Three, Two, One, JUMP!

The moment I bought my plane ticket was nerve-wracking. The only thing I can compare it to is something I experienced a few months later, it pretty much felt like I was in a plane at 15,000 feet, and there was no turning back, I was about to jump. So I put my fears aside and I took the leap - I headed to Australia. Since it was my first time going abroad on my own, I was pretty nervous so I signed up with SWAP. They connected me with other travellers before I left, answered all of my questions and sorted out my visa in record time, so I was feeling much better about the whole thing. When I arrived, I stayed at the SWAP-recommended hostel and was lucky enough to make friends there that I stayed in contact with throughout my entire stay. They travelled with me and encouraged me to do once-in-a-lifetime things, like learn to surf, and yes, eventually even try skydiving. With the help of the hosting centre, I organized everything in the first couple of days - bank, phone, resume, etc. The apartment and job followed shortly. It was smooth sailing and I knew I could always drop by and talk to the staff if I had any questions. The pay in Australia is pretty good so with the money I saved, I travelled around and got to enjoy life in a new and exciting place. Living and working abroad changed my perspective on everything. When I came back to Canada, I missed my friends, the incredible beaches, and Caramello Koalas, but I was a better version of myself in every single way. I pushed myself to be more outgoing and more open-minded. I learned to live life to the fullest and that's something that I will always carry with me. I soared out of that plane somehow and made a graceful landing and it was all thanks to SWAP. So if you've been thinking about it, just do it, take the leap, you won't regret it!