When I told my friends, work-mates, and any other random people I spoke to that I was going I usually got one of two responses. The first generally went along the lines of "Sounds good, you'll have a great time there." Perfectly normal response really.
The second, however, I found quite amusing.
The conversation would usually go:
Person (with puzzled expression): Have you been to Canada before?
Ben: No never.
Person: So you have family there?
Ben: Nope.
Person: Friends?
Ben: None.
Person: Right. (looking even more puzzled) You're mental.
Most of the time the conversation would end there, or the subject would be changed, but for some reason the people I would have this conversation with were unable to fathom why I'd want to leave dear old England for a new country I'd never even been before and had no links with. For me, I didn't really see the difference between going to Vancouver, or moving away from home to University. It's the same principle - a new setting, a whole group of new people to meet, and a time of complete unknown, with the opportunity to do so much, or so little.
I guess most people would be pretty scared of moving so far away. When at University in England you are never really too far away from home. England is a tiny country, and I've been told that you can fit our Kingdom inside British Columbia four times.
Additionally, when going to University you usually start off in some form of Halls of Residence. Easy enough to meet people then - everyone else is in the same boat, and everyone else is crapping themselves over the fact that they may not meet people, may be lonely, and have a wasted experience. I found the Jericho Beach Hostel to be an experience similar to that. Most people were alone, or in small groups, and everybody was up for talking and making new friends. It was easy, really.
My friendship group here in Vancouver is made up of an interesting bunch of people. Firstly there is Dylan - my weirdly flexible, massive-handed, Sri Lankan/English friend from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. Next up: Lynda and Andrew - a couple of friendly Aussies who've been travelling the world for a fair amount of time themselves, but have now settled in Vancouver for six months at least. There's Robert, my Dutch mate who has been in Vancouver for almost a month - but has just today left for Tokyo, to continue his round the world expeditions. We've got some Irish friends too - Sabrina, Seun - who is Irish but was born in Nigeria, and their other Irish housemate Emma. There's my flight buddy, Helen, who has recently got her own place to live sorted, and has managed to bag a pretty good job at Westjet in Canada Place. As well as these there are others who have come and gone from the Hostel, a group of locals who Robert and I have played soccer (sorry, I mean football) with every weekend, and my work mates - who do the same supposedly-working-but-actually-sitting-on-facebook job as myself.
I did find the first week in Canada pretty difficult. Looking back on things, staying at UBC was a mistake. The place was nice but there was no opportunity to meet any people - and it cost far too much. Moving to the Hostel was a great move, as all my new friends have been from there, and everyone has been brilliant. We've spent time wandering around Downtown, sitting in Stanley Park or on Jericho Beach, or met up at Lynda's workplace - Mink Chocolate Cafe near Canada Place - to eat and drink unhealthily.
The other day Dylan got himself a mountain bike. He discovered "Our Community Bikes" on Main St in Vancouver - a shop whose organisers recycle bikes that have been damaged, disregarded or are in various states of disrepair. Dylan paid $80 for a bike that looked brand new, aside from it lacking a saddle, and so the other day he came with me to get one of my own. Two hours of toil later and I had a "Nishiki" mountain bike of my own. It cost slightly more, as we had to change wheel-bearings, gear shifters, grease the whole thing up, and stop the saddle from trying to fling me off every time I changed speed, but I'm happy. I'm sure Tom, my brother, would be proud that I've embraced an eco-friendly form of travel. Whilst I nail it around Downtown Vancouver, dodging buses, pedestrians, cars, and going the wrong way down one-way streets, he is planning the next stint of his Ride Earth trip - a cycle ride around the globe.
Now that cheap transport has been sorted out I never need to use the bus again. Granted, I will probably get public transport if I venture out of the city any time soon, but whilst I stay I will be seen on my bike. It's great exercise too.
Next on the agenda is to buy a laptop, pay rent, and find more places to visit. It's going to be fun.
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