We finally came together as a group at the Halifax airport to officially start our trip. I had never been to British Columbia before and wasn’t sure what to expect — but it was incredible. Walking around Vancouver, you could see the mountains in the distance, which was such a cool experience. Right from the start, I made a decision: I wasn’t going to say no to new experiences. I tried new foods, explored the city, and really embraced everything the trip had to offer. Later that evening, we met up with the students from North Island College. We all went to Moxie’s for dinner to get to know each other. Honestly, it didn’t feel like meeting new people — it felt more like catching up with old friends. The connection was instant.

After a long flight from Vancouver to Auckland, we finally landed at 5:45 AM. On our first day, we stayed at a hotel near the airport, but we didn’t waste any time — we ventured out to explore the area. One of our first stops was Butterfly Creek, which was such a fun experience. The place was filled with all kinds of animals, and walking through the butterfly enclosure was amazing — so many vibrant colors everywhere. Later, we headed to a nearby mall to continue exploring. We almost ended up stranded in town, but thankfully a kind bus driver helped us get back to the airport area. It was definitely an adventurous start to the trip!

The first thing on our itinerary was traveling to the University of Waikato. When we arrived, we participated in the Pōwhiri, a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony. This ceremony is conducted entirely without English, which was a challenge for me since I’m not fluent in Mi’kmaq.

With the help of others from Nova Scotia, I was able to put together a few sentences to introduce who we are, where we are from, and express that we were happy to be there. It was the first time I had done something like this — I felt so proud. I think this was the beginning of a spark I didn’t even know existed in me.

One of our first learning experiences was visiting an early childhood education (ECE) space where the children spoke only Māori. It was incredible to see how deeply the language is being preserved and passed on through the younger generation.

Watching the children confidently speak and interact in their own language was inspiring — it made me reflect on the importance of language and cultural preservation in all Indigenous communities.

One of the most emotional days of the trip was our visit to Rangiriri Pā — the battlefield where the Battle of Waikato took place.

We took part in several reflective exercises that were deeply challenging. Together, we talked about the hardships we face as Indigenous peoples — and those that continue today.

It was a powerful realization that even though we come from different places, we share many of the same struggles and histories. This experience connected us on a very deep level.

The day after Rangiriri, we participated in a Global Citizenship session with Year 10 students. We had the honour of teaching them a little about the Mi'kmaq culture. Then the two tribes from British Columbia shared about their cultures and performed songs.

We also had the opportunity to learn both a Hula and a Haka. The experience reminded me of the same feeling I get when I smudge at home — it was incredibly grounding.

Later, we did a reflection activity where we rated how we feel about being Indigenous. I rated myself somewhere in the middle — and felt a little unsure about it — but then one of the students who had rated themselves a “5” said: “Being Indigenous is my superpower.” I will never forget that line. It made me realize that there is no one way to be Indigenous — I simply am.

We had many adventures during our free time. We explored the Hamilton Gardens — which felt like a giant maze at times! We also got to attend the Haka Regionals, which was an incredible display of energy and passion.

Another memorable experience was visiting the hot pools. Afterward, we walked down to the ocean where the BC students led a water ceremony. We all joined in the ocean — and while I was so excited, I wasn’t paying attention when a wave came and it knocked me under! I laughed so much about it afterward — definitely a fun memory.

We also had the chance to visit Hobbiton! We toured several of the iconic sets, went inside newly built hobbit houses, and took in the beautiful scenery.

To top it off, we enjoyed an amazing lunch on site — it was absolutely delicious and a highlight of the trip.

Over the two weeks, I experienced things I never thought I would do. At the same time, I was also completing my work term, which meant I had to coordinate remotely with my classmate back in Nova Scotia. This really helped me improve my communication and time management skills. Te Reo Maori was the game that was created from this experience

I also tried hotpot for the first time — it wasn’t my favourite, but it was still fun to try something new! I spent hours scootering around Auckland, meeting kind people and soaking in the atmosphere.

I loved every second of this experience. I grew in so many different ways — personally, professionally, and culturally. NSCC International played a huge role in making this opportunity possible. Without them, I might not have had this life-changing experience.