By: Chris Goodchild

I was born in Malaysia, grew up in England, Holland, the USA, and Canada. I have English parents, who, along with me, have lived most of our lives outside of England. I can speak three languages (sort of), and I enjoy eating food from all around the world. I am an international student at UBC, and I love it.

Being an expatriate international student can be hard at times, especially if it is your first time out of your mother country. When I first moved to Calgary, Alberta to finish my last two years of high school in 2010, I had already moved around the world several times—therefore, it should have been an easy transition, right? Wrong. Everything changes when you move to a new location: new friends, new lifestyle, new experiences—life gets jumbled up in the most spectacular way. I was shy, scared, tired, and nervous—a bit of a wreck to be honest!

I have found that, while the transition into a new place can be tough, it is not as hard as it may seem to be. Think of all the amazing things you get to experience by going to a school in Canada: skiing, snowboarding, surfing, hiking, the amazing city life that is Vancouver and, for me personally, an amazing music scene with new bands and artists performing every week! As daunting as moving to a new country can seem, the easiest way to get around it is to take part. Immerse yourself. Find a new outlet. Explore and be creative, try new things! Life here can be as amazing as you want it to be, but you have to want it to be amazing before it can become a reality!