Student Blog

By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

The BC group still sits together at dinner, but this is the first official night, so people are still getting used to the idea of being able to walk up to any group and be talking to people from countries I haven’t even heard of. I could just sit down and have a meal with the people from Bangladesh and have conversations about homemade flutes with a side of dessert. The dessert, by the way, is amazing. They’re these fluffy cakes that are soft like a kitten’s fur and yet taste like vanilla.

The track had become the central unofficial hangout spot, where groups would gather in the evening in circles. This type of societal formation w...

By: Lenelle Jordan Kutzner, University of Victoria, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

The classic phrase “time flies when you’re having fun” should be changed to “time flies when you travel”. I find myself writing my “mid-trip” blog when I only have a week and a half left. One minute you have all the time in the world, and the next minute you are scrambling to see all the museums and attractions that you planned to do ‘next week’. Germany has been a rollercoaster of all kind of emotions and experiences, not all of which have been easy. However, I think the true growth comes from such moments and struggles. It’s not always fun, and sometimes it gets overwhelming. I’ve done a really good job of letting myself experience whatever emotions I’m feeling- whethe...

By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

As the representative of Canada, I have to get up an hour early to join the other representatives on our transport to Tsinghu University where opening ceremonies were being held. My first day here at the camp and already I have to leave my roommates who I just met to venture forth into my exciting duties awaiting. I put on my elaborate Canadian outfit, consisting of various Dollar store accessories and two flags stuck in my ponytail.

At 6:00 sharp Gloria comes by to collect me, and by 6:15 AM I board a bus along with 32 other students, one representative from each country. Before I even reach the bus, the representative from Argent...

By: Katlyn Bieber, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

Since arriving home for the summer at the beginning of July, I have been keeping myself busy in order to transition back from my exchange life to my normal life here. I am working at the Visitor’s Centre in Clearwater, B.C. where I am still talking to people from around the world every-day (including some Austrians)! It definitely feels weird to be back in Canada, separated from my new friends. There are days where I wake up and I feel a pang of sadness that I won’t be riding my bike to school in Graz or hanging out with my awesome roommates and friends. The time I had with them was so short and yet I made relationships that I know will last for the rest of our lives! I am tr...