NORTH - Jonathan Applefield CC’18 claims that though he was a bit jetlagged from the flight to his study abroad destination, he was out exploring the foreign streets in no time. “I was a little groggy from my 15-minute nap on board, and I was a little thrown by how late it gets dark here,” Applefield said. “But after overcoming that, I was ready to see Toronto.”

But navigating the city was not as easy as Applefield expected. He acknowledges that the language barrier did pose a bit of an issue. “There are just a lot of phrases used in Canadian that I can’t translate into English” he said. “And I couldn’t understand why people kept apologizing.”

But after conquering these hurdles, Applefield was able to immerse himself in Canada’s rich culture. “I had the pleasure of attending a speech given by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It was so eye opening to hear the remarks of a communist leader in person,” Applefield said. “I’m not sold on single-payer healthcare, but I’m all for hot dudes giving me free things.”

Applefield also ran into some of Canada’s most popular celebrities on the street, including Toronto-born actor Drake, seen walking out of the Molson Amphitheatre. “I was so shocked at his recovery,” he said, “the last time I saw him on screen he was still in a wheelchair. It’s just so exemplary of the Torontonian spirit you know?” Unfortunately, Justin Bieber was not in town during his semester abroad, but Applefield says he would’ve jumped at the opportunity to hear the pride of Canada sing some of the country’s national tunes.

All in all, Applefield cherishes the time he has spent in Canada. He says he built a bond with not only the students but also the inhabitants of the city. When asked if this was a one-time voyage, Applefield scoffed. “Once you’ve seen the world, you can’t stay in one place for long,” Applefield says.

Ever the adventurer, Applefield won’t limit his next trip to Toronto. “I’m thinking about taking some time to see Montreal. Toronto is great, but I hear McDonald’s in Montreal sell croissants.”