Apart from going back again in the university and studying a different program, moving here alone in Canada and leaving my family behind in the Philippines is one of the most daring decisions i have ever made. It was an exciting and horrifying feeling to venture out of my comfort zone and start from scratch all over again. I can still vividly remember the 14 hour flight travel I experienced. It was the longest and most agonizing flight of my life; there were kids crying in the plane, my seatmate was loudly snoring. I was tensed, my back was hurting and I was not able to sleep through out the whole flight. Wearing a constricting mask and face shield for the whole fourteen hour flight was not the most distressing thing I’ve done in the middle of the pandemic, it was taking the chance to grow and turn over a new leaf of life.

I chose Chitra Aiyar’s “How to Build A Community When You Feel Isolated” because I can easily relate to what she was speaking about. Her discourse about the feeling of social seclusion, having limited resources and the untiring thinking and figuring out whether you will ever have this close knit community who will support and understand you really hits home. Dependency is a part of human nature, and one of our basic needs is to be able to build social relationships with others. From an article I read, our cooperation with other people helped us to survive under harsh environment circumstances. But without having any social support, a person will feel isolated or alone.

Researches have concluded that the institution or university is particularly responsible for students by constantly connecting with them and providing a sanctuary where they can easily and safely interact with a diverse body. I am lucky enough to have an institution who caters to the needs of international students and regularly checks up on our well-being. It was tough at first, but with supportive instructors I have this semester, I can confidently say that their assignments, activities that require group work was able to help me bond with other international students who are also struggling in school. There’s a comfort knowing that there are others out there who can relate to my situation. I am grateful that I chose Chitra Aiyar’s discussion.