Back home

I was going to write this a bit earlier, but I ended up a bit busier than I thought I would be over the past 2.5 weeks that I have been home for.
When I first got home after the 15 hour plane ride back to Vancouver it was quite depressing to be honest. Not that I didn't like it here or anything, its just that you kind of build a new life there and once you get settled in there, so to say, you are forced to leave again and go back to "the routine." Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is a bit of a transition. It's also that after being used to seeing new things, trying new things, meeting new people, and more, its somewhat difficult to adjust back to being at home and seeing the same people again, the same scenery etc.
So for my first week back I just did as much as I could seeing friends, going to Vancouver and just driving around (nice to have a car again after taking public transport for 6 months!!). In one sense its more freedom having my own vehicle again and now having a job which gives me money to do more stuff. But on the other hand, living on my own for 6 months gave me the ability to do whatever I want whenever I wanted without anybody saying anything about it.
Now that I am back I managed to get a job within a week of being back as an IT guy for an engineering firm in the area, which has been going pretty good so far. I almost can't believe my fortune in getting that job, as it really worked out perfectly in terms of being able to work full time till school and then part time when I am back at uni.

Overall my trip to Australia and New Zealand was something that I will never forget and the people that I met along the way are people that I will never forget and I hope to remain in contact with for a long time yet. I really want to go back in the next few years once I graduate and maybe work there for a while. The life skills that I learned there are going to help me wherever I go and the experience is something that nobody can ever take away from me. I am so glad that I did it and I really want to say to anybody considering doing an exchange/travel is Just do it!! Its something you will never forget and is worth every penny. Just the people you meet and the things you experience are amazing.
I think that this experience has opened by eyes and opened me up a bit more. Now I am far more willing to try new things, meet new people and just take every opportunity that I can. I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity and am looking forward to meeting some of the people heading this way on exchange and showing them around this area, just like people did for me there.