Welcome to the final article of this year! Even though this is the last one in the series, my year abroad hasn’t come to an end quite yet! Of course, these complications were caused by the Covid19 pandemic…
I haven’t written in a while, however, all throughout the crisis, I’ve remained in Quebec, Canada and I’m still here now.
What was I doing right before the crisis?
At the beginning of March, I’d just come back from my Spring Break holiday in LA. I went to teach in school for 3 days and on the Friday school was shut because of a snow storm. It didn’t open up again on Monday and still hasn’t even now!
How did I socially distance?
There was a period of time when everything was completely shut in Canada except essential services. Our region was also cut off and you weren’t allowed to exit/ enter in order to protect the vulnerable communities that live here. So, what did I do during this time? There was still a lot of snow at that point, so I enjoyed a few walks with snowy views. I also read a lot, baked, cooked and spoke to my UK friends and family!
What happened next?
For the three weeks before my contract ended on 31st May, I was asked by the school board if I wanted to help out at the primary school, as these had opened and secondary schools remained shut. I was delighted by this opportunity and enjoyed the challenges of this new environment! I spoke a lot more French than when working with older students. There were also a lot of new regulations like the 2 metre rule with coloured spots on the floor around the school to enforce this. All the staff also were encouraged to wear face masks – as if the Quebecois accent wasn’t already a challenge, without being muffled!
What are my plans now?
As for everyone, it’s all a bit up in the air at the moment for me. I have enjoyed a couple of weeks of summer in Quebec sunshine already and so far I think I’ll stay for the rest of summer here. I’ve been going on hikes and enjoying bonfires in the evenings with friends!
When do I plan on returning home?
It’s rare for a day to go by without a friend or family member asking me when I plan to come home. And the answer is, I still haven’t booked a flight! I’ll most probably come back in August. Even though there are still restrictions in place, I’m enjoying the nature around me and I look forward to things getting a little better in the UK before I come back!