home. Instead of seeking acceptance, I stepped outside my comfort zone and got involved in social activities, including volunteering for the Salvation Army this past Christmas.

Standing beside the Christmas Kettle to collect donations for those in need, I had a beautiful time connecting with people and witnessing their generosity even in the hardest times. I met people who were in awe of my home country, who hugged me, and expressed gratitude for my volunteering. I busted into tears when a lady asked my name then closed her eyes and prayed for me. It was such an uplifting experience which reminded me, everybody needs kindness.

For the first time, I recognized that community is not just about the people who speak my language, or the heritage culture embodied within myself. It is far more beyond my limitation. For a moment in life, Canada taught me that community means kindness.

Being a post-secondary student in my mid 30s isn’t something I had thought I was going to be. The urge to learn and become better just hit me. I gave up a well-paying job to come to Canada and to pursue the urge of knowledge. I wasn’t disappointed.

In terms of learning, I found some great role models, teachers, who have opened so many new ideas and pathways.

Today I look back on my achievements made so far, and I must say I’m more than proud of myself. I made the Dean’s honour list, I write for the student newspaper, and I feel I’ve achieved more than my teachers back in school would have believed in I could do.

Post-secondary education in Canada is different from Europe. Even though it is a bit too busy at times with all my assignments it’s more accurate in reflecting in what one can achieve than just hammering in some facts for a final exam. I really hope this concept finds its way over the Atlantic, too. The only thing that this takes away is a lot of time, it is quite hard to find new friends, because everybody is so busy with their assignments that there is just not enough time to socialize and make friends off campus. This might be a more “mature” student problem, but I’m working on it.

Before I came to study in BC I thought I’d gain more knowledge in what I was doing before, but now, all these pathways have opened and I have the confidence to pursue my goals even more.