Olah! It's been almost a year since my last post. By the way, we made a major change in our life last year which took much of our time, which is why I just posted today.  Many things have happened in our lives for months, and I want to update you on our life here in Canada. 

We left our home country Philippines to immigrate to Canada last year,  August. It has been a nerve-wracking decision and at the same time an exciting journey for my family.  Who doesn't want to see and touch the snow, right? 

For many years, my husband and I have really long wanted to go to a Western country like USA or Canada and luckily, an opportunity knocks on our door that we can hardly resist. Long before this opportunity, our first choice was the US; however, we found Canada to immigrate fast and easy. 

So I decided to become an international student because it was the easiest pathway to enter Canada. On top of that opportunity, an international student can bring their dependents or family while on a student visa.  I can tell that it was not an easy journey but it is all worth the effort and money. 

Let me show you our pictures from our departure at Davao Airport to our arrival at Prince George British Columbia.

Davao Airport: Our flight got delayed so we had to stay overnight at the hotel in Manila.

Our airfare was so outrageously expensive. We took the Philippine Air Lines flight which cost $1100 each on a connecting flight - from Davao to Manila to Vancouver to Prince George. 

Then when we arrived in Manila, we stayed in the hotel for free and shouldered by Philippine Air Lines since our flight got cancelled. I can't remember anymore the name of the hotel but the delay was all worth it since we got to rest from a long trip from Davao City. 

The next morning, we woke up early to catch our flight at 9am. We had to prepare emotionally and physically as we had to go through an interview from the immigration. This was the scary part because you might still get denied in immigration even if your visa is approved. Thankfully we passed the interview and all of our nervousness vanished. 

The airplane flew for approximately 14 hours (not really sure) but I can tell it was a long and tiring trip.  All you have to do is sit, eat, watch movie, and sleep. But I wasn't able to sleep well because of the mixed emotions I went through at that time.

At the Vancaouver Airport

We arrived at 7:00 a.m at the Vancouver Airport and had to wait for the last flight at 5:00 p.m. going to Prince George.  I couldn't describe my feelings at that time - feelings of fatigue and anxiety. Everyone was dead tired. 

Finally, at around 12:30 A.M., we arrived at the Prince George airport. It was super scary because we didn't know anybody at Prince George and we were the last passengers on that flight.  As you can see in the pictures below, the airport was already quiet.  It was quite an adventure because we were not familiar with the place yet and no one would guide us except God. 

But before our flight, we made sure to book a hotel for days in case we couldn't find an apartment as soon as we arrived.  Thankfully, we arrived at the hotel sound and safe. 

After a restful night, we got to see the nice ambiance of Canada - the cold weather, fresh air, and clean surroundings.  Although the place we chose to live is not the typical city with tall buildings and a busy life, I can see that Prince George is more beautiful and liveable than the original place where I live. 

This is the end of our stories, and I have still a lot of stories to tell. See you on my next blog.