Study Abroad Expectations

Our pre-departure meetings and assignments allowed our group to learn about Canada and Iceland from an outside perspective. Based on research and conversations with those who have traveled to Canada, I expect it to be similar to the United States in many aspects. Something I have to remind myself of when thinking about Canada is that its size offers many different cultures to thrive in the same country. For example, Quebec’s landscape and architecture is often compared to Europe and most residents speak French. Montreal, on the other hand, is mainly an English speaking territory and has more of a ‘big city feel’. I do not have as many expectations about Iceland. Some of my friends who studied abroad last semester visited and said that it was the most beautiful place they had ever been. They also warned me that Iceland is very expensive. Upon further research, I found both of these comments to be the true for many other travelers as well. I have read many travel blogs on both Canada and Iceland and cannot wait to explore the two areas for myself. As far as healthcare, the main difference when comparing the systems to the United States is that both Canada and Iceland have universal healthcare. By the end of the trip, I expect to know the advantages and disadvantages to both systems and how it affects the country and the individual.