Pre-Departure Prep for Montreal – Goodbye Alaska
My departure date has been an exciting and nerve-wracking prospect approaching all summer. In Alaska working remotely, I made sure to stay busy. Spending the summer well has helped me feel ready to go. Running with my family’s dog, spending lots of time in the wilderness, and lots of time with friends and family. With a full summer behind me, I feel more ready for the huge adventure ahead. Yet I know there are many things I will miss, especially the huge expanses of wildlands in Alaska. Thank goodness I have a few days left here…
The thing I wasn’t ready for this spring and summer was the amount of paperwork and emails it would take to get ready for departure. From immigration to traveler’s insurance, the list seemed never-ending. What helped me most through that process was talking to other study-abroad students and keeping in touch with the UNM Global Education Office. I organized my actions by necessity, first things first. I still feel as though something may have slipped through the cracks. But I have faith it’ll all work out and if I have forgotten something small, I think there will be grace enough to recover from that.
Prior to departure, I made the choice to live off-campus. I want the apartment-near-a-big-city-experience. I also wanted the option to try going zero-waste through choosing my own food. Through a local church in Montreal, I got connected to two girls who are also moving to Montreal this year to attend college and who needed one more roommate. We facetimed, texted through Messenger, able to talk through the expectations we each had about living together. I read a lot about how it’s unwise to sign a lease from another country before seeing the apartment but I gave a deposit to secure the room. I love the location (3.5 miles from school, on the edge of the Parc du Mont-Royal). By Google street view I explored the neighborhood, I noticed a lot of people seem to have bikes. I’ve decided to buy a bike from FB Marketplace! And I’ll be trying public transportation for sure in the winter. Between all the research and paperwork I made sure to take lots of breaks for running and enjoying where I am now.
With the paperwork completed it is time to make lists; packing, purchasing, and arrival errands. I know I will need to get a student ID and practice getting to my classes before my first day. As a new student to Concordia, I don’t know how to navigate the skyscraper buildings filled with classrooms or the underground passages to the library straight from the metro station. I look forward to exploring on my first weekend there. And it is finally time to pack which is one of my favorite parts!
With departure date arriving soon I realize everything is working out and even if it doesn’t that’s all apart of the risk and reward of an adventure such as this. My advice to anyone looking to complete this process is definitely to reach out to churches if you plan to attend when you get there… The Gospel Coalition website is super reliable to find Gospel-centered churches, having a connection to the city, people who can help me through my transition and look out for me when I get there is instrumental in making the transition a little less scary. Facebook groups and the school’s international student office has been hugely helpful too. Additionally, I’m planning to travel lightly and purchase second-hand any items I need that I need when I get there. Including furniture and some clothes. But the Moka Italian Espresso brewer will definitely be making it into my suitcase…
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