The life of an international student is unlike what one may imagine. In accordance with my experiences and those close to me, I believe that the struggle of adjusting to new environments exists irrespective of the country you choose to reside in. A multitude of unknown, highly differentiated and unexpected variables such as a different culture, strange pronunciations of a language familiar to you, and how people dress and behave combine to form nuanced experiences.  

I come from Pakistan, and being a Muslim, the most challenging part for me was finding Halal food. Thanks to Feners and Goyas for such excellent halal options, life was made a little easy. Furthermore, Canadians are polite and community-oriented people who encourage foreigners to assimilate into their culture and continue sharing their cultural practices. Apart from this, I have lived all my life in Pakistan, so I never really got a chance to feel such extreme winters, and this was the first time I did. It was something new, something challenging, but I loved it. 

One of the things that I enjoyed most about studying abroad is what I call the "out of the box" effect. I compare this to a child's awakening after his birth or a cat's feelings after adoption. First, you feel a deep fear of the unknown. What is this new world about? How should I behave? You feel a little bit out of place and sometimes clumsy. You can feel displaced like your new cat hiding under the sofa for no apparent reason. But this effect is also positive as discovering things becomes daily life. And each day holds surprises, good or bad, but surprises.