What inspired you to travel abroad?
I spent all of 2019 in Australia on a working holiday visa and really loved the whole experience of it, so I wanted to spend another year abroad in some other country that also offered the same type of visa.
I always wanted to explore Canada and learn how to snowboard, and since it was the last year I could apply for a working visa there due to its age limit I decided to go for it, despite all the difficult circumstances that have come along with the Covid pandemic during the past year.
I managed to get my application sent in and approved just as I had turned 32, and activated it a year later in November 2020. Still the best decision I have ever made, I would say!
Why did you choose INTERNeX Pacific?
I had been looking into organizations that offered jobs abroad for a while, since I still needed to show a valid job offer at the Canadian border checkpoint to be able to activate my working holiday visa.
The Swedish-based organization that I first contacted was going out of business after being hit really hard from a year of Covid restrictions not allowing as many to go travel, but they could still provide me with their contact info to Internex who were able to help me out instead. It did not take long until I was offered a ski resort job after our first video call!
I also got a lot of help with the booking of a hotel for the required two-weeks quarantine at my arrival in Calgary, as well as check-ups now and then to make sure things were going smoothly and according to plan.
What was your favorite part about Canada?
Well, working at the hot tubs at a ski resort in the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains is really hard to beat I must say! But the nature, wildlife, and landscapes is what will stay with me the most I believe.
I am currently only half way through my visa’s validity though, and have had a great time wherever I have been around here so far. I am currently living and working on Vancouver Island, which has been a truly magical place to explore as well.
I also hope to make my way across the entire country eventually, and visit Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal during my last two months of the visa.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Same as above. Learning to snowboard, going from the kids’ hill to double black diamond runs in one season was also pretty mind blowing. I have so much more planned before heading back home also!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The very helpful staff at the employee experience office at the resort made my stay there great, and I was offered to come back there to work any time in the future!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
Can't think of anything really, but my time here has only just begun! I only wish I had moved here earlier.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I worked night shifts at the pools, cleaning and doing laundry after closing, so I usually slept in on most days. I woke up at noon to get a good late breakfast so that I could head out and get a few afternoon runs on the ski hill a few times every week.
Wednesdays and Thursdays were my days off, so I tried to always go into town by the shuttle bus to do my grocery shopping and banking errands during those days, and just rest up before the following work week.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
Snowboarding, hiking, and soaking in the hot pools (that I also worked at) was a favorite. I am also a huge train nerd, and Canada is a really nice place for trainspotting. I could just spend an entire afternoon on this bench overlooking the lake and mountains with a railway running along it, waiting for the next train to pass. That is a good day for me!
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I shared a flat at the staff accommodation with three other guys, all good people who I still stay in touch with. We all had our private rooms in a dorm-style flat, shared kitchen, and bathroom.
Hot pools at the resort during a snowy sunset in Canada
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I’m still abroad! Not the least bit homesick, and I hope to be able to keep travelling once my visa here expires. First vaccine dose is received, so hopefully I will be able to go back to the United States or to Mexico once I have gotten my second jab! There’s so much left to see and explore over here.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Don’t worry too much before going, most things will work out once you’re there. Money is replaceable, the memories and friendships you will create out of your travels are not!
Would you recommend INTERNeX Pacific to others? Why?
I sure would! Anyone who has the opportunity should try to live abroad at least once in their life to see and experience the world from new perspectives. Internex were really easy to get in touch with and provided just the kind of service I had wished for, and at a reasonable price as well!
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The connections made along the way and the personal growth that comes throughout the entire experience of being in a new place.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
It’s the type of travel where you feel like you are truly living through it, and not just touristing. Widening your worldview and letting life take you to new places where you feel at home, away from home.
