I'm always left dumbfounded at how quickly these posts come around.
My final month out on Vancouver Island!
As I was flying out of Vancouver Airport, I thought I'd make the most of it and spend a few days in Vancouver itself. 
Third month complete!
Officially halfway through my time in Canada! This month I visited the Rockies and Alberta, saw elk and deer, eaten poutine, witnessed a partial solar eclipse, and walked along an abandoned railway trestle!
If I am learning one thing by studying abroad, it is how to make the most of my time in between intense periods of study. That essentially translates to trying to keep my weekend's free of assignments so I have hours to spare to explore the island. A visit to Goldstream Provincial Park, just outside of Victoria, was near the top of my to-do list so I could see my first salmon run!
Unfortunately, this last day in the Rockies was a whole lot of driving. We had almost 500 miles to cover to get from Valemount to Victoria. 
Hardly able to enjoy the wonderful town of Banff, I was up at the crack of dawn!
It's tough to chose my favourite day from the trip but it might be this one...
This entire trip wouldn't be possible if not for the International Students Association at UVic and the fantastic Club ESL! This trip was one of the best weekends I've ever had and I'm truly mourning the fact that it's ended. 

After waking at 6am, foraging for breakfast, and trawling my comically large suitcase on to the bus, I joined our sleep deprived group at UVic. We were picked up by a coach at 7:30, where we met our tour guide, an enthusiastic Dutchman named Roel, and Bud, our long-suffering, stetson-wearing driver. It sounds like the start of a joke - a Canadian cowboy and a Dutchman are driving a bus...

We left Victoria and drove up-island to Swartz Bay ferry terminal. Obviously not the most picturesque photo to be starting things off with but this was our view from the ferry as we left Victoria. Mist is common along the coast during October as hot air meets the cold air on the ocean. 
So I left Part 1 at the end of Clubs Days, having signed up to an assortment of societies. This post will cover the rest of what I got up to in September!
A quick post slap bang in the middle of midterms! I am both thrilled and saddened to be able to use that phrase, as it's had me holed up in my room most days. While I also complete the wholly unfair mountain of assignments I have to do as well, I've found a nice escape in the form of Finnerty Gardens.
So if you're following me on Instagram, or have liked the site on Facebook, you may have noticed I post one photo a day about what I've been up to. Each post is a part of my photo journal for while I'm out here in at UVic and this is the first part of September's installment (as well as the week prior in August)!
I am unequivocally in love with BC. I'm never coming home. Never.
I seem to have the uncanny ability of being able to sniff out the universities with nature right on their doorstep. Stirling with it's rolling hills and loch, and now Victoria, with its private gardens (coming soon!), forest and trails to the beach!
Unpopular opinion time: I don't particularly enjoy my birthday. I dislike the attention, the fuss, and yes, even the gifts. Cake is welcome (because who doesn't like cake?) but in most cases, I want to hide under a blanket for the entirety of the day. 

There is, however, one exception to my allergy to presents, and that is in the case of experiential gifts. By that I mean instead of buying me something, take me somewhere. Let's go do something! Doing something fun on my birthday and making amazing memories is a much better celebration than any gift that could be given. 

That fact is the very reason why I chose to go whale watching for my birthday! 
It may have taken over 14 hours of travel, but I've made it to British Columbia in one piece! And what an amazing journey it has been to get here!