When I chose Canada as my destination for my year abroad, I never thought I would end up in the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador is a province in eastern Canada on the Atlantic Ocean. It is made up of two regions: the island of Newfoundland and the region of Labrador. The capital is St. John’s which is located at the most eastern tip of the island of Newfoundland, on the Avalon Peninsula. My house is located about an hour’s drive from St. John’s, in a town called Carbonear which has about five thousand inhabitants. Carbonear is home to many wooded areas, as well as being surrounded by the ocean that bathes shining shores. The beaches are rocky and the water is usually a dark gray due to the low temperatures, but in summer it transforms and becomes a wonderful blue. In addition to the ocean, beaches, and forests, Carbonear is surrounded by beautiful mountains that can be explored thanks to many paths that lead to the top, and there you can admire the ocean from above.
In the city you can find a small shopping center with three supermarkets, some clothing stores and a small bar. Also, going towards the center, you can eat typical Newfoundland food served in small restaurants, where you can enjoy a good hamburger and fries from fast food restaurants, or sip a coffee in local cafes, which is very useful for warming up. My school is located south of Carbonear, named Carbonear Collegiate, and is located a few minutes by bus from my home. The road that takes me to school continues next to a series of sports facilities belonging to the school – a basketball court, a skateboard park, a tennis court in the summertime, a skating rink in the winter where I had the pleasure of trying the national sport, hockey. Then there are softball fields, the soccer field, an athletics track where I did a strenuous but exciting cross-country run. Finally, a swimming pool where I had the opportunity to join the local swimming team.
During my stay here in Newfoundland, I visited many places with my host family and friends. Newfoundland has very wonderful landscapes where you have the chance to admire many beautiful places every day. Some of the things I have seen so far are two of the thousands of Newfoundland lighthouses, the historic ‘Signal Hill’ attraction, the many beaches surrounding hiking trails, and I have also tried many new foods, such as Canadian poutine, a French fry dish, drowned with gravy sauce, made from the convenient way of cooking the meat, and curded mozzarella. Another great feature are the temperatures. Before arriving here, I knew about the very cold climate and it frightened me a little, but then, once the gradual arrival of cold weather began, it didn’t cause me many problems at all, on the contrary it is a feature that makes this place and its landscapes magical.
There are still many more adventures to be had, and I’m excited to see where I will go and what I will see.
Serena Trombini