{"id":849,"date":"2023-10-26T18:38:12","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T16:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leilou.daunit.com\/?p=849"},"modified":"2024-10-13T19:19:47","modified_gmt":"2024-10-13T17:19:47","slug":"gap-year-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leilou.daunit.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/26\/gap-year-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"My gap year in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
In 2022, after graduating I decided to take a gap year in Canada. I got a working-holiday visa and, in October, I flew to Montreal, alone, with no plans, but with 7 nights in a hostel. And so began my 11-month adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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My goals <\/strong>for my gap year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Improve my level of English<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The main goal of my gap year was to improve my level of English. It is extremely important for me to know how to speak fluent english. Indeed, I will have an international career and I want to be able to exchange with people from other cultures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Discover a new culture<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
My curiosity drives me in the discovery of new cultures. Living in another country offers the possibility to better understand of how the world works and to gain perspective on our own situation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Find my professional desires<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
After my Bachelor’s degree I had to choose a Master’s degree. In May, I realized that I wanted to focus on sustainability, but as it’s such a broad field and I wasn’t yet sure which area interested me most, I knew I needed more time. A gap year was exactly what I needed to think about what would make me happy in my work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have new professional experiences<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to have more meaningful experiences related to sustainable development, but also to discover work and workplaces that I had never experienced before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
How it went<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It went to be one of the best year of my life. I lived so many different experiences and I met various people. I developed key skills such as autonomy, self-confidence, adaptability, and strong social abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Date <\/strong><\/td>
Where I was<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
October to January<\/td>
Montr\u00e9al, Qu\u00e9bec<\/td><\/tr>
January to April<\/td>
Banff, Alberta<\/td><\/tr>
April to June<\/td>
Tofino, British Columbia<\/td><\/tr>
July to August<\/td>
Around Canada<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>Main places I lived during the year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Montreal<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I first arrived in Montreal where I had to find a place to live and a job. I didn’t know anyone there, so I had to fend for myself. I ended up perfectly by finding two part-time jobs, one remotely in a CSR consulting company and another one in the National Bank of Canada as transactional advisor. At the same time, I found a flat shared with a quebecoise, the perfect way to discover the culture. I stayed there for three and a half months, during which I met a variety of people, some of whom became friends. Together, we traveled around Qu\u00e9bec to explore and discover the region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Banff<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
In order to improve my English I needed to go to the English part of Canada. It was thanks to this desire to fulfill my goal that I ended up in the Rockies in Banff for 3 months. Not wanting to fly out of environmental convictions, I drove across Canada to Banff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There, I found two jobs, one in a hostel and another as line cook in a restaurant. I improved my English and discovered jobs I had never done before. I met many wonderful people from diverse nationalities, and discovering new cultures was both amazing and fascinating. Living in the middle of nature it makes me realized how strong my desire to protect it is. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Tofino<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Still with the aim of avoiding flying, I tried with taking the train to Vancouver for 23 hours. Still with the aim of avoiding flying, I tried taking the train to Vancouver for 23 hours. Then I sailed and drove to Tofino. This village on the Pacific coast was another wonderful find. If someone had told me before that I would be surfing and seeing orcas in Canada, I wouldn’t have believed them! But there I was, meeting new people, discovering new places, working in a hostel, and still discovering myself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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My thoughts about my gap year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Taking this gap year was one of my best decision. I completed all my goals as well as achieved some of my dreams. I learnt a lot about myself and found answer to the question I had. Every time I moved to a new place was a new beginning, a new opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and learn. Sometimes, I think it is crazy to remember that few months ago I had nothing else than 7 nights booked in a hostel, my backpack, my dreams and my goals. I ended up living in three completely different places, far apart from each other, and between each of them I traveled alone and with friends I met along the way. This year has made me grow up a lot, I have noticed that I have gained a lot of maturity, and being on my own all this time has made me realize that I am capable of anything I want. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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