Why Canada?

After graduating from university, I attempted to find a job as a teacher. I had a part-time position as a soccer coach (we call it "futbol" in Europe!), but it wasn't sufficient. It was a challenging period to secure a teaching position, so I began exploring other options. At that time, I was also in touch with a friend I met at university. He moved to Mississauga right after graduating. Six months later, he relocated to Calgary and began inviting me to visit him. When he told me about Calgary, the first thing I did was check how far it was from Hawaii! Yes, I still hadn't forgotten about Hawaii, and I was already contemplating how I could make it there. I recall the day he sent me a promotional video showcasing Alberta... and I was sold! I decided to apply for a one-year work and travel visa and eventually received it in February 2013. On March 23rd, 2013, I arrived in Calgary!

I arrived at the best time, just before summer! I did experience a bit of winter, but only for a month! I also experienced one of the biggest floods in Calgary's history! It was interesting starting my new life from something like this!

By Shannon Morrow Global News

It didn't take me long to find a job. If I wanted to give myself a chance to stay in Canada for longer than just a year, I started working in construction. I was hired by a company specializing in stucco. I also did roofing from time to time. Well, looking back now, I think I chose one of the most challenging paths. Both of those jobs are very physical and can be quite taxing on the body. I was young at the time, so it was okay for me, but I knew I couldn't do it for a long time.

One idea was to go to school and have my master's degree from Poland converted to meet Canadian requirements, eventually working at a school. The other idea was to work as a massage therapist and be more independent. The first one failed because my English was very poor when I moved to Canada, and I already started to realize that I'm the kind of person who likes to be free and independent. I didn't pursue massage therapy because I realized how physically demanding it is and how it can also harm your body over time.

Downtown of Calgary. I took this image in 2019.

I had to find something different, and that's when photography started to come to mind. It all began with videography, actually! I bought a GoPro and started making videos. From the first day, Alberta started to inspire me, and I felt like I wanted to start creating. I made a few videos and became excited. I started to look into how to improve my "productions," so I bought my first camera! Canon 70D! I have nothing against Nikon or Sony, but I'm glad I chose Canon! It's about the colours they offer. Those into photography will understand what I'm talking about!

Quickly, I realized how time-consuming and expensive it is to become a videographer, so I transitioned to using my camera for photography... and I started to really enjoy it! I began to shoot more and more, and... Well it was far from world class photography but I was still proud of myself!

To be continue...