How I spent my summer in Canada’s International Student Residence in Alberta
A couple of months ago, I left my home in Calgary and set off on a trip through the countryside.
I stopped at three of Alberta’s oldest post offices for a quick pick-up before heading to the nearby Canadian Pacific Railway terminal.
As I headed through the terminal, I could tell it was crowded.
I was told there would be lines for some students.
“They can’t be here,” I was asked.
I had been given a guidebook and told to find a table with space.
I knew the train ride would be long.
After an hour and a half of walking, the train pulled up.
I stood in line for a seat in a car next to a young woman with her young son.
She said the train was too long and asked if I would like a break.
“No, I’m fine, I love my summer here,” she said.
She was so excited when we got on that train that she gave me a ticket.
She had already booked a seat on the train.
I could feel my heart rate picking up.
My heart was racing.
The train ride to Edmonton was long.
It was a short trip, but it was full of surprises.
We arrived at the Edmonton International Airport and were greeted by a small crowd of people waiting for the train to arrive.
The first thing I saw was a man with a big grin on his face.
“We’re going to see you in a few minutes!” he said.
“I’m here to see a couple of friends,” I replied.
“Sure, you can come on,” he said, handing me the ticket.
We waited for a couple hours.
I saw the train arrive and I was glad to see the group of students and a young man with his two young children on board.
The people at the train station were very friendly and welcoming.
The students were just a small group of people, and I could see that there were people all over the place.
When the train finally arrived at Edmonton International, we sat at a table.
It didn’t take long for the excitement to begin.
“What’s up, is it a big day?” the young man asked.
“Yes, it’s my first time,” I responded.
“It’s the first day of school,” he replied.
The young man and I started chatting.
He had a large smile on his handsome face and seemed to be very excited.
We both knew we would have a great time together.
“Can you say hello to your friend?”
I asked.
He nodded his head in affirmation.
“Hi, I know that’s your name,” he added.
“Hey, how are you doing?”
I said.
I don’t know how I managed to say hello.
I didn’t know that I had missed my chance to meet the girl who I had spent the summer with.
I felt like a lost soul and I didn´t know how to make it up to her.
I got up from the table and walked over to her and she greeted me.
She told me she was very excited and asked me if I had any questions.
I replied, “Um, yes, what?”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked.
The next thing I remember is her asking me, “Are you a virgin?”
I responded, “No.”
“What?” she exclaimed, incredulous.
“Oh my God, I forgot!”
I told her I was a virgin.
She then asked me to tell her everything that had happened in the past year.
“Do they have a lot of boyfriends?”
I replied in disbelief.
She looked me over and then told me, in a tone of disbelief, “Oh, they don’t.”
I told them about the times we had slept together, the times I was sick with fever, etc. “You must have a boyfriend.”
She said.
After that, she asked me, somewhat defensively, “So, what are you going to do now?”
I told me I would go to school and work, which seemed very realistic for the young girl who had been the one to offer me the opportunity.
After a while, she turned to me and said, “I don’t think I can handle that.”
She looked at me with her eyes and said “I am sorry.”
I was speechless.
I thought I would never get a chance to say goodbye.
But then I remembered something I learned from the book of Revelation: If the one who is chosen is not chosen by God, what hope is there for us?
And that is how I learned to love and be with my friends.
It wasn’t long before the train arrived at Pearson International Airport, and we got off at the airport and walked down a long, winding hallway.
As we walked down the hall, I noticed that people were holding signs, waiting to get on the plane.
I realized that they had no idea what I was going through, so I stopped walking and asked the people if they had any