Community Profile: Ipek
Learn more about Ipek who is one of our students and also a travel writer! Thank you, Ipek, for sharing your travel experiences and about your life in Vancouver with us!
Tell us about yourself.
Hi, my name is Ipek. I’m from Cyprus. I graduated from Business Administration. It’s been 11 months since I arrived Vancouver. I’m a travel author who seeks new places and loves traveling around the world to collect memories and experience new cultures. My first book was published last year which is a 512 page travel book about trips to the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. Apart from that, I like playing the piano, hiking with my husband and hanging out with my friends.
How do you spend your free time in Vancouver?
Most of the time, I hike with my husband and explore new parks and mountains. Both of us like traveling a lot. We love discovering new places and new cuisines in different restaurants. I also love to socialize with my friends and hang out with them. I enjoy watching movies, spending time on instagram and taking nature photos.
What are some challenges you have faced with moving to Canada?
I faced a few challenges in the first 2-3 months adapting to the new culture and speaking fluent English. I also had challenges adapting to the weather, especially in winter. It rains too much and the weather is relatively cold compared to my home country. Cyprus is a Mediterranean island, so we have very hot temperatures there.
Which place would you recommend to someone visiting your country?
As Cyprus is an island, there is a crystal Mediterranean Sea which lies along with very beautiful sandy beaches. I advise everyone to visit and see our heavenly shores at least once in the coastline cities. On the other hand, Cyprus has a rich history of ancient civilizations, historic castles and ruins. Mostly, they lie on our mountains and face the turquoise sea. Cyprus is a very small country and it is easy to travel from west to east in 5 hours and from south to north in 3 hours. So everyone can rent a car and travel around the country.
What are you hoping to achieve during your time at MOSAIC?
My first goal is to be a fluent English speaker and minimize my mistakes while speaking. I’m attending speaking classes at Mosaic, so it helps me be more confident while speaking with others.
