{"id":16795,"date":"2018-11-21T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T17:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=16795"},"modified":"2018-11-19T13:28:47","modified_gmt":"2018-11-19T21:28:47","slug":"unpacking-the-bags-a-letter-from-an-international-student-to-victoria-bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2018\/11\/21\/unpacking-the-bags-a-letter-from-an-international-student-to-victoria-bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpacking the Bags<\/em>: A letter from an international student to Victoria, BC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Victoria,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When I arrived, we were complete strangers. I carried in my bag a mixture of feelings\u2014nervousness, anxiety, and satisfaction. I could feel that you, on the other hand, were quiet and patient.<\/p>\n

At first, we didn\u2019t like each other because we did not speak the same language and you had a different climate from what I was used to. The communication simply did not happen. It seemed that this friendship would not last.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Unpacking the Bags<\/em> is a column giving advice for international students appearing in every issue of Nexus<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, time passed and we began to understand ourselves, and I got to know and to appreciate your flowery and welcoming personality. I have discovered that you love history and you carry it with memories of royalty, travellers, and discoverers. I realized that you are as international as I am. Who would have thought we had something in common? That\u2019s when I realized that we had the potential to be great friends.<\/p>\n

Then you started introducing me to other friends. They were Canadian, Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian, and so many different nationalities. You seemed to take me on a world tour every day. These friends have become my family. Also, you have demonstrated wonderful networking skills and introduced me to your job market, where I met incredible colleagues whom I came to admire.<\/p>\n

I cannot even count all the incredible moments we spent together. But there have also been difficult times. How many times have I looked at your sky wondering if I made the right choice to come to Canada? I do not know, but you always found a way to calm me, be it with your beautiful flowers, with your delicate people, or simply with your cozy personality.<\/p>\n

It seems we came a long way. It doesn\u2019t feel like it\u2019s been two years. We are no longer complete strangers; we became best friends. You showed me that in every street or building you carry stories of people around the world, and that I could also be part of your story, just as now you are part of mine. Now that\u2019s a beautiful friendship.<\/p>\n

Thank you, Victoria, for every adventure we spent together. But don\u2019t get me wrong; I\u2019m not packing my bags yet. This is not goodbye; it is just the beginning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And, as this is my last column, thanks to everyone who has read and followed Unpacking the Bags<\/i> during my time at Nexus<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Victoria,\u00a0 When I arrived, we were complete strangers. I carried in my bag a mixture of feelings\u2014nervousness, anxiety, and satisfaction. I could feel that you, on the other hand, were quiet and patient. At first, we didn\u2019t like each other because we did not speak the same language and you had a different climate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,223],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns","category-november-21-2018"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t