Hello! I am Tristana Daniels-Nitsiza and I am from Behchoko NWT. I am 18 years old and freshly graduated from high school. I was fortunate enough to be chosen for Northern Youth Abroad and travel to Ottawa. Coming here will help me grow comfortable in a city environment and being on my own being an independent individual. 

Coming here was very hard as at first I was very hesitant about leaving home, but as the days came closer I was getting even more excited to leave and explore. I knew this was important for me to grow. Being here has given me even more reason to continue in post secondary and adventure into my new university years that will be happening this fall. 

But of course I have been homesick and it made me want to quit and go home, the small breakdowns were tough and it was hard to call home. Though for the past few days I’ve been well and even though I am missing home, I know it’s waiting for me along with my family and friends. (And my computer).

These few weeks have been jam packed though fun and exciting. For the first time I have volunteered in a garlic farm and have gone back to the residence smelling of garlic. It’s been intriguing to work at a farm and clean the garlic for sale, it’s a long process but other participants along with me have been going pretty fast cleaning them. We are basically pros at this stuff now. 

I have even worked in a trades class for woodshop/carpentry, it’s been real fun as we are building dog houses and we will be donating them for dogs to use. The building and assembly has been really fun because I don’t build at all and seeing me along with my other two group mates making this from scratch make me know that we can do anything as long as we try. I was scared to attempt this afraid I would mess up but the instructor/teacher has been helpful along with small accidents that we all do. Some of us have broke a few stuff for the tools but he is understanding and says everyone can be replaced which is nice and stress relieving.

(By the time this is posted we should have already have built and painted them) 

Ottawa has been great so far even if the air is very humid and hot, I will sort of miss this when I go home though I will continue living in a city for my post secondary in Calgary. And whilst being here my favourite trip we have done so far was going to the nature museum 

The friends I have made here I will miss them too, we all are different and that is nice because we are from different communities within NWT and Nunavut. 

Can’t wait to go home and enjoy my community and family.