Canada

My name is Yadira, and I’m from Mexico. I speak Spanish, and I’m 44 years old. In Mexico, I studied to be a Psychologist, and I worked as a teacher in a rural High School for 15 years. I moved to Canada in April 2019 with my Canadian boyfriend to build a life together in this country. I will write about my experiences in this new country, and I will start with my honest initial perceptions and feelings.

My first experiences in Canada were quite difficult. First, I never imagined the loneliness that cold weather can cause- missing the family and activities that you can’t do because of the weather. The second thing was and is the language barrier which makes it difficult to participate in Canadian culture and life. Also, the issue of work was surreal in the times of the pandemic. However, one thing that made a big difference was the people; Canadians are very kind and warm; they give you the opportunity to learn their culture and language. They helped me feel more welcome.

Also, the government programs for immigrants are a great help like the Multicultural Center and of course, the LINC Home Study program (in my case).

Over time I’ve started to adapt every day, I’ve learned a lot about Canadian culture and grown both personally and professionally. My goals are to study mental health or something in the health and psychology sector.

In conclusion, immigrating to Canada was not easy- but it was worth it. I’m grateful first for my husband and also for the experiences in this new life, and I’m excited about the life I'm building here.

Thank you for reading my story!!