Photo: The entrance of the Calgary Stampede grounds, the most iconic time of the year in the city
Lily Bails from Flinders University reflecting upon her exchange at the University of Calgary, Canada.
Having returned back from my semester exchange in Calgary exactly 2 years ago now, there is a lot of reflection to be done since returning home to Australia. I arrived in Calgary during the last remaining days of Canadian Summer in August of 2022. Everything was so new and exciting for me, and the weather was appropriately warm to be going to college football games, watching hockey in the huge Saddledome, and exploring the huge campus and beautiful city of Calgary. Moving abroad at 19 definitely had its challenges, but being thrust into this new life provided me with so many tools and so much knowledge that one cannot learn without experiencing firsthand.
They say the friendships you make on exchange are some of the most important you will encounter in your life, and I couldn’t agree more. Meeting and solidifying a solid group of other exchange students made the experience infinitely better, having ended up going on a group ski trip to Banff together, and later New York City to ring in the New Year and experience Christmas in the big city. Despite all feeling homesick at this point, 4 months into our exchange, we celebrated a quiet christmas in Brooklyn together, an unforgettable experience. Since then, we have travelled to 5 countries together as a group!
Going to Calgary 3 years ago opened so many doors for me and changed my life in ways I cannot explain in words. Meeting my best friends, travelling to some of the most picturesque places in the world, and experiencing an entirely new life on the other side of the planet has matured me immensely. Although sad having to leave it all behind, I sit here now writing this in the same University of Calgary sweatshirt I bought the first day I got to Canada three years ago, and am so grateful reminiscing on all the memories I made. I cannot encourage anyone to go on exchange more. They say you grow the most when you put yourself out of your comfort zone, which couldn’t be more true. So go on that exchange, make the memories, and see how it can change your life!
Photos: An NHL game at the Calgary Saddledome + Driving through Yoho National Park on the way to Banff
