Capilano University Students Blogging Abroad

So this is my last Study Abroad Blog Post ever. EVER. This is just too much pressure. There's just too much to say. I'll never be able to recount all of my amazing travels, nor the things I've seen. How does one possibly express the calming buzz of Paris at night with just words on a page? Or the beauty of a panoramic, sunset view of Florence from Piazzale Michaelangelo? What about what it feels like to repel down a waterfall in the French Riviera with a new life-long friend? Friend. Speaking of friends, I'll never be able to explain the type of friendships I've made here. How it feels to have a friendship so close that no language barrier or cultural difference in the world could pull you apart. How it feels to experience friendship at first sight. How it feels to not get sick of someone even after two weeks of sleepless backpacking, or hours of jokes about apple sauce coupons and toilet paper scarves.   How does one describe how it feels to have so...

Well it’s July and the semester is coming to an end! Auckland has been such a treat, and I am so thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to study here. I have learned a lot about a new department in the film industry (art department) and have made some great visual content while meeting new friends on the way. I have been very busy in the month of May working on a Web series at school. It was great fun to be apart of a project while getting to know other classmates creative process. After the Web Series ended I was able to do more things outside of school. I think a lot of my experiences here in Auckland have taught me to live each day, walk everywhere and always say yes. Travelling leaves you with a new mindset and new views on your everyday life. Over one of our 2 weeks break I took on a challenge that I will forever remember. Ruby and I took on the Tongariro Northen Ciruit, where we spent two nights and 3 days hiking in the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand. I...

I’ve been in Japan for a little over a month now, and I’ve already fallen in love with this city and the people. The city is beautiful and spotlessly clean. The mountains make me feel right at home. Everyone—from my dorm manager, to my classmates, to strangers on the street—is incredibly helpful and friendly. One of my favourite aspects of Sapporo is how bicycle friendly the city is. Nearly half the people on the streets are riding bicycles and you’ll encounter entire street blocks lined with bicycles. When I first arrived, I was shocked to see people leave their bicycles wherever they pleased without so much as a lock. My teacher was equally surprised as I told him the risk of having your bicycle stolen in Vancouver is fairly high. I love taking a bicycle out and exploring the city, with my friends and on my own. My school and friends have taken me to a historic clock building, the TV Tower, to parks and we’ve had multiple barbeques. There is so much to do and see. There...

If it’s crossed your mind enough to think about going abroad, you should probably sign up and go abroad. You will have no regrets. But Sara, what if I miss my family and friends back home? That’s what phones are for (bless Facebook messenger for letting me make calls on Wi-Fi). Money is a concern? Work your ass off, apply for all the scholarships available (apparently there are more out there than you know about for people trying to go on opportunities like these), and budget, budget, budget (trust me, you can make it work). Don’t speak the language of the place you want to go? Don’t worry, they make these programs for people like you! The majority of my friends in class don’t speak a word of French are still are alive and living. Having English as a first language is a huge advantage (except for when they proff tells you your English is too perfect and therefore she can’t understand a word your saying..yeah thanks Mme Mereal) Scared of flying? Take a boat! Find a wa...

A little backstory before we get started, for those that don’t know Aichi Gakusen College is located in Okazaki City of Aichi Prefecture. Other notable cities in the prefecture that you may have heard of include Toyota as well as the capital, Nagoya. It’s located in central Japan, and is one of the richest prefectures in the country, guess why (*cough Toyota). As for me, I will be staying in a city north east of Nagoya by the name of Seto, a humble little city famous for its ceramic crafts. I won’t be going into excruciating detail about what I’ve been up to during my stay here as I don’t intend for this to be a travel diary that records my everyday antics by the hour. Instead I will be sharing the more important experiences, as well as my impressions, and advice in hopes that I can help future students going on this exchange, or those simply interested in applying and would like to know a bit more about what it’s like.   Now that that’s done, lets get started on the stuff I...

I’ve just returned from the most memorable break I’ve ever had. Unitec gives students two weeks off so I took full advantage of this time to travel New Zealand and see as much as I could. To start, my roommate Kerrigan and I embarked on an incredible 3-day, 35km hike called the Tongariro Circuit. It is considered one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks” and took us through active volcanoes, lava fields and alpine forests. We spent our first night sleeping in a hut and our second night nearly freezing to death in a tent. After three days of hiking we arrived – tired, sore and sweaty – in Whakapapa Village. From there we caught a bus to Wellington where we spent the weekend exploring the city and treating ourselves for completing such an epic journey.   Once I got back to Auckland my friend from Canada came to visit so we rented a car and spent 3 days camping around the North Island. We covered about 1000km and managed to see the Bay of Islands, Te Paki Sand Dunes and...