Why An Exchange? Why Not An Exchange?

It was the breathtaking scenery, wildlife and of course the snow that first caught our attention but after twelve months of being immersed in Canadian culture our ties ran much deeper than that.

Our new home was in the beautiful city of Orillia, Ontario. As promised there was plenty of cold snow but also some very warm neighbours and colleagues to make us feel more than welcome. We found the Canadians to be overall very friendly people who were most interested in hearing all about the land down under. We have since made some life long friends who we still keep in regular contact with.

During the twelve months while we were away there was certainly never a dull moment. We really hit the jackpot in Orillia - set on two lakes and an hour & a half from Toronto one way (the capital of the province) and one hour from "cottage country". Cottage country comprised of lake after beautiful lake, abundant wildlife and vast provincial parks - perfect for hiking. Not to mention the many seasonal festivals and the local markets occurring year round. Our travels also included visiting the famous Niagara Falls, the Canadian Rockies with glacial fed lakes and snow capped peaks. We also engaged in many winter sports such as x country and down hill skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, ice skating, broom ball, curling, tobogganing, dog sledding and we even went on a sleigh ride pulled by horses to collect our Christmas tree!!!. Canada really had it all!! There's something quite remarkable about x country skiing across a lake in the winter and then canoeing across it in the summer!!

The Canadian school year is structured perfectly to make sure we didn't miss a thing. The nine week "endless" summer was just right for us to have plenty of rest and play!! Although admittedly the long terms do take some stamina!

We found the Canadian exchange rate to be very close to the Australian and the cost of living wasn't too different either. Obviously our heating bill was higher but things evened out through the summer.

Now of course the centre of our exchange was no doubt my school, Monsignor Lee Catholic School. From my first day to my last I was welcomed with open arms, I was really made to feel a part of the school community. No one ever hesitated to offer help or advice and they were all quite proud of the way I so quickly became acclimatised???There was a real sense of Christianity within the school. Once I had mastered the art of dressing twenty odd kindergartners in their snow suits I almost began to feel like one of the locals!!! I had many opportunities to receive professional in service and I learnt a lot about the Kindergarten curriculum. Participating in Winter Carnival days and celebrating Halloween were certainly eye openers too!!

Finally I really need to mention the fact that not only did we meet many wonderful and amazing Canadians but we also came into contact with many others on exchange including Aussies, kiwis, Irish & Scottish. These people also helped to make the year the truly amazing one it was!!!

So, my advice? Just do it!! Yes there is some initial organisation and worries but if you put in a lot of enthusiasm and are ready for anything then it will certainly be a year like no other, perhaps the best year of your life!!!!

Marista Cartan - from Tamworth NSW to Orillia Ontario