Photo by Nareeta Martin on Unsplash

Notes of an international student: Year III — Part 1

Siddharth Ashri
Nov 7 · 8 min read

I’ve been thinking about how far I have come since the day I first landed in Canada for a while now. I had turned 18 exactly 2 months before arriving at Vancouver International airport. I didn’t know what to expect back then and I certainly did not think of myself as someone who was willing to try out new things in life.

I want to share my journey with you. I want to tell you about some of the things I’ve experienced, Lessons I’ve learned along the way, and offer some insight into how living in a foreign country away from everything I’ve known has made me a better person.

But, I don’t want to go the traditional route and start off from the beginning. I want you to know where I am in life right now and trace back to the first step I took at Vancouver airport to start life afresh as an international student.

June 2019

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

I have a full-time job right now, working at Tim Horton’s. I am in a bad head space right now and if I am being honest this has been going for quite a while. Graduating from college was the last last time I felt a sense of achievement, but that’s said and done. The more I think about it, the less valuable my accomplishment feels.

I have been relentlessly applying to every single job post I come across but I can’t seem to crack it, I am either rejected or ghosted, it sucks. I can’t be bothered anymore and I can’t take another rejection. Nothing seems to be going well right now.

Not to mention dealing with a former drug addict of a roommate whose crazy delusions manage to interfere with whatever sort of routine I have going on and disturb with my landlord at 2 am every night. It’s either that or arguing with a 30-something guy on petty issues such as an unclean fork or who is using the kitchen, which isn’t something I look forward to either. I feel angry, scared and stressed at the same time.

Work isn’t all that great either. I’ve been working 2 different shifts and double shifts now and then for a while. I can’t remember the last time I had a good sleep. My supervisor is very controlling I can’t take her screaming anymore. Dealing with irritated customers over a cup of coffee or a misplaced item isn’t worth it either. Every time I hear a customer complain I think about Russell Peters. “Take it, and go. Take it and go.’’ Just take it and go indeed.

It’s alright though, and honestly speaking I have to expect all of this, it’s a part of growing up. I shouldn’t be asking for help from my parents or anyone for that matter. This is the cost that is associated with the freedom I get in return. I have a full-time job and I pay my bills and I go to the gym.

The gym is the one place where I am happy. Where for 90 minutes no one bothers me. It’s a place where I feel zen. Lifting weights, stretching, listening to podcasts, and music . Maybe if it wasn’t for working out I would’ve gone insane a long time ago.

Getting to the gym used to be a pain though. I had to take public transportation and prepare well in advance if I wanted to get there early. I am lucky to have my landlord go to the gym with me. He’s a nice guy, and I enjoy his company. He’s a compassionate and a kind person. Shout out to you for helping me deal with my roommates and dropping off or picking me up from work every now and then. I am truly grateful for your help.

This phase truly does suck, I feel constrained. The only way I can see right now is to improve my skills and put out more projects online. Display my work to potential employers. Every now and then I start doubting my diploma and my grades which in turn makes me question my abilities. I start to focus on my negatives and I think to myself that I must be missing something otherwise I wouldn’t be in a position like this or maybe I am just not meant to be a software developer. But I have convinced myself that the only way out of this pain is through it.

July 2019

Photo by Chris Ried on Unsplash

After creating a few more projects and a couple more interviews I am getting better at selling myself and talking about my projects and my skills with a potential employer. My first interview with LeadAssign was okay. I feel there’s a 60% chance of me getting a second interview. Can’t say for sure, Meanwhile it’s time to go serve some more coffee, gotta pay the bills right?

It’s been a little over 2 weeks now I haven’t gotten any response from LeadAssign but I do feel optimistic about the position. I know I have the required skills and I am completely qualified for the job. One caveat though, the office is about 2 hours away from where I live but that doesn’t bother me. In-fact I think I will be happier there. Living with my current flatmates is a nightmare.

I spoke to my landlord and it seems like he will ask my roommate to vacate. I couldn’t be more relieved right now. As much as I wish I could do something for him I am just not in a place myself to help him out. I think he needs to be in a better place mentally. He’s far worse off than me right now. I even paid for his emergency trip to the rehab center. I shouldn’t waste my time on him, it’s not worth it. I have other things I need to deal with.

It’s the 3rd week of July I’ve had my second interview with LeadAssign. It lasted for a total of 5 minutes and judging by our conversation I feel positive about my chance of landing a job here.

It’s the 31st of July today. I GOT THE JOB! Holy shit, I can finally stop working at Tim Horton’s and leave Brampton for good. As much as I would’ve preferred getting a job in Toronto I understand that this is way better than my current situation and I should be content it. I am very excited! My roommate has vacated but left all of his belongings here (weird). There’s a new guy moving in as well but what do I care? I am leaving in a month so it doesn’t really matter.

It’s the starting of august. I’ve told my employer that I would be moving in within the next 2 weeks.This is my last month here. After 2 ½ years of struggling, moving around, countless night-shifts my time here is done.

I can’t wait to call myself a software developer. It feels weird because I think it’s all I’ve wanted for a very long time. I get paid to write code. It’s time to find a new place. Live somewhere else for a while. I will be happier there and a change of pace would be nice.

October 2019

Photo by Mia Anderson on Unsplash

I am 2 months into my new job. I love it, I guess I am still in the honeymoon phase where everything still seems new and every interaction I have is a positive one. Maybe my coworkers are just that nice. I don’t know. The point is I still like my job and I hope it only gets better and better with time.

I still have a lot to learn from my co-workers. Being a junior member of the team I don’t think the same way about problems as they do. They’re ahead of me. I am playing a game of catch-up. That’s good though, because I get to learn from some very smart people who are highly skilled at what they do and I get to be a better version of myself. That’s the reason why I do the things I do.

Other than my full-time job I spend my days usually reading or working on a project or thinking about this blog, and working out. At the age I am right now I believe I have around 10 years or so before I stop having the time and patience where I can try things with a newfound passion. I don’t want that to happen but I see some people and they’ve lost that fire to improve themselves. Obviously, I don’t know the full story there but I am just scared about ending up in a similar position.

At the same time I see some people that are more than double my age and love what they do. I want to be like these people. I admire them and I want to learn from them. I want to be the person who people look up to 20 years from now. For that to happen I have to take action today that will catapult me into a future I envision for myself.

I don’t want to lose this mindset where I approach things with curiosity. My belief system right now is that I can improve myself in any aspect I want if I spend enough time at it and as long as I am content with it.

I don’t feel any kind of pressure internally anymore. I have the freedom to do the things I want to do when I want to do them. The cliché that life has its ups and downs is very true and I suppose this is my up. Which only motivates me to be well-prepared for the down. I still try to live frugally however. In my mind I still have the same mentality about finances when I was unemployed.

I do however take more financial risks. I’ve lost what I consider a good amount of money by investing in bitcoin, or by buying stuff just because instant gratification is a thing. My focus is now on building a financial nest egg big enough to support my expenses for 6 months. I think that’s a good target.

I am thinking of getting a part time job that will definitely help me keep busy during the weekends and I can some money on the side. Time is a luxury that I have right now. I have to make the right choices so that the future me is thankful for the decisions I make right now.

If you liked this story please 👏 below and follow for more content! you can also follow me on instagram @krusty_3yes

To talk more about this article or your experience living abroad leave a response below!

Siddharth Ashri

Written by

Developer | Tech Enthusiast | Business Enthusiast | I love everything about life. Learning to be the best version of myself

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade