Earlier this year, I joined AIESEC Western, an organization responsible for sending thousands of students on international exchanges annually. My family and I have always loved to travel, so joining AIESEC and being introduced to the opportunity of spending a summer doing just that (while gaining some experience to stick on my resume) sounded like a huge score.
Though it may sound horribly cliché, my experience abroad changed my life—definitely for the better—and here’s why:
     Market Square, Wrocław, Poland (photos provided by author).
1. I was able to explore a new, unique culture in a way most people never get a chance to experience.
TripAdvisor-recommended hotels and two-week stints are the norm for my family. While our trips are usually jam-packed with soaking up all the culture we can manage, it’s just not the same as living it. Being immersed in another culture as a resident and not a visitor gives you an entirely different perspective on how other people work, play, and live. Being away for an extended period also helped me to understand my own culture better, since I was able to connect to it as I shared it with those around me!
     Gdansk, Poland.
2. I developed a greater sense of independence.
I’m an only child, and, admittedly, quite a homebody, so this opportunity was a bit out of my comfort zone at the time of my departure from Toronto’s Pearson Airport. Once I got my bearings it was extremely empowering to have to navigate the world on my own, knowing I was in control of my choices and depending almost exclusively on myself.
It was crazy how much confidence and knowledge I gained from making my own decisions emotionally, financially, and creatively. Now, I find that I’m better able to make decisions without constantly taking other people’s opinions into consideration, better able to budget my money independently, and find new, creative ways to spend my time!
Travelling through four different countries knowing little to nothing about their national language(s) (and without cellular data!) was a challenge, but it’s one that I’d feel good about tackling all over again.
      Main Square, Kraków, Poland.
3. I made an entirely new set of friends—some that I would now go so far as to consider family!
Before heading off to my temporary home, I would never have expected the hospitality and warmth I experienced while away. I was fortunate enough to be on an English teaching placement while abroad, and got to spend every day with a group of students who were so full of energy and fun that I looked forward to early mornings with them.
My exchange partner and I were welcomed into many of the local homes for dinner parties, board games, and the occasional late-night backyard party. Being able to laugh through our awkward navigation of the language barrier between us and our new friends (I love you, Google Translate!) made everything that much more fun.
The best part about the relationships that I was able to form while on my exchange was how genuine and strong they became throughout the time I was there. In fact, four months later, I still talk to someone I met while abroad almost every day!
      City view, Kraków, Poland.
4. I reaffirmed and revelled in my love for travelling, but also realized how much I value being home.
Gathering up incredible new experiences and memories, and snapping (way too many) photos of spectacular sites are some of the things that bring me the most joy. That being said, there’s no feeling that compares to turning the key to the front door of your house and going inside to snuggle your much-missed orange kitty. Home really is where the heart is, and when your heart is packed with love for your family, friends, and poutine, it’s good to be back on Canadian soil.
I could go on for days, and show you all 4000+ photos I took, but this is all the time I have to write, and all you (probably) have to read. So, what I’ll leave you with is a small bit of advice: go on exchange. You won’t regret it one bit.
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- Western Students Prepare to Celebrate the Festival of Light
- Sydney D’Souza Takes Singapore: What Western’s Exchange Program Has To Offer
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