My Journey so Far – Part 1 – I Came

By: Yash Sharma

A gleam of morning sunlight across the mountains, vast green pastures with giant windmills, and skein of geese fluttering around in the clear blue skies. This was what I dreamt of on the day that I found out that the doors to Canada were wide open for me.

It was just a few days before the new year’s eve of 2012 that I was proceeding to experience one of the most awaited moments of my life – further my education abroad. It all began with just a whim to do something which would make me and my parents happy.

I was raised in a family of four with a silver spoon. My parents always wanted to make sure that I acquired my education from one of the best institutes throughout my career and this is where it ended with a BANG!!

I was quite motivated to leave for good, all alone with a bag full of goodies and a few clothes and that’s when I knew I was marching towards an entirely different walk of life. To have a tryst with destiny.

With watery eyes and a melancholy feeling, I bid adieu to my mum, dad and brother who were there at the airport eagerly awaiting my boarding call. Yes, they wanted to get rid of me since I have been a child who has been extremely attached to them and never wanted to leave home. And I knew that here onwards, the next few steps that I stride would land me at a “kingdom, which was far-far away” (Yes, I can recall the movie Shrek).

“As my flight landed in Canada, I was thrilled to see the entire landmass covered in snow”

I grew up experiencing sweltering heat for more than eight months a year while the winters lasted for just over four months without any flakes of sparkling snow dripping down from heaven. As my flight landed in Canada, I was thrilled to see the entire landmass covered in snow.

On a regular chilly day, I would be sitting on my couch relishing a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a bestseller with the mesmerizing squeaking of my pet guinea pigs in the background…but here I was dragging 90 kilos of baggage on a cart in the hallway trying to find someone who could help me with directions on a wintery day with the temperature dipping to -14 degrees. Torture it was!!

I was tired and already suffering the aftermath of a 16 hour flight – air travel has always made me uncomfortable. I somehow managed to call my mom and when I did, I could sense her quivering and her inner voice wanting me to come back. She was already missing me.