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Category: Academy Updates

Giving is Getting

Most of us forget that poverty exists. We forget as we pull out our phones to get updated on Facebook, as we drive in our air conditioned vehicles, as we contemplate whether or not to purchase a new piece of clothing. 
 
I used to forget about poverty. When I was a child, it was a fact that I would be educated until I graduated from high school. There were no ‘ifs’ nor ‘buts’ about it. It was a fact that I would be fed three nutritious meals a day – I have never in my life gone to bed hungry. It was a fact that if I got sick or hurt myself, I would have access to healthcare. 
 
 
After the LiveDifferent Academy’s house build, I will never forget about poverty. During our build, I met Elizabeth, a nine year old girl, who is one of the children of the family we built for. She deserves to have all of the opportunity in the world. However, due to circumstances that she was born into, it is not all available for her. 
 
It is not a fact that she will be educated until she graduates. While she is currently in school, she does not have her birth certificate—a surprisingly common occurrence—which is needed to attend high school. It is not a fact that she will be fed three nutritious meals per day. As her father’s work in the fields is seasonal the food that they can afford is limited. Elizabeth’s diet consists mostly of salsa and quesadillas, and I would not be surprised if she has gone to bed hungry before. It is not a fact that if she gets hurt or sick that she will have the access to health care she needs. If a family can hardly afford food, what can they do to pay the medical bills? 
 
 
It was such a privilege to give Elizabeth’s family have a hand-up to break out of their cycle of poverty by helping to build them a home. As we dedicated the house to them, tears were streaming down her face. She may be forever grateful to us for what we gave her family, but I am sure that all of us who built are forever grateful for the lesson that she and her family taught us – that any one of us can be a part of making a difference in someone’s life, and sparking the change that will now continue to happen for her family. That I will never forget. 
 
– Hannah, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Fall 2014
 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: November 13th, 2014

Get to know our LDA’s!

16 young people from all over Canada have travelled to Mexico to complete a 14 week program where they study a social justice curriculum, learn Spanish, volunteer in the community, build a home for a family, and make some awesome friendships along the way! Our LiveDifferent Academy students also all have personal goals they want to accomplish in their time with us – check out some of the awesome plans they have to make a difference in their own lives, and in the lives of others. 

I hope to get a better sense of how life is in a different part of the world, learn a new language and make a difference in other peoples lives. – Ryan, Rosenort, MB

I hope to learn more about myself and another part of the world. I hope to learn from many different experiences in Mexico and apply it to my life back home. – Carrington, Clarksburg, ON

More than anything else I hope to gain a stronger sense of who I am as a person and to gain better perspective on what I can do with my life. – Nolan, Victoria, BC

This fall in Mexico I cannot wait to start volunteering in the community, especially teaching English at the elementary schools. I am looking forward to learning about the Mexican culture and speaking Spanish with the locals. I look forward to how much this trip will make me grow as a person and all the amazing memories I will make. – Megan, Squamish, BC

I am most looking forward to Week in the Life and being able to truly put myself in the shoes of many people around the world. I am also looking forward to the house build and volunteer work. Lastly, I am looking forward to creating memories that will last a lifetime! – Maryssa, Mount Forest, ON

I am looking forward to having a better sense of understanding of how other people live, and to gaining a sense of what I’m doing/where I might be going with my life. – Liam, Victoria, BC

I hope to change the lives of deserving people as well as my own life. I would like to be more aware of issues in the world, and be able to do my part to spread the word about them and help fix them. I would also like to be closer to knowing what I want to do in university and for a career in the future, and how to apply my passion for helping others in a job. Lastly, I would love to meet some amazing people and get to know the other academy students, and hopefully make some friends that will last lifetime! – Sarah, Mount Pearl, NL

I want to learn Spanish, make friends, see a new part of the world, and experience a different lifestyle. – Hanna, Williams Lake, BC

I am looking forward to really taking in everything the Academy has to offer and absorbing it all to become a better person and leader. – Parker, Burlington, ON

I hope to be able to change someones life for the better. Whether that be someone I am living with, someone I meet down there, or sharing my story once I return home resulting in more people going to volunteer. I also hope to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. – Cheyenne, Winnipeg, MB

During my time here in Mexico, I am probably most looking forward to being forced out of my comfort zone. Trying new foods, meeting new people, learning new languages. By doing this I believe that it will unlock an entirely new side of myself that I cannot wait to see. I’m excited for it all. Bring on the change! – Madi, Edmonton, AB

I can’t wait to volunteer with the kids in the community and get to know them. – Julia, Winnipeg, MB

I hope to learn more about the world I live in and the kinds of issues people face every day that I don’t get to see. I also hope to learn more about myself as a person. I feel that I’ve done a lot of growing over the past few years and I would like to continue that trend. – David, Toronto, ON

I hope to accomplish a lot of things this year. I hope to help as many people as possible, learn as much spanish as I can, appreciate my life and school more, and experience as many new things as possible. – Lexie, Princeton, ON

I want to know that I have helped and made a difference in peoples lives. I want to say I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I also just want to steer myself in the right direction of where I want my life to go. – Oceann, Lloydminster, AB

I am looking forward to spending the next two months alongside the fifteen other students attending academy and growing together as a team and family while creating ever lasting friendships. I am eager to overcome the challenges that we encounter, and experience how every day life is lived in Mexico. I am looking to take away anything and everything I can from Academy. – Alanna, Mackenzie, BC

 

 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: October 31st, 2014

Roof over my head

I remember first hearing about a ‘Week in the Life’ when I went on my very first Hero Holiday in 2010. Never did I imagine that in a few short years, I’d actually be doing it myself. 
 
This past week, my fellow LDA’s and I worked jobs that the locals do here in Mexico, such as working in the fields, rock picking, clamming, and general labour. We had to budget with the money we made everyday in order to pay for food, water, rent, transportation and any other fees that came up. We also cooked our meals over a fire, washed our clothes by hand and had bucket showers in our makeshift shower throughout the week. Last but not least, we lived in a house that we built ourselves using cardboard, plastic, and whatever other garbage we were able to find on the side of the road, and at the dump. This week was meant to simulate a week in the life of a typical local family.
 
 
I had certain expectations going into the week due to what I’d been told by friends who had already experienced it, I knew that it would be tough, but that it was going to be an amazing and incredibly eye-opening experience, and one of the highlights of my LDA journey. I was nervous and excited for the week to begin. Despite all of the expectations that I had for the week, I really had no idea what I was getting into. It’s one thing to hear stories and to see pictures, and it’s another thing entirely to actually be living the experience. 
 
Early one morning, we were awoken to the sound of rain coming down on the roof of our shack. It took a moment for the situation to sink in, as we were all still half  asleep. We just lay there at first, and then, realizing that the rain was coming in, the chaos began. We all packed up our stuff as fast as we could and stored it all in our  second baño. Water was starting to leak through the holes in our roof of cardboard and tarps, and our walls were starting to get soaked through as well. We quickly  gathered up all of the cardboard that we had been using as our floor, and hid it away out of the rain so that it wouldn’t get drenched. Then, people began bailing water off of the roof with bowls so that our roof wouldn’t get weighed down by water and collapse. Other than that, there wasn’t much we could do but stand outside in the rain, cold and wet, until it stopped. 
 
 
Before this experience, I’d thought about what it must be like to live in a leaky cardboard shack when it rained, and how difficult it must be, but to experience it was so much different. We had nowhere to go; outside or in our shack, we couldn’t stay dry. I’m very accustomed to the rain, but not having a place to go to warm up and stay dry was very foreign to me. This experience really made me think of the importance of having a solid roof over your head. Like I said every day on tour when talking about the homes that we build for families, having a roof over your head is a simple thing that many of us take for granted, but that is really so important. I truly experienced the full meaning of those words this past week, when I stood out in the rain thinking about all the families around us who were being affected by the weather like we were. Families who struggle with same things we did, except they don’t get to go back to the comforts of a warm house when the week’s over. 
 
 
That rainy morning was just one of the many eye-opening moments for me over the course of our ‘Week in the Life’. While it wasn’t always an easy week, it was an  amazing experience to learn what it’s like to live in poverty, and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to do so. I gained so much insight and have so many memories to look back on and stories to share, and I’ll definitely never take the roof over my head for granted again.
 
Jordyn, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Spring 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: May 20th, 2014

Home Will Never Be The Same

This week has definitely been one of ups and downs and many contrasts.  But one thing is for certain, each and every one of our academy girls have embraced this week for all that it’s worth.  Although this whole experience is a simulation, they have shown nothing less than grace, and perseverance.   The end of Day 7 is drawing near, and I’m sure that as soon as they are all back in their comfy, warm house, our girls will be updating their facebook statuses and writing blogs about what this week has meant to them personally.  So for now, here is a small preview of what they have been living and what has been in their hearts and on their minds the last 6 days:

“We worked in the fields again today, picking raspberries once again.  The morning went well, I definitely got better since yesterday.  For lunch we had hard-boiled eggs and pancakes again, and Santi gave us each two burritos!! So great!  After eating, Heather, Meagan, and I talked to a fifteen year old girl named Marta.  She was very sweet.  It’s her week off from school so she was working for the week to bring in some extra money.  She told us that she wanted to become a doctor or a psychologist and asked us what we wanted to be too.”

– Jordyn

“Early in the morning, around 4:00am we were all woken up to the sound of rain.  It was a light rain so Chels and Meagan covered the firewood and brought in the dishes.  We decided to go back to bed since it wasn’t raining very much but we were woken up again at 6:00am.  It was a lot more rain than the first time and our roof started to leak.  There was a good 5 minutes of panic as all of us threw our stuff into bags, trying to keep everything dry.  We also put bowls in the shack where it was leaking and bailed out the roof.  It was a very eventful morning.”

– Taylor

“It was a moonless sky with an amazing infinity of stars.  It got me in the perfect mindset because it was cold and I was secretly dreading clamming.  It was really cold and we were all bundled up.  We had to change into our shorts and T-shirts from our pants and multiple sweaters.  The ground and air were freezing, the water felt warm in comparison.  I actually loved clamming.  I got 5ish clams in one spot and a total of 18 at the other spot.  It’s great because my goal was 5 clams.  I got 1.5 dozens!  So proud.”

– Meagan

“I don’t know how to explain this all to people, if it’s even possible.  And then what to do about it.  What to change or alter in my life.  I think as a sum up, it was hard work but so amazing and fun and totally worth it.  Such a great learning experience.  It really opened my eyes to how others live.  How hard it is, but also how they’re happy.  I saw all the differences but also the similarities.  I can survive a week but couldn’t have without my family (these girls)  and will have such a greater appreciation for all I am blessed with.”

-Bethany

“Trying to budget our money and come up with affordable meals that are filling while also budgeting for daily expenses and surprise payments is tough.  Also, although I am enjoying this week and am determined to get the most of it I can feel my body wearing down as each day passes.  Which is crazy because it’s only been 3 days, nowhere near a lifetime of this.  Shout-out to all of the girls for keeping such positive attitudes and energies and helping make this experience so much better and enjoyable.”

– Tianna

“I worked by myself today which was nice because I had lots of thinking time.  Thought about the fact that this is day 6.  Where did the time go?  I have this insane new found appreciation for so much.  I saved a rock from today for a reminder of this week.  About how thankful I am for food, clothes, a shower etc.  To have the ability to have a good paying job.  I have mixed feelings on the week coming to an end.  I’m going to miss aspects of it.  Like the fact of how generous and caring our community is. We were looking at bread prices at the store, but didn’t buy any and the next thing you know, the store owner shows up asking if they can give us bread.  I love the warmth of the people here. I also love how hardworking we’ve all been this week.  Our spirits were constantly high and we’re always trying our hardest.  I can’t believe we got 17 buckets of rocks today!  We worked hard and all have something to be proud of and to remember.”

– Chelsea

– LiveDifferent Academy Students, Spring 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 29th, 2014

Open Hearts

One month – five groups – and ten families receiving homes.

 

Coming to Mexico I had never been on a Hero Holiday – and here I was preparing to help lead them! I was both nervous and excited; nervous because I knew what to expect from talking with friends who had been on one, but I knew that it was going to be a much bigger experience than words could explain. I was excited not only to meet the groups and families, but to finally feel the amazing feeling I had heard so much about – the feeling of being a part of something so much bigger than yourself.

 

Uleimi – this is the name of the three year old girl that was part of the family of the first house build that I helped with, and the little girl that completely stole my heart! I love kids, and I knew working on the build sites that there would be kids to play with, but Uleimi was different.
 

Our first few days of building Uleimi and her younger brother Efrain were shy and were more hesitant to come play with many of us while their older brother Eberic was right there helping and playing. As a day or two passed the two younger ones began to come around – and that is when I found myself with a constant attachment or “appendage” as our house build leader joked. There were times when I would pick Uleimi up and she would just put her head on my shoulder and I could feel her completely relax in my arms; and there were other times when I would be hammering and I could see her watching so I would invite her to come and help me and she would run into my lap and proceed to hammer the nail I had started. Little moments like these are what hold my heart and made this experience so special to me.

 

Dedication day – the day that we give the family the keys to their new home and the day we have to say goodbye and wish them well with the hopes that we will have the chance to come back and see them again one day. Talking to Georgina, playing with Eberic, Uleimi laughing and smiling, Efrain’s huge smile when we were playing and him finally coming and giving me a hug – all of these moments were running through my head as we share with the family about what they have done for us. We may have built them a house but they have treated us like family and welcomed us into their lives, changing our lives in this process. This was one of the hardest days of the entire trip for me. Now that may seem strange seeing as we built a house in four days but let me tell you, dedication day is draining. Its an amazing day – seeing the family in their new home, the joy on their faces, but it is also tough finding a way to say goodbye. It amazed me how much I loved this family that I had spent 5 days with.
 

The second house build I helped with was a completely different experience than my first one. This dynamic came as a bit of a surprise to me. We were completing the same task but the family and group brought such a different experience. The connections I made with this family were much different than my first, but just as unique and again I fell in love with this family. They were so incredible, and taught me a lot about the importance of family.

 

Seeing the contrast in both builds that I was able to be a part of showed me how although we may be doing the same things, the connections you make with people and the different things each person can teach you make both experiences completely unalike! No matter how many times you may do something if you go into it with an open mind and an open heart the people you meet will teach you something new every time.
 

We went back and visited the first family I build for just the other day and I got to see Uleimi again. When we got there she was shy again and was hiding behind her mom and I was worried that she didn’t remember me but as we were leaving I opened my arms for her, she came and I scooped her up and was welcomed by a huge embrace. I didn’t have to say anything but she knew how special she was to me. That connection has changed me forever, and saying goodbye this time was even harder than dedication day – but leaving knowing they have a house to sleep in tonight makes it a lot easier.

 

– Tianna, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Spring 2014

 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 17th, 2014

The Little Things in Hand

Motivation – Inspiration – and the little things you just might miss. I believe those are the things – regarding your personal growth – that tour is all about.
 
Tour is a very busy life and you can miss a lot of significant things as you wiz by town after town. Only staying in most places for two nights and flying through school after school; meeting person after person can be like trying to catch an insect on a roller coaster – not too easy. So I did a bit of an experiment: I spent 5 days really noticing the little moments and looking for them and then I spent another 5 days without looking for them, making a full ten days. I kept a journal that I wrote in to mark the observations of this experiment. Here are some of my findings:
 
Day one – The little moments
 
I have always seen myself as someone who recognized the “little moments.” But now as I am really trying to notice them I have to wonder what little moments really are. Having a bus ride ahead of me I have time to think about it before the day really begins.
 
So, this is what I came up with. The definition of “little moments” is the things in your day to day life that can surprise you, make you in awe, and be one of the biggest moments in your day, but are little in the fact that they seem so insignificant that they can be passed. But if only they are looked at they can change your day, or world so quickly.
 
 
The little moments of my day: the way the sun shines so brightly through the clouds today, as I walked through the hallway of the school many students smiled back at me, and as I talked in front of a huge group of students one student sitting off to the side looked me straight in the eyes with a shyness that turned to confidence as I returned her glance with a smile.
 
Just reading these moments back to myself they seem so stupid and unimportant, but when I really think of them, close my eyes and play them back, I can’t help but smile foolishly.
 
Day Six– Just the big moments
 
Since tour isn’t what you would call a normal, common type of day big moments are not uncommon, unlike my high school and lazy summer days were a big moment was a once in a life­ time thing. Yet, a big moment is still something that doesn’t always happen. Today, however, one did. Yay!
 
The big moment of the day was that a student came up to me and talked to me about some of the difficulties he was experiencing in his life. We talked for a little while about it and I gave him as much encouragement as I could. He said that the presentation was something that he really needed in his life and “wham!” there is my big “we are changing lives!” moment.
 
 
Today I was just looking for the big moments and I started to miss things. Without trying to notice the little moments I really did start to feel “momentless”. Sure, I had that big moment today, but there are so many minutes in a day that were not filled with moments. I could barely stand it and to be honest the experiment failed because on the bus ride home from the show I started to search for those amazing little moments.  
 
Big moments are amazing and they can shock you to the bone. But, the little moments are the important ones, because they are the ones that happen day­to­day. They are the moments that fill the hours with memories and fill the minutes with smiles and fill the seconds with laughter.
 
When you are living in a bus with eight other people going to show day after day it can be easy to fall into this routine where you do what you gotta do and that is all. But, when I think about it there has not been one day that is the same, each day is amazing in its own way. So I look out the window and look for natures little wonders. And I look into each persons face in the sea of faces to see the moment of change in their eyes.
 
Victoria, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Spring 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 9th, 2014

Tour life is interesting.

Tour life is interesting.

Not quite like normal life at all. It’s almost a surreal experience, and it’s flying by so quickly. Waking up at five in the morning to drive an hour and a half to a school, set up, do a show, and interact with new people every single day… it’s really amazing.

Our team has very quickly become a weird, quirky little family. We all have little things that add to the group dynamic, and make everything that make everything on tour much more awesome.

Every day we do the same thing, and going into tour I thought I would very quickly get sick of what I was saying, and what I was hearing all the time. Looking at it now half way through tour, I don’t think I could get sick of it. Seeing kids’ reactions to what we do each day, and seeing how amazing they all think it is, is the best possible thing I could see. It makes what we do worth it, even though we see the same thing every single day, we have a new group of students to inspire daily.

At one school we went to, there was one grade twelve student, who asked if he could go up on stage at the end of the show because he wanted to share something with his fellow students. He took the mic from Brittany and walked bravely to the middle of the stage and began to share his story. He talked about how his life wasn’t as good as everybody in the school thought it was, and how he had been hiding a lot of stuff about his life. The student went on to talk about how his life at home was rough for a while in the past, and that he hadn’t been the best person he could be.  As he was sharing his story, everyone in the audience was listening so intensely, and I don’t know about everyone else, but my eyes were definitely tearing up. The student was still on stage, talking about how you should never underestimate yourself, and how each one of the kids in the audience has the power to do anything they set their minds to. At the end of his story, he got a standing ovation from his school. Such an amazing thing to see, students were walking up to him after he was off stage and in the cafeteria, and just giving him hugs and telling him how amazing he is.

Seeing a student who had just seen the show, be so inspired that he wanted to go up and tell the student body how much the show affected him and how he was there for anybody who needed help was mind blowing.  It was a really cool way to see how the show affects kids every kid differently. It was also a really good reminder that, though there may be some shows where not all of the kids seem super into what we’re saying, and what we’re there to do… as long as we affect one kid, it’s all worth it.

– Jordin, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Spring Tour 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 2nd, 2014

Training week

Training week. This is the week where the band, volunteers, staff, and the Live Different Academy students all first get together as a team. I feel like I am able to see this week through a unique set of eyes. I have been fortunate to be a part of three LiveDifferent tours already, first as a student, and now as a road team leader. 
 
 
As a student, I went through the fears of public speaking, the confusion of how to set up a full stage, and the excitement of being a part of a show that travels across the country. Now as a road team leader I get the opportunity to help walk people through training week. I have the privilege of watching a bunch of strangers learn knew skills and become a team. Training week is taking nothing and turning it into something. A lot of hard work goes into the making of the show. People begin struggling to coil up an extension cord and by the end are wrapping cords like pros. They begin knowing next to nothing about running concert style lights or working a soundboard and by the end they’ve owned their role in the show and seem like they were born for it. 
 
All of the hard work pays off when the lights go down and the first show begins. As a road team leader I’m excited for the show but also very nervous, I don’t remember breathing during the first show at all. This is it; this is where all of the dedication and hard work will really show. This first show is a reminder of why I do what I do. 
 
 
When I watch a student who started off the week stumbling through their partially memorized story get on stage and pour their heart out, the early mornings and lack of sleep no longer matter. When I watch a band that practiced over and over get on stage and wow the audience, the sweat and sore muscles fade away. Tour isn’t easy but each and everyday I am reminded of why I do it. I do it because there are amazing people in this world who really do want to create change and have a positive impact on students’ lives, and I am lucky enough to call them my team.
 
– Brittany, LiveDifferent Road Team Leader, Spring 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: February 26th, 2014

There and Back Again, A Jordyn’s Tale

“Hey everyone, I’m Jordyn and I’m from Victoria BC. I’ve just been over at our back table setting up all of the awesome videos for the show, and the video that you guys just saw was about LiveDifferent’s Hero Holiday Program.” This is the beginning to my segment of Team One’s awesome Live Different Presentation that I’ve been a part of for 4 months! It’s crazy to think that I’ll only be getting on stage and saying these words for another 5 shows. Our team has been through a lot together this tour. We’ve travelled all the way across eastern Canada, far over the misty mountains cold, bouncing along poorly constructed rural roads, conquering the giant island of strange accents and folk music, braving the abysmal temperatures of our nations capital, and making an uncountable amount of new friends along the way. It’s been a long journey (there and back again) but it seems like just yesterday that we were gearing up to leave our volunteer-packed house in Hamilton. 
 
 
Our last weekend of tour was a very eventful one! We were staying with a few families in Ottawa and Montreal. Friday was a day off for us so we spent the day in downtown Ottawa, where it was bone-chillingly cold. As soon as we stepped off of the bus, we realized that we wouldn’t be doing much sightseeing due to the ridiculously freezing temperatures. Saturday, we left our billets in Ottawa, brushed up on our Français, and headed for the heart of Montreal, where we spent the day. Sunday, a few of us hopped on the bus with our amazing billet, Genviève and her two kids for a wintery outing. Arriving at the snowy park, we frolicked in the fluffy snow towards a big ole hill and ran to the top. For the first time in years, I got the chance to experience the simple pleasure of sliding down a snowy hill on not but a thin sheet of plastic. You see in Victoria, it snows maybe once a year if we’re lucky, so this was a nice treat. That is, until our insufficient footwear caused us to lose feeling in our extremities, and we headed back to the bus, seeking warmth. When we got home one of my fellow students, Michelle, made us dinner! The catch to her meal was that we had to eat it blindfolded. We struggled to get food on our forks as we got to experience just a little taste of what Michelle goes through every day. It was a very eye opening experience. 
 
 
During our 4 months on the road, each of us students are required to spend one day burdened with the responsibilities of our fearless leaders. We have to arrange the details for our show by speaking with a representative from the school and making sure that the day goes smoothly. My leader day was at the start of December, and I knew going into it that it would be a long day. We had 2 shows booked at different schools and on top of that, we had multiple schools coming to watch each show; I knew it was going to be a stressful day. The first show went really well. I was so proud of our team for our record setups and teardowns, and for their constant encouragements. After the first show, most of the stress of the day disappeared. We ate lunch on the go, and drove over to the second school of the day, where we rocked another presentation. When it was all over, I was proud of what we had  accomplished and happy that the shows were such successes! 
 
 
Leader for a day plays an important part in the Academy program. It allows us as students to see what our amazing road team leaders do every day, and it forces us to take on a leadership role within our team. Being leader for a day was one of the many ways that tour has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and gain confidence in myself. On top of this experience, there have been many aspects of tour that have challenged me and helped me to grow as a person. Although I’m sad that tour is almost over, I’m so grateful to have been able to have such an incredible experience, and to be able to share it with such amazing people.
 
Jordyn, LiveDifferent Acdemy Student, 2013/2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: January 24th, 2014

Who, What, Where

As I look out of the frosty panes of glass, I see the sun begin to poke its way past the horizon. It is a cold winter morning and we cling to our blankets for a bit of warmth and comfort. About half of us sleep while the other half sit in a nearly meditative state. The bus is serenely quiet and only the sound of humming motor strumming us along can be heard. It is the dawn of a new day as we head out to “Nowhere”, SK.

We endure early wakeup calls, brave the cold climate, and sit through hours of bus traveling nearly every day. It is hard at times, but we know our small sacrifices are worth it for the work that we do. We set out to change lives every day, a tall order that I am proud to say we accomplish.

Through the good and the “less good”, I can honestly say that LiveDifferent Academy is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I love everything about this unusual lifestyle; I love what I’m doing, who I’m with, and where I am. Most importantly, I am learning to love myself. LiveDifferent is providing me with the tools to love myself at where I’m at and the tools to transition into the person I want to become.

What I do justifies all my all complains about the road life. I can proudly say that I actually look forward to and enjoy my job. I like speaking onstage and I love talking to students after the show. In all honesty, connecting with students is my favorite part. Coming into the Academy, I had no idea that students would be so willing to talk to me. I thought no one would be willing to connect with me since I didn’t share a personal story on stage. Was I ever wrong. Students approach me every day for a variety of reasons. Some want to let us know how much they liked the show, some want to know more about the Hero Holiday program, and some just need an outlet. It feels great to be able to help them out with whatever they’re going through. Regardless of what we talk about, I feel like I grow after each conversation. I learn to be a better listener, a better speaker, and a better friend. In a world that lacks some serious compassion and empathy, I learn to care for complete strangers every day. In sum, the best part of my job is that I get to help myself through helping others.

Who I am surrounded with is a group of zany, kind, and inspirational young adults aiming to make a difference in the world. Each of them have taught me so much about life and how I want to live mine, whether they know they have done so or not. They each possess sets of skills that I pick out and aspire to gain. Best of all, they are never-ending sources of love and encouragement. I know that I could go up to any one of them with a problem and they would listen and help me to the best of their abilities. They act as shining lights guiding me through my journey. They have made me laugh, cry, push my boundaries, and grow. They are the best kind of people to surround myself with and I feel blessed to have them around.

Where I am changes on a day to day basis, and I like it like that. Each province has its own qualities that I come to love. I’ve fallen for the golden fields and endless horizon of Saskatchewan and Alberta’s varying scenery. I’ve even come to love the cold, snowy lands of Manitoba. Most of all, I adore the beautiful mountains of British Columbia. My heart melts every time I see them. I cherish BC so much that I envision myself living there someday. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to explore my country and to wake up in a new place every day. I truly had no idea how beautiful and spectacular our “home and native land” really is.

Throughout this entire tour experience, the most notable change in my life is in myself. I am not the same person I was in Hamilton some three months ago. I felt like I was treading water until LiveDifferent threw me a life preserver. I am now learning to embrace the past, and learning that only my present self defines me. LiveDifferent is encouraging me to grow into to person I want to become, and teaching me to love myself throughout the transition. I am becoming more and more aware of my immense potential as I am challenged to use it. I am becoming a leader and an overall better person. Best of all, I’m learning to never, ever, be afraid to LiveDifferent–ly. 

Meagan, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Fall 2013

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: December 13th, 2013