I was born and raised in the Middle East. My parents are very diligent people who strive to contribute to the world and society. After they left Lebanon, they worked very hard to give my siblings and me a good life.
Growing up, I loved to travel and visit new places. As a child, I heard a lot about Canada from people around me and always imagined it as a land far far away that was basically a big piece of ice.
In 2009, I had my first professional job with Immigration Canada at the Canadian Embassy, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Throughout the five years that I worked for the Canadian government, overseas, I learned about the Canadian culture, geography, history, government, and politics. As a proud Immigration employee, I was always very protective of this great country. I was keenly interested in detecting fraudulent documents and deterring criminals from obtaining entry.
I was very lucky to have been able to visit Canada a couple of times, as a tourist. In November of 2012, my Canadian friend/co-worker invited me to go on a trip to Canada. We visited Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Waterloo, and Windsor. During the trip, I fell in love with the nature, the art, the multiculturalism, and the nice mix of English and French history.
In March 2013, I moved to Canada, permanently, and haven’t left, ever since. Why would you leave when you have a completely different experience with every city you visit in Canada?
As a newcomer, I was fascinated by the Canadians’ kindness, politeness, tolerance, and acceptance of everyone. Here I found people who did not even know me very well, yet they were willing to help me settle. I have found true friendships – those that will be there for you even if you are not in touch every day. Sure, Canada may have its problems- who does not- but it is a pretty great place to call home. I am so looking forward to belonging here, become a Canadian citizen, and beginning to travel the world to represent the Canadian Kindness, knowing that Canada has welcomed me and made me feel at home.
Happy 150 Anniversary Canada!!