Traveled in Ontario, Quebec, BC, Alberta and lived & worked in Montreal

I was so lucky to be able to use this program to experience life in Canada for 18 months! I worked with Lubka Jacobs to coordinate my visa, who was incredibly responsive and helpful every time I reached out to her. After traveling for 3 months throughout 4 different provinces, I chose to work in Montreal for the unique & fascinating culture. I had originally planned to live in Vancouver because of the incredible scenery, but ended up choosing Montreal after falling in love with the romantic architecture, the young & urban vibe, and the fact that almost everyone in the city is bilingual!

Don't let people tell you you can't live in Montreal without speaking French! There is a thriving Anglophone community here and there are plenty of job opportunities for both English-only and bilingual speakers. I worked as an English/Spanish bilingual debt collector, an En/Sp bilingual travel agent for a start up app, and an engineering technical drawer for an architectural lighting company during my time in Montreal. The work I did here improved my Spanish immensely and also allowed me to gain experience towards my career.

I was able to live a very urban lifestyle right downtown and took the Metro to get around the city (I rarely even took Uber because the Metro system is so easy and efficient!). I took French classes for a couple months et maintenant je peux parler, lire, et écrire un peu français :) Montreal is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and I have had the pleasure of working with people from all over the world: Ghana, Iraq, Mexico, Iran, Argentina, Egypt, China, Venezuela, the UK, Cameroon, the Philippines, France, Nigeria, Russia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guinea, and the list goes on - as well as from all over the US and Canada! Due to the incredible diversity, Montreal is a Foodie's dream city; you will never run out of new restaurants and cafes to try and you will never tire of poutine avec viande fumée! Montreal is in a great location so during my time living here I've also been able to easily visit New York, Maine, & Vermont. A note on the weather: I am from Georgia, so I'd never experienced real winters prior to living in Canada, and I loved it! Winter was beautiful and so much fun; even when it's freezing there are always people out and about skiing, ice skating, etc. If you're looking for a North American experience with a European twist that you cannot find anywhere else, come check out la belle province.