Over ten years ago, I decided that I pretty much knew everyone in my home country of France, and, despite being midway through my graphic design studies, that it was time for a change of scenery. I only needed to figure out where to go.
It had to be a big country with diverse weather and completely different people and the US topped that list. I started applying to universities with decent design programs until my father told me that I couldn't afford to study in the US as a foreign student. With my sights already set on North America, I started looking into Canada, as the province of Québec has an agreement with France that allowed me to attend university for a heavily discounted tuition.
A few months later, I found myself in Québec City starting my first semester at Univesité Laval—I was thrilled. Then, winter hit. Freezing doesn't even begin to describe what December felt like. But my fellow classmates taught me how to properly dress for the seemingly eternal winter and, eventually, I actually found myself craving the cold.