Hey I’m Issy and in 2022 I decided to make the big move to Canada (beautiful Banff so lucky me) by myself.

The idea sparked from those restrictive covid days when I all I could do was work and go outside for a walk once a day and suddenly I thought 'is this really it?!'. The urge to travel led to a research session on which countries offered working holiday opportunities for UK citizens. I was instantly drawn to Canada with its huge snowy mountains in the winter and crystal clear lakes come summer. It was clearly a beautiful place to live, so it felt like the obvious choice to set my sights on there. And i'm so thankful that I did.

On returning home to the UK, I've had the opportunity to reflect on my time in Canada. And not only was it the best thing I've ever done, having created memories and made friends for life, but it has truly shaped me into the person I am today. Here's a few ways how...

Confidence

Before I moved to Canada, I had never travelled abroad by myself, so this was a significant milestone for me. But since the big move, I have become so much more confident in myself and everything I do in life. Canada forced me to be more outgoing because I had no one to go with. I had to make friends, start a new job, find activities I liked to meet people and organise all my working documents together. And guess what, success! Moving to Canada made me realise that I should believe in my abilities, trust my own judgement, and that I can handle challenges that may come my way.

Broadened my horizons

I moved to Banff, a popular working holiday location, which meant I met people from all over the world, from Australia to Chile to the Czech Republic. I got to know their different cultures, experiences and life back at home, which was so different to mine. It made me realise - there is so much of the world out there I haven’t experienced and want to. Hearing people’s stories opened my eyes to this hugely.

Not only that, but I did and saw some incredible things in Canada that I never thought I would be able to. A lot of these are bucket list activities that people dream of. I got to see Moraine Lake at sunrise, canoe on Lake Louise’s crystal clear waters and ski whenever I wanted because I could. When I had these experiences, it was such an amazing feeling I can’t even describe, and I thought, there is no reason not to seek out more incredible adventures like this. Since Canada, I have travelled to so many more European countries, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia and it’s just ignited my desire to explore the world more.

A shift in perspective

I was the classic, get me out of my hometown and country ASAP! However, leaving allowed me to find a new appreciation of home and how lucky I am to live where I do. Living in Canada, you can fly for four hours and still be in the same country, but in the UK we are lucky enough to have so many European countries right on our doorstep. All with their own unique culture and a different lifestyle from my own. And the best part? You can get super-cheap flights from the UK, all within 4 hours or so from home.

With my newfound sense of adventure, I realised the UK is a great place to explore in itself. We experience all four seasons, we have beaches, cities, mountains, castles, pretty much everything you could ever want! When I changed my perspective, I realised how great my home country was. Which definitely helped ease the post working holiday blues.

Work life balance

Now this may differ from person to person, but moving to Canada really changed my perception of work. Before I moved, I was all about climbing the corporate ladder and wanting to make the most money. But now I’ve realised that isn’t everything. I worked a casual job in Canada, both front desk at a hotel and serving in a restaurant, and the best part about them was that I could leave work and not think about it after I left. They were also great because I worked different schedules, which meant I could hike or ski before or after work, and work wasn’t on my mind when I wasn’t there.

After some of the best experiences I have ever had in Canada, it opened my eyes to the fact there is SO much more to life than your job. Now I have a more laid-back approach to it and favour having the time to enjoy my life rather than just working and earning lots of money.

Fast forward to now and i've grown so much in confidence, i'm more open-minded and excited to meet new people and learn from them and most definitely happier because of it. I now know that if there is no-one to go with, I can go by myself. As you can see, there is so much you can gain from doing a working holiday, not just the experience itself, but who you are as a person afterwards. It will most definitely change you for the better.