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Swimming against the tide

I describe living in Italy to people as brilliant but also that it is always as if I’m swimming upstream against the current. The beautiful things are often also the worst, or in this case the most challenging.

Today we did an Easter egg hunt. I can’t speak for all parts of Italy as to whether they do some of our traditions in Canada, but in the North where I am the Easter egg hunt doesn’t really exist. So it was really cool to see a different culture experience something so natural and ingrain me- I think my one was when I could walk, for the very first time.

When you live abroad in a country so different than your own, you are constantly seeing and around things that would never happen in the way they do at home. And then there’s the big things that really make you think or shock you, and surprisingly that was today with the hunt.

I remember in my cognitive psychology class in university my professor described the human brain as a sort of computer or giant filing room. Each file is a topic or concept and within the file is organized all the memories, opinions, information, and emotions connected to that topic. Then of course files are organized in certain locations with greater, more generalized subjects to loosely categorize them.

When you experience something specific within a topic the whole file opens and you either reenforce the associations made or readjust (or even create if the new experience adds a different perspective or new branch of information). When a general topic is experienced, as it is when a topic comes up in conversation, that file is opened a bit more generally, as if there were subcategories instead of completely laid out in detail. Your brain in the background also brings up all the ties/associations it has with the other files in the greater subject, as well as, even more in the background but active, the associations it has with other separate greater subjects.

And so this is a continuous process that happens in everyone. You are constantly reorganizing, recreating, and many times even creating from scratch new files, as well as all the associates between everything. It’s how you become wiser, form your perspectives and knowledge, and how you make decisions in your life.

 But when you travel this process is extremely accelerated. You're taking in so much new information and stimuli that your brain seems to be on overload. All my memories and previous info come up and then my brain has to go through which things to keep as ingrained in me and what I want changed. It’s the recreating and creating from scratch that is especially confusing and exhausting though. It’s something I experience at least a couple times a day here, and then even when I return home after being away for so long. 

So, it’s wonderful to be learning and growing so much and this is why I am passionate about travelling and living abroad. However, it is also exhausting and in a lot of moments- like today, I found myself just wanting and appreciating the Canadian way. It’s always trying balance, ‘i just want to Canadian way because its better’ and ‘open your mind because there isn’t only one way live and think’. After living here for 2 years, I now realize a lot of things about the Canadian and North American way that I don’t like and agree with. I’ve changed a lot in my thinking and way of life, but I’ve also reenforced a lot of things of my past/the way back home too. When I do finally return or settle down, I feel like I will have worked out a really good ‘file room’ for myself. Haha 

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In the Italian alps right now and it’s so peaceful and beautiful.

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Teaching abroad is brilliant even if you don't have an interest in English

I’ve started a few blog posts but then have gotten side tracked. The last month has been insane! It seems that the whole city of Torino, Italy wants to learn English. And on that note I’ve decided to finish up a piece I started about teaching, although I’ve done another on it before. I actually do not like english. In high school and university I hated the subject and even in my scientific classes I dreaded writing papers and reports. There’s two reasons for this and the first is that I'm not good at it. It’s frustrating for me because I do fairly well, naturally, in sciences and math and I can pick up information about the news, history, geography, ext. However, to express myself or to write narratively or creatively is extremely difficult for me. The second reason is that I don’t have the interest in it. There’s a lot of things that I haven’t been good at in the past that I’ve worked hard at and am now really capable. But I had the interest or some kind of incentive. Languages I’ve never had the natural ability or the interest for. So it’s pretty ironic then that I’ve been teaching english in Italy for 2 years now- and love it by the way! It’s been a really positive, interesting, and inspiring experience for me.

I think it’s different to teach something than it is to learn it though, and I also think that the teaching experience in itself is something you either love or hate. Of course I think about the english language when I think up material and make lesson plans, but the focus is more on what teaching style/strategy to use and thinking about my students in terms of how they all work as a group and then individually their personalities, strengths, weaknesses. Its really personal and creative and completely open. There is so much you can do and sometimes I end up spending more time debating what to use or going through possibilities than actually doing the lesson. There’s so many games and activities and it totally depends on what you want to accomplish and how the group chemistry is. Sometimes I go more creative and use music, theatre, and stories, and other times I do more logical and passive learning, like getting them to write things out, showing material in tables or using diagrams. And then as time goes on and you see how much they've been able to take it and now use it’s the best feeling! So yes Im teaching english, but really I’m wrapped up in designing lessons and materials and on the personal aspect and nature of teaching.

I feel like the environment makes a big difference too. I’ve been lucky to have a situation that suites my personality. I like to jump around and love novelty and my jobs are perfect because they're all really different. I do the classic teaching a class of children in a school and have to teach more formally. I teach adult university students and do conversation classes and they're actually really common because young people need the language for their careers or to live abroad. Everyone can study a English at home, but to be able to practice speaking they want an actual english speaker to hear, imitate, and correct them. These courses are amazing because it’s also a cultural exchange mixed into the teaching. I do speaking exercises them with that always bring up personal opinions, preferences, and experiences to get them to express themselves more deeply and with more developed vocab. Finally, I’ve done a lot of tutoring kids in a home environment through au pair/live-in tutor experiences. It’s a lot more of creating an english environment naturally that surrounds the kids and utilizes the fact that kids are sponges. This strategy makes a relaxed job for me but it’s incredible how well it works for the kids! I love becoming a big sister and seeing the kids learn, but maybe my favourite part of this experience is that both parties come away from it having learned about the others culture, interests, lifestyle, ext. It’s gaining a general perspective from another culture and place than your own, but also particular things that you take away because every family is different in what each parent came from and did in the past and what they are and value now in the family unit. It’s allowed me to develop and open my mind about what kind of life I want for myself in terms of career, ambitions, interests and values, lifestyle, and if I want a family and how I’d raise children.

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Nice, France

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“Wandering’s the most addictive drug there is, I think, and every hidden road leads on to a dozen more.” -Stephen King

When I first decided to take some time to travel I had planned to only go for 6 months. After the 6 months was up I was certain that I’d return home, settle back down into a job, graduate school, save for a house… A lot of my friends I’ve met abroad had the same plan, but after we started we couldn't stop. And I should say that the 6 months was really filled with different and amazing experiences. I travelled all around Italy alone, with friends, and with two Italian host families, I made a social network with english speaking friends from all over the world and also Italian friends, I had a summer romance and a serious relationship here, and really integrated into the culture- I even worked and paid taxes.

But when it was finished I needed more.. It’s just such an enriching and mind opening experience that changes you. Some of my friends haven’t returned home to settle in years and I don’t know if they ever will, whereas others have extended their journey a lot longer than expected, but eventually went back to start something. I’d say I’m in the middle. I am in no rush to get home and don’t have the desire to settle right now, however I know that home is always there for when I do wish to return and I’m sure that I will.

If I could choose one word to describe what travelling has been like for me I’d use ‘overwhelming’. I think that’s what you don’t expect when you start- how overwhelming it will be that is, and it’s what ends up keeping you. You don’t realize how much you are going to take in each day- languages, food, architecture, lifestyles and values, relationships and family dynamics, scenery, art, history, different economical states, and social issues. And thats just in one place, one country…then you go to another and you take it all in again! Then your mind races with curiosity and interest to learn and see more, but there’s so so so many places! It would take you a decade (if not more) to see Europe, and to see and understand it well. Same with every other continent. Now of course that also depends how deeply you wish to experience a place and learn about it.

At least for me and a lot of my travel friends I’ve talked to about this, it’s something you want and feel so passionately about, but that you'll never be able to get. Each smaller travel plan awakens your desire for 10 more plans, and unless you plan to make travelling the major aspect of your youth or you are brilliant enough to find a way to work abroad successfully and long term, its impossible to do all that you want with the time and money you have.

I suppose it’s completely different for each person though. There’s probably a lot of people that can narrow down the experiences and places they'd like to do and at the end of it feel content. For me though I don't think I’ll ever be truly content. It’s difficult balancing my need to travel, study and pursue my career (which I'm also really passionate about), and have a family. Of course it could be possible to have it all, but it would definitely be difficult and I don't know if I’d want it that way.

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Romances in Italy

I’ve had three romances since being here. Each has been intense, significant, and also difficult. These three words really sum it up well.

I met Alex the first night I was here actually. I had a small apartment in a piazza and to get to it I passed the back door of his work where he smoked. He barley knew english and I knew no Italian, and I remember thinking that it was just like in a movie. With Alex it was all passion and the interest of being with someone you don't understand (in a cultural way and with the lack of ability to communicate). It seems that summer romances tend to be more intense and it definitely was with him. Really high highs and low lows, and then it seems like in an instant it was finished. It never really had much substance, but he make me feel so alive.

The next was my neighbour who I met in the elevator with one of the kids I took care of. Little Luca (the kid) was our icebreaker and after meeting up in the elevator twice he asked me out. After Alex I really wanted to stay on my own, but Stefano was so similar to me and it was incredibly easy and refreshing being around him. He’s a very logical and level person with a lot of interests and ambitions, like travelling, studying, sports, and languages. However, he was like a lot of people here are and really valued stability. He was extremely close with his family and had had the same group of friends from childhood. After a few months it became more serious and the thought of falling for someone who would eventually leave freaked him out and he called it off. It was sad in the moment, but it actually turned out to be a good thing and we’re on good terms now.

The last and very recent was by far the most impacting and deep. Umberto. How can I begin to explain him. He is a very interesting and different person. Really intelligent in a creative way and up and down with his expression, passion, and emotion. Every moment is its own with him. Extremely difficult and extremely amazing person to be with. I met him while I was teaching at a school and I was instantly pulled towards him. Last summer I fell in love with him and I’ve never something similar for anyone. When I had to leave it was horrible… Now after 2 months, as I’ve mentioned before, I was able to return. We continued to have some amazing times together and our feelings for each other never changed, but everything ended up falling apart. Some of it was because of the living/work/study situation we were in, and some of it was because of our personal differences. There’s a lot to say about it, but the only thing I really want to is that sometimes you can try and try and try to make something work and it still just won’t. I’ve learnt what a sad experience it is to love someone with everything, but not be able to be with them…

Each relationship has been memorable and I don’t regret anything. Honestly. But, I will definitely say that relationships abroad can be really difficult. To fall for someone in a place you know you will not stay is the first thing because it starts with the thinking that its only casual and then when you develop greater feelings its panic that you'll be heartbroken when its time to part. Then, it’s trying to understand and make a relationship work with someone who has a different mindset and way of life than you. The amount of misunderstandings and trying to convince the other person of your thinking is incredible. It can be both fun and problematic.

The other thing that I find difficult is the extremeness of the situation. When you end something here it’s a lot more finished than it would be back home. There’s no, ‘maybe it could work after some time apart’, or ‘I could always bump into him in the future’, or ‘I regret breaking up and I want to try again’. People move to different countries for work or to study, or it’s nearly time for you to leave by the time you have a regret and/or want to try again. On the other end of it, if you want to stay together the only option could be to get married and then you're marrying someone you haven't really known for that long. I know two couples that have gotten married and its worked out brilliant, and two that have split up very soon afterwards.

Anyways, that’s my take, experiences, and advice on having relationships abroad ;)

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Avigliana, Italy

Adorable little town hidden in the Italian alps.

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A general take on, plus my history, of Teaching Abroad

In university I studied biology and health sciences, and my career ambitions revolved around working in the health field. I never imagined myself teaching and actually loving it. Now of course when I decided to move to Italy I took a job living with a family and tutoring english, but it was a home tutoring, baby sitting, big sister cultural exchange. Then I met a friend from England who was teaching in schools. She inspired to be a teacher and told me all about how it was for her here in Torino. Through her I guess I got a bit of inspiration, as well as a connection to a language centre. I thought since I had a lot of free time and wanted more money for travelling that I would give it a try.

In this first job I helped a lot of students and young professionals around my age that needed english either to graduate their university program, to work abroad, or to advance their career in Italy. I did general english courses where me and a student would go through a topic with some reading, listening, and speaking. I started to become close with my students and I really liked seeing them improve and become more confident. I also did conversation lessons at this job and they were my favourite, not only because they were the easiest to do, but because it was a cultural exchange between me and my students. They told me about different aspects of life here in Italy or where they were from and what they wanted to do in their futures, and I told them the same for myself.

For my second job I tutored a student who was preparing for an entrance exam into an international masters program. The program was international relations and economics and was taught in 3 languages in 3 countries. When I first met him and heard this I thought about how our masters programs are back home. Of course the education in Canada is fantastic, but none of my peers or I went on to study our masters in multiple languages and counties. To learn and be able to express a subject in 3 languages and perspectives, because each country will focus and prioritize different things, and also to understand different methodologies, because each country’s education and work industry is different, I think is brilliant! So with this student we went through news headlines and topics and it was really interesting to see him become better and better at discussing and assessing major problems and events taking place all over the world and then how each contribute to world relations as a whole. By our last lesson his english and ability to do this task- which he needed to do for the interview, was incredible and I felt so happy for him.

Finally, for my last job I went once a month for the full day to elementary schools to give english lessons. This was the first time I had a whole class of children to teach- the classic teaching position. A year before this I was afraid if I had to make a presentation or answer something in class. Then I found myself in an Italian school, with teachers and kids who could barely understand me, taking charge and delivering lessons. Surprisingly I wasn't nervous at all and the kids responded really well! When I finished at the end of the school year all the Italian teachers told me I was a great teacher and that I should continue doing it.

My tutoring with my host family also didn’t go as planned. I figured the two little girls would only be able to pick some up and get use to hearing the sounds of the language because I wasn't actually teaching them, I was only speaking and doing activities with them. When I started I couldn't even the most basic conversation with them, but by the time I left they had become nearly fluent!

All these experiences from my first year here were so significant and amazing in their own ways, and when it was all finished I decided I had to dedicate another year to teaching. It’s been perfect for me because I can’t picture myself teaching forever, so going to university and becoming certified wouldn’t make sense, but its something I really wanted to do for a period. Now I work a good variety with a good english school. I work some days with kindergarten kids just starting with english, some with late elementary kids who are developing the language, and then I also have my conversation courses with adults.

I’d really encourage anyone else that feels similar to do the same because it is a really fun, educational, mind opening, impacting, and challenging experience, and there’s also so many places that you could chose to do it depending on your interests and personality.

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Italian Pizza

How am I going to live without it when I’ll return home?

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Italy's Amazing Food Culture

Growing up with my family consisted of taking a meal from the freezer, putting it into the oven for 30 minutes to an hour, and then eating it in 20 minutes or less. It’s not exactly the same here in Italy…

Food is a huge part of their culture and I have grown to really appreciate that. They prioritize making time to eating every day, and many people will actually organize their entire day around meals. It’s always a time for ‘staying together’ (as they always say it) and socializing, and also to stop and ‘stay quiet’ (as they say to mean calming your mind and being).

I have taken on this perspective and lifestyle and it’s made a really big impact in my life. It sounds so cheesy, I know, but what you eat has a significant impact on how you feel physically and mentally/emotionally. And when I did change my eating habits and started to feel the effects, I realized how scary the food culture in North America really is…

I don’t eat processed, frozen food anymore. I don’t eat a ridiculous amount of sugar and salt. I don’t eat things that do nothing for my energy and nutrient requirements, like candy, desserts, and chips. Even the foods you wouldn't think to be so bad, like crackers, banana breads, and pastries, are horrible in North America because they are not genuine. They’re not made with real ingredients and have an excessive amount of flavour enhancers, and they're not made fresh or kept frozen only for a limited time without a cocktail of preservatives.

Not only was I a horrible eater, but I was actually addicted to eating in that manner! If I didn’t eat enough salty, sugary, or high carb and fat foods I would crave them like they were a drug! I should crave food because I'm hungry, not because my body is so accustom to taking in such high levels or because the media has ingrained in me that I need these types of foods. Italians crave a solid, good meal after a morning or day of work and burning energy. A meal that is fresh, full of complex carbohydrates, with vegetables and all of the food groups. This is the way it should be! Also, after a meal instead of dessert they eat fruit, which has natural sugars.

Now of course I still snack every once and a while and my diet is not perfect, but I have made such a big change and when I do return to Canada I will definitely continue cook and eat like I do here in Italy! I hope changes back home though… There’s a lot of awareness campaigns and hipe about healthy eating, but it seems more like a fad rather than an actually desire to change the culture around food.

Anyways, on another important but not serious note, Italian food is delicious! You can literally find pasta in every shape and size, sauces of any flavour, and any kind of bread (but its literally all amazing. The pizza is the best thing to happen to me, gelato in the summer and hot chocolate in the winter are to die for, and their pastries and ‘biscotti’ are so yummy even though they're not even that sweet! I could talk about the food for a while, so i’ll leave it at that and maybe later do a post going into different foods and recipes. I’ve lived here for a year and a half now though and I’ve never not gotten sick of the food and I’m always discovering something new. So, if you are someone who loves food and eating (like me!) or if you want to eat and feel better, Italy will not disappoint!

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Alassio.

The coast city on the Italian Riviera known for flowers.

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Languages

When I first moved abroad I thought with certainty that it would be necessary for me to know the language for getting by independently and living comfortably. I was really worried because I struggle at languages and I was moving abroad on my own. When I arrived here however, I didn’t ever use any of the basics I had taught myself before coming. Everywhere I went people knew I was english and insisted on speaking english with me. I don’t know how many times I’ve been told, “I need to practice my english!” or, “I need to learn more english!”. So with this and the fact that I was totally caught up in everything this country has to offer- the food, the people and their routines and behaviours, the architecture, the history, the major cities and landmarks, I spent a year living here and getting only the basics of the language.

Now I will stop to say that I would never discourage anyone from learning a language! It’s an amazing thing for many reasons. I’m only saying that it is not essential, and also that in some places it can be hard to learn the language- like the North of Italy where I’ve been, because everyone wants to use the opportunity with you to practice their english.

Many European countries are currently putting great efforts in having their population- especially the younger generations, learn english well. This means it’s possible to get by with english in many places and also to pick up work, as there is a high demand for english tutoring and teaching.

Now of course the level of the language you're going to want to have or be prepared to learn once you arrive is going to depend on a couple things. First, the country itself is going to dictate a lot. The Scandinavian countries and Romania watch t.v. and films in english- instead of translating, and they also have good english programs in their schools, so their english level is fairly high and they’ll be excited to use english. In Germany and the Netherlands the level is also pretty high, and in Belgium, Austria, France, and Switzerland you could probably make out fine too. In Spain they are really trying to improve their english level like Italy is- they take a lot of au pairs and english teachers, and so I’d imagine I’d be similar to Italy. Second, if you're going to be in a big city it’s a lot more likely you'll be fine, however if you're moving to a small town, village, or isolated place you could have problems with only english in any country. Lately, it can depend on regions of a country. In Italy for example, the North and South are very different in their progressiveness and structure. In the South the level of english is very low, which is crazy considering that almost every young to mid-aged person I’ve met in the North has spoken english well. I’m not sure if theres also regional divides in other countries.

After my year in Italy on a working holiday visa I decided to return with an internship visa teaching english that requires me to organize lessons with schools and my boss in Italian, and so I have been trying to learn the language. In movies they make it seem like you move to a place and you just simply pick it up. You're around it for a while and then one day you just start speaking it and thinking it fluently. For me it has been really difficult though. The first part of building a vocabulary is a lot on its own, but then you have to use a whole different thought process and perspective, as well as express yourself in a very different way. Language for me, before learning a second one and teaching english, was a really unconscious and natural process. Its so strange and difficult to pay so much attention to it and reprogram things that have been so ingrained in you.

So two things with regard to languages and moving abroad (or even just travelling): first that you might not need to know the language to get by and that some places are better for learning a language because they'll force you to, and second that it can be really difficult for some people to pick up another language (myself included) so be prepare to dive into it.

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Rome is honestly like time travel.

I could walk the city for days, just keeping to myself and feeling as if I were in different times and places. 

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Preserved toll sign on a bridge still in use.

Sandwich, England

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Visa Shenanigans

Working Holiday Visas

It’s one thing to visit and travel around a place for a short period, but if you actually want to live abroad for some time there’s the visa process. I’ve done a lot of research on visas in Europe and have had two now for Italy. I thought it’d be good to write a little about it because I wish I had had some guidance when I started and even throughout it.

The ‘working holiday/vacation visa’ or ‘youth workers exchange visa’ (it’ll always be called something similar) is the best way to go. For these visa you don’t need to have work contracts arranged, you don’t need to go through any immigration process, and you have a lot of freedom to do what ever it is you want to do for your experience living abroad.

The requirements for working holiday visas you'll always see:

- Must be between the ages of 18-30. - Must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while there and also for your return. * For this they usually want bank statements and return ticket (or you must show you have enough money to buy one). - Must demonstrate that you have suitable accommodation. * For this they want to actually see who's hosting you by a letter/document or receipts of paid accommodation. They aren't particular about the accommodation, they only need to know that you have somewhere to stay.   - Passport that doesn't expire while you're there or three months following. - Health insurance for the entire length of visa (not just how long you're planning to stay). * You need to show this. - You need to buy or reserve your flight there because this is what they will base the start date of your visa off of. * If you're scared they will deny you, you can pay a fee to reserve a flight instead of actually buying the ticket and they'll take this. Google ‘how to reserve flight without buying ticket’ and a bunch of stuff will come up. - Sometimes they want photocopies of your passport for their records, so its a good idea to bring - Two passport photos for the visa

Working holiday visa typicals and exceptions:

Now theres a bunch of typical things I can say about this type of visa, and then of course also a lot of exceptions. Typically they are fast to get. You will have your appointment and then wait 2-3 weeks for it to arrive- or be denied in the worst of case (ill talk about this after). For Italy it’s this way, and I know also for France, the U.K., Ireland, The Netherlands, and Germany. Some can be randomly long though, for instance Denmark requires a 3 months process. Then there’s random countries that you’d think would offer this visa, but don’t- like Spain, or countries that have more regulations to get it- like Austria that requires you to have a certified level of German. For most you have to apply in person at an embassy or consulate in your country of residence, although for France and the U.K, you can simply mail in your application, and for Germany and the Netherlands you can actually just go (on a usual tourist visa) and apply and get it there. Also, for most the length of the visa is one year, however for France and the U.K. you can extend this to two years. I am certain for Italy and 99% certain for other countries that when the visa expires a 90 day tourist visa kicks in, so that allows you to stay even longer.

Will they deny you?

I know how stressful it is to know you could be denied when you've made all your plans, paid for health insurance and flights, and are ready to go. As they cannot guarantee you for any visa that you wont be denied, I definitely cannot either. But I can say that its highly unlikely if you meet all the requirements and present the documents they need, and have a clean criminal record with your country of residence and with immigration laws and regulations abroad. Honestly, they make this type of visa to allow an easy cultural and work exchange of young people, so you would need to deny them something thats required or have a bad criminal/travel record for them to actually deny you the opportunity. When I went for my appointment I didn’t get health insurance for the entire length of the visa and I didn’t bring photocopies of my passport, but they simply told me to email them the insurance and did the photocopies there for me. So although they're really formal and regulated, if you mess something up they're still not going to deny you.

Other Visas

The problem with the working holiday visa is that you can only have it one time in a country. So if you settle in somewhere and want to stay and work you have to figure out something else.

Working Visas:

Work visas, which in the past I thought to be so simple and straight forward, are not. When I tried to do this for Italy it was impossible. My employer owned her own company, was my boyfriends mom, and hired an immigration/labour consultant for me, and it still would have been a one year process of paperwork, appointments, and money. Now I am absolutely not saying that its impossible to get a work visa for everyone, every situation, and every country in Europe. I’ve only had experience with Italy and heard through the consultant that its similar for other countries in the Schengen area and Europe. I learned that they see it as ‘immigration flow’- as if you were temporarily immigrating to the country and then as a result you could live and work, whereas we see it as a person allowed to stay in a country for a set period of time to work a set job and thats it (similar to a working holiday visa but completely structured and all work).

Study Visas:

So, after the working holiday visa the best visa to get (in my opinion) is a study visa. The process is also very simple, its inexpensive, and you can stay for as long as you're studying. I haven't done this or researched it too much, but the consultant advised me to do it because of its simplicity and I have a lot of friends and people in my expats groups on social media that live abroad through study visas. I believe most require you to be enrolled in a full time course, but some may allow part time studies, and it varies with if and how much they also allow you to work.

Study/Internship Visas:

If you don’t want to study in the country you wish to live in, or you don’t want to study at all and prefer to work, you could do like I did to get around the work visa complexity and do a study/internship/apprenticeship visa. I had to do very little for this visa, however my employer from her end had to do quite a bit…Lucky for me it was my boyfriend’s mom so she was willing to do all the documents, create a contract with a consultant, and apply for me in Milan. Even now that I’ve arrived she has to send in documents and bring me to officials and meetings to report that I’m here, working, and everything is as documented. Its not that my employer was extremely put out by doing this for me, but it took time and it cost her a fair amount because it’s an official/legal process. So, the only obstacle with this visa would be to find an employer or an organization/agency that would be willing to do this for you. Once they do and send you the documents you simply take them to the consulate or embassy along with the same things you need for a working holiday visa and you can have the visa quickly (I had mine in 3 days). I can work my internship and I can also do other work I want here, as long as it doesn't interfere with the internship.

Au Pair Visas:

Another visa thats easy to get, but limited by how many countries offer it and by the specific job/arrangement you'll be doing with it, is the au pair visa. It’s fairly similar to the internship visa in that your host family needs to apply for you through a recognized agency and then send you the documents. Sometimes it’s an actual visa for au pairing and sometimes it’s a temporary residency/work permit allowed because you have registered as an au pair with a set family that is responsible for you. I know Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland have these, and Im sure if you research you might find others.

There’s more:

I’m going to leave it at that, but through my research I know theres a bunch of other types as well. With some countries the visas offered are really limited, but for the countries Canada has good ties with there’s everything from ‘extended family visitation’, to ‘intent of civil union’, ‘extended vacation’, and a variety of different types of work visas. Our relations with Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., and France seem to be really good.

Random last note:

With being completely inexperienced when I first started all this I thought a visa would be given in documents- documents I would carry along with my passport. But no, its like a big stamp they put into your passport on a page. This is probably very obvious to most people, but I’ll admit I freaked out when I received my package back in the mail with only my passport, and it took me calling the consulate and them telling me, “it’s literally in your passport…”, to understand.

[ash-mgash]

Scicli, Sicily