Hello my name is Shannon McPherson and I am a Canadian Program participant with Northern Youth Abroad. This summer I have been placed in West Vancouver, Squamish Nation BC. For the past four weeks I have been volunteering in art and explore summer camps. Each week I learn something new- whether its painting, going on adventures with the kids, exploring the city and nature, or just learning from each kid. I’ve come to love Vancouver and the different cultures it has to offer. Also, seeing all the dogs and friendly faces makes me feel at home.

My summer goal was to learn my way around my host community, which I achieved and I am quite happy about. The summer is almost over and it makes me sad that I’ll be leaving soon. I’m also very happy to go back home to tell my family and friends about the great summer I’ve had. The highlight of my trip was hiking up a mountain which I cant remember the name of, but it was an hour away from Squamish BC. It was so pretty at the top, and seeing the other mountains and lakes is something I won’t forget.

There were a lot of challenges this summer, like being so far from home, having to learn my way around a new place, and getting homesick. I am glad and very grateful I had my host mom to make me feel better with the car rides we took and the talks we had. Most importantly, just being there for me when I had wanted to give up and go home was a big support. I am very blessed to have gotten this opportunity. I would like to say a very big thank you to the NYA staff for making this program happen every year. You are all the best and I am happy I have been chosen for this great experience. Thank you for reading!

Shannon