My name is Jamesie P. Itulu, from Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

Starting from the beginning, I did my Canadian phase back in the summer of 2012. I was placed in a small town called Deep River, Ontario, just a two hour drive north of Ottawa. My placement buddy was Chris and we got along well with one another and our host family. My job placement was in a District Hospital as one of the maintenance crew, just on the edge of town, where my host mother worked as well.

The first day on the job, I met with my co-worker, Aiden, and our Supervisor showed us around the building, but then we were attacked by a swarm of tiny wasps, in which we thought at first were just irritating, small flies. But overall, my job placement kept me busy and it was pretty okay.

Our host family took us to do a lot of different activities and to many different places. We went to the beach where the water only reached up to your knees for the first fifty feet and drops off like a steep cliff into an abyss of water. We went boating to the Quebec side of the Ottawa River with an old couple and went on land to check out a waterfall. My host parents also took me to a wedding to another town in Ontario, and also took us to a Carnival to another town just nearby and it was a blast!

Now moving onto why I applied to the International phase.

I honestly had forgotten that NYA had an International phase at all, but when my old teacher and mentor, Tessa, asked me about applying again for NYA International I immediately applied and became a Reserve; just in case someone dropped out. But just a few months before summer break I declined and decided to apply next year because I needed to look after my father after his hip surgery in Ottawa back in 2014. After he healed up I applied again. It took quite some time before I was finally messaged about my position in the program, but just two months before summer break, I was given a spot. I did the best I could to finish up all the assignments and managed to complete it just in time.

On June 26^th, 2015, I departed from Pond Inlet with a couple other participants in town and headed down to Ottawa to start our adventure.

When we arrived in Ottawa, I was met with familiar faces I hadn’t seen in three years, and a few new ones to go with it. There were only a few of us the first night at MacSkimming, so we had a pizza dinner and went to see a movie. I watched the new movie “Jurassic World” with Mick, Chelsea and Jeff. It was awesome, especially the last part.

While at camp, it felt like going back to school again, but we also did other things like going to Parliament for Canada day, watch a Baseball game and go to the mall to shop.

After about a week, the International and Canadian groups split; our group was taken to Algonquin College while the first years went to their host-families around Canada. We were paired up with buddies and shared a two-roomed dorm in our apartments and I was pared up with Mick. I say we get along pretty well.

We took construction classes there from Tuesday to Friday each week and Spanish Classes in another building on Tuesdays and Fridays. In all honesty, I wasn’t really interested in the construction class but I did it anyway because I knew it was important for me to learn the new skills of how to use tools and other equipment safely and efficiently. I only managed to get into three out of five classes in Spanish lessons but they were fun and interesting nonetheless. We did construction classes in the mornings and Spanish classes in the evenings.

Throughout the three weeks we were in Ottawa, we went to the Mooney’s Bay beach, shopped in malls around the capital, visited museums, went to the movie theatres, played mini-golf and took a visit to Fun Haven to play Laser Tag (which my group planned). I’m sure I forgot to add something else we did in Ottawa; there were simply too many things we’ve done for me to remember on the spot, but the whole three weeks we spent there were pretty fun.

And now, we’re in Guatemala.

The day before we got here in Central America we packed away what we needed the most as our luggage needed to be less than fifty pounds. We left the things we didn’t need to be watched by Bec and the other staff. We left for the airport around eight in the morning and departed around ten or eleven. We arrived at the Newark International Airport, in New Jersey around two in the afternoon. We ate a bit in the rather large airport and just chilled near our Departure Gate. The place was a lot more chaotic than I was used to back in Canada and we finally left and got on the plane around four or five. The flight itself was pretty long to say the least; I spent that time trying to sleep and watching movies on my iPod. We landed down in Guatemala around nine or ten at night in their time zone. We waited in the lobby for an hour or two, waiting for Tim to find his luggage and we found out it wasn’t brought along on our plane’s cargo hold. With that done we finally went out and got in a van to be taken to our hotel.

The building itself was at least twelve stories tall, and when we got in it was made to fit a royal family, but we were all too tired to really care. I got paired up to share a room with Angus and Mick. We turned on the TV and we couldn’t understand a single word, so we just went to one of our leader’s room and ate some fries and sandwiches before going to bed.

In the morning, I looked out the window and it looked beautiful. We could now see what we couldn’t last night and three volcanoes were practically looking over the city like sleeping giants. After our little ‘Awe’ and ‘Cool’ we went down to the lobby and ate a delicious breakfast. After that, we heard there was a swimming pool in the fifth floor on a rooftop, so we went and swam for two hours in the warm water and sun. I didn’t notice it at the time but I got sunburn on my shoulders that I couldn’t really feel until the next day.

Anyways…

Around noon, we got into a van without lunch but we had little snacks and went to a small town near a volcano beside a lake. The drive there took about two hours but I loved the scenery. I felt as though I was finally immersed in Central America.

After the long drive we reached our destination and unloaded in a small hotel. I was pared up yet again with Mick and Angus to share a room and we found out we could barely fit in the bathroom in our room. We all settled in for an hour before we went down to the parking lot behind the hotel and our tour guide took us around town for a little tour. When it got dark he took us to a restaurant nearby and I found out that Guatemalans made the best lemonade and their food was great.

The next morning was a little sad as we were splitting up again. The other group, Team Turbo, left early in the morning to go to another town, and after our ‘Good Byes’ we went for breakfast. In the afternoon we packed up and went to our town. There we settled in, then Mick and I exchanged greetings with the people we were going to be working with.

Our job is to help build a home for a couple in Santa Cruz. Personally, there have been ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ but I have habits of following the directions of my leaders, so I brush aside the little ‘downs’ for later and do my job. Being in the Army Cadets for quite some time will do that to you.

Other than construction, so far we’ve went to the Mayan Ruins not far from here and went exploring a little on a tour. We’ve also done a few laps in go-carts. I accidentally ran into a small tree trunk when I looked away for one second and that is when I knew I would never buy a full-on car or truck. But I don’t mind having a Dune Buggy.

In the near future we’ll be doing other activities in the coming weeks, but now I stop here.

So till next time, have a nice day/night, everyone.

Cora, Karlene and Dakota after construction class at Algonquin College

Hello to all who may read this interesting story I have to share. My name is CoraLynn Rabisca, I am from Fort Good Hope, NWT. I was a Canadian participant with NYA in 2013. We were the first participants to all come back. We made it through the whole 6 weeks of the program in Canadian then we had a celebration. I was placed in Ottawa, Ontario. My host buddy was Patti Wediwin. It was the best summer. I was placed at the Nepean Sportsplex working with kids and everyday was a different activity. We always went swimming, which was great because it was so hot and humid – it felt as if you have just stepped into the shower (outside). My host mom was the best, she took us to places I thought I would never be. She took me and my host buddy to Toronto and we went to a live show at MUCHMUSIC. We also went to Niagara Falls and went on the Maid of Mist. I had a great summer with my host Mom. Now this year 2015 I am in the International Program for 6 weeks – 3 weeks in Algonquin, 3 weeks in Guatemala.  Let me first tell you about Algonquin College.  It was AWESOME!!  but at the same time I did miss my family and my 3 best friends. I called them to say hi and tell them how my whole day was and how fun it was, especially learning new things.

We had a construction teacher his name is Craig. During the week we had classes Tuesday to Friday. He showed us how to use power tools safely and with patience. Craig started us off making picture frames, than we moved on to making dog houses for dogs shelters. We accomplished that (Yaay!) now the dogs have a home they can crawl into. At the end of our Algonquin training we had a graduation ceremony. We got awards and t-shirts. My name was spelled wrong – but that was fixed in no time. We also had Spanish classes. Our Spanish teacher was Jacky. We had class on Tuesdays from 1:30pm to 3:30pm and on Fridays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Thinking of that I should of took more interest in that class, because there is very little English spoken here in Guatemala. My advice would be that if you do the international program take the classes more serious, you’re going to need it.

On our nights off in Algonquin we would go to the mall, go shopping or go to the food court.  We would also go to the movies and checked out the museums. Besides that we had some crazy laughs, and some funny and exciting moments.  Sometimes someone would get down about missing home, but we always tried to make them feel much better – it’s always good to be there for your teammates as you’re going to be spending the whole 6 weeks with them getting to know them and you may become close buddies.

Now there is only three more weeks to go. It feels as if it’s been a long time but I’m sure once we are getting closer to going home it is going to be hard to say goodbye.

Now I am going to mention how lucky I am to be picked for the International program and to be meeting my great fellow participants. I’d like to thank the Northern Youth Abroad staff for how much they do for us and for taking the time to give us Northerners a life changing experience and for helping us prepare for our futures by providing us with high school credits and knowledge. You also get the chance to meet other participants from all over the NWT & Nunavut.  There are so many great things about this program, if I had a second chance I would do it all again.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Sincerely.

CoraLynn Rabisca

Liveena in Totonicapan

Hello, my name is Liveena Toonoo (most prefer Liv), and I am from Cape Dorset, Nunavut. My Canadian Phase was in St. Albert, Alberta with my buddy; Anne Renee in 2012. I was placed at the YMCA Citadel Day Care, which really prepared me a lot for my job experiences since. Now I am currently doing the International Phase.

Algonquin College in Ottawa was part one of our International Phase. We had basic Spanish classes 2 times a week for 3 weeks with an awesome Spanish teacher named Jackie. (But I manage to almost mix up Ukrainian and Spanish, and the kids find it quite funny to hear us try to speak very basic Spanish, and it’s adorable). We also had a 3 week construction class course with the whole group taught by Craig. I would’ve never thought that I would be doing a construction class, considering I avoided it in high school. Any tools, whether it be hand or power tools, had always scared me prior to the class. Which Craig definitely saw on my face prior to trying every tool – I definitely loved the Compound Miter Saw though. We all successfully completed the course. We were split into 4 groups and all managed to finish a dog house for each group. They then donate the dog houses, which is awesome.

Those 3 weeks in Ottawa definitely flew by, and we are now currently in Totonicapan, Guatemala. It is breathe taking and beautiful. We’re almost 3 thousand feet above sea level, working on our second house. It’s quite exhausting, but so worth it knowing we’re making a house, that the families will then make into a home. Things to remember “apply sunscreen constantly, drink lots of water, wear a hat”.  The people here are beautiful, the women’s clothing especially. Some children are also very entertaining, curious and shy. They definitely notice my Monroe piercing. One young lady gave me a bracelet on our first house while I was chiselling cement blocks, which has probably made my whole week! (Side thought: Everyone is almost all my height or shorter; “these are my people” and “Oh my gosh, I feel tall”).

I definitely recommend Northern Youth Abroad to all the youth of Nunavut and Northwest Territories. NYA has many great benefits, such as receiving high school credits, and volunteer hours at great work places (which all vary depending on your interests). You also get to see different part of Canada in the Canadian Phase, and then you’d be eligible for the International Phase. So take the leap, get out of your comfort zone, there’s a whole different world waiting for you out there!

Alisha, Kyla, Sandra at horseback riding

My experience in the NYA program has been extremely amazing and incredible. I am so happy I’ve got to have this experience. I was placed in London, Ontario. My placement buddy is Kyla. My host mom’s name is Deb Branston. She has 2 sons Micah who is 3 and Matthew who is 9. She also has 2 foster daughters. I’ve had a lot of fun this summer and did a lot of stuff like: go to Canada’s Wonderland, horseback riding, to East Park (which is a water park in London), go on a tall ships tour in Toronto, go to Stratford to see a play called the Sound of Music, go go-karting, to the beach, to Rock Glen Conservation Park, to the movies many times, and the mall. I also made a new friend from France who was also a student staying with my host family. I worked at the London’s Children Museum. I did stuff like art demos and science demos with kids, planning for day camps and prepping for camps too.  I really enjoyed working there. My coworkers were really friendly and awesome. I will also be starting at a bakery for the last 2 days. I’m excited to work there. I’ve gotten used to living in the South. I’ve explored most of the city and know my way around. I’m used to taking the bus everywhere. I’ve made a lot of new friends too, which was one of my goals. Kyla and I have also gotten to hang out with Angela and Sandra a few times. Marcus and Paul also came over with them one night and we went swimming in the backyard and had a campfire and sundaes. It was really fun. I haven’t really been homesick. I’m having too much fun to be missing home. I’m really glad that I’ve done this program and looking forward to applying for the international program.

Lilly working at the bakery

My name is Lilly and I’m from Cape Dorset. I was placed in Saint John, New Brunswick with my buddy Saveah from Kugluktuk. I volunteer at a bakery called Piece O’ Cake Custom Creations. At work I learn how to bake cakes and cupcakes, how to keep things organized and how to do icings and designs.

I work with my AWESOME co-workers Jo-Lynn and Meg, and of course my supervisor Sherry. Sherry is a very nice person and she’s fun to be around. My host parents are Cheryl and Steve McDaid. Cheryl (my host mom) makes me laugh every day, which is a good thing because I love laughing. My host dad Steve is funny and always joking around. They are both very nice and welcoming. They also make sure that we are always safe and having a good time.

They have two kids, James is 15 and Katie is 11. They also have 2 cats and one dog, the kitten’s name is Peanut, the cat’s name is Pepper and the dog’s name is Jess.

I’ve been enjoying my experience so far. I’ve gone to the beach, shopping, jogging and toured around the city. Saint John is a beautiful place and I’m happy that I’ve been placed here 🙂

Kyla and Alisha horseback riding

I started off my first work day by taking the first bus I’ve ever took alone in my life. I had to take 2 busses in order to get to my work placement, it was definitely a learning experience. I have now been taking the bus every day to work for 3 weeks. I quickly learned my route home, to work, and surrounding areas by heart. Travelling around the city by myself was very intimidating at first, but after time it got easier, and now I can do it no problem.

In our summer home, lives brothers, Matthew and Micah, their mom Deb, and foster daughters Erin, and Karibia. Over the summer we have also had 2 French students from France stay with us – Marjorie, and Nathan. We became great friends with them throughout the summer doing a lot of fun activities with them. We even joined other NYA participants, Angela and Sandra, for campfires, and swims in the backyard pool. Their host family also lived in London.

Kyla, Alisha and Host Family at Canada’s Wonderland

Over the summer, Deb did everything she could to fulfil our new city desires. She brought us to the African Lion Safari, waterfalls, several beaches, horseback riding, watching plays, trips to Toronto and Stratford, and Canada’s Wonderland, where we got to go sky flying in bungee cords, and on the slingshot ride. The slingshot threw us into the air, forcing us into flips. It was an exhilarating experience. Nights when we didn’t do these activities we would do things like watching movies at theatres close to the house and going out for coffee at nearby coffee shops. Deb was the best host mom ever! She did everything she could to make us feel at home and have as much fun as possible. I couldn’t have asked for anyone else to host me for this program.

After enough 5am wake ups for an hour bus ride to work and arrival time of 730, I switched to a different job, that only required one bus ride to work, at the Bright Beginnings Day Care! The staff are very sweet, and the children are even sweeter!  I am going to miss the kids terribly! My job included playing with the kids, helping with supervision, and helping prepare some
activities.

I am extremely proud to be an NYA participant! I am the only participant from Inuvik to apply for the Canadian program, and I will definitely recommend this program to anyone who is interested! I have worked many hours to gain these high school credits, and learnt a lot in the south. The NYA staff are the nicest people you’ll ever meet, they made me feel very welcome to this program, and made my homesickness pass quickly. NYA is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It had its ups and downs, but I couldn’t have asked for a better summer.

Rahabi preparing to go dragon boating

Hello, this is Rahabi Nattak – I’m a 2015 NYA Canadian phase participant. My host community is in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. It’s a very nice, little community. I volunteer at the Wolfville Children Center, I love working there. The children come up to me and ask for help or to play, and the teachers seem very happy that they have another helping hand. In my spare time I have been doing dragon boat racing. The team I participate with are called the Breast Quest. They do dragon boat racing in support and to raise money for breast cancer. I have enjoyed helping them out and love paddling. Wolfville is an awesome place. In the future I would like to come back and see how it has changed and see all the wonderful sights again. What I love about this little town is that it has a lot of history and wonderful sights. The best part about Wolfville are the chimney swifts, where a lot of birds fly into a chimney at dusk, which is pretty cool and lovely to watch.

Sincerely,

Rahabi Nattak

Hello to all the participants, my name is Karlene Isaiah and I’m from Fort Liard, NWT. I was a Canadian Participant for NYA in 2012. My host buddy was Valerie MacKenzie, who is here with me for the International Phase. We were both placed in Shawinigan Lake, BC. We experienced and learned so much, it’s amazing that we get to do it again here in Ottawa, ON. My work placement in BC was at Harlequin Nature Graphics Ltd. Our host family was good to us, they made sure we had something to do every week and introduced us to their friends and family.

The first week in Ottawa, ON at Orientation camp, we learned a lot about our group leaders are and what we’re going to learn and see in Guatemala. I am nervous and excited to travel outside of Canada as it will be my first time flying internationally.

Taking Construction and Spanish classes was so much fun for the 3 weeks that we’ve been here. The first few days of Construction was uneasy for me as I found out that I’m deathly terrified of the table saw. Nothing bad has happened it’s just loud noises that I don’t take too kindly to. Lol I thought construction wasn’t for me but I love it – but only the hand tools lol. Our construction teacher Craig and Spanish teacher Jackie were so patience and I’m thankful they took the time to teach us what they know. We made picture frames and dog houses which are going to shelters for dogs in need. Knowing that makes our work feel that much more special and satisfying. Spanish class was great, the classes always went by quickly.

Being here at Algonquin College has definitely laid all my anxiety and nervousness feelings to rest. We’ve all had to be responsible for ourselves. Waking up early, getting to class on time, making sure your assignments are done, etc. I’m looking forward to college this fall in Fort Smith, NT.

I am honoured to be an International Participant for NYA. It is truly life changing and it teaches you things that will help you through any challenge life has to throw at you. I recommend this program to every eligible person in Canada. I don’t want this program to end, it’s been so satisfying and I feel like our International group is not just close friends but family, and that’s what I want everyone to experience. The joy and love you receive and give back out into this world.

Gracias (thank you) for reading my blog and I hope you pass on the word in your community about how NYA has been so amazing in many ways to so many lives.

Karlene Isaiah from Fort Liard, NT, an International Participant of 2015. Buenos Noches.

Hello, this is Mickey Iqaqrialu from Arctic Bay, Nunavut. On June 26^th there were 4 of us that arrived in Ottawa, and then settled in at MEC (MacSkimming Education Centre). That night we went to watch a movie at the Cineplex. Chelsea, Jeff, Jamesie and I watched Jurassic World – I was so scared, I kept closing my eyes. Anyways, a day later everyone arrived in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon.

Couple days later we went to Rideau Hall and we met the Governor General of Canada, afterwards we met his dog Rosie, she was 14 months old. On June 30^th we went to a baseball game on my birthday. I would like to say thank you to the Northern Youth Abroad staff for taking us to the baseball game! July 1^st all of the International program participants went to the Canada Day celebration in downtown Ottawa. There was a lot of people downtown and it was raining so heavily in the afternoon that we had to go into the mall.

After the MEC we moved to Algonquin College. We took part in a work shop at Algonquin where we made frames. After that we learnt how to build dog houses. We then graduated from our program at Algonquin.