Canalien Spotlight: Stephanie Aigbe

May 04, 2017 1 Comment

Meet your Fellow Canalien Stephanie Aigbe! 🇨🇦 👽

What does being Can-alien mean to you?

To me, being Can-alien means exploring and having respect and great appreciation for the different cities and countries I am blessed to step foot in, while staying true to my Canadian roots.

What passport(s) do you hold?

Canadian

What does 'home' mean to you and where is/are yours?

Home is any place that has significantly contributed--in one way or another--to the woman I am today. For me, home is Toronto, Montréal, Edmonton, Boston, and the Canadian Rockies.

In which country have you had the most interesting experience as a Canalien? What happened?

USA 🇺🇸 : I moved to Boston for optometry school in August 2016, and at least once a day, I am told by people I meet, that I am "truly Canadian" because of my "Canadian accent", mannerisms, and love for the outdoors. I am hella proud to hail from a country that is known for its polite people and love for others.

Where is your favourite place in Canada to explore?

The Yukon! This Canadian Territory is beyond unreal. I always find it difficult to put the love I have for the Yukon in words. I just hope you can experience it for yourself one day.

What city in the world have you travelled to that has the best...

Food:

New York City 🇺🇸

People:

Whitehorse, YT 🇨🇦

Entertainment:

Toronto, ON 🇨🇦

Views:

Canadian Rockies 🇨🇦

If you could work anywhere in the world where would it be?

Vancouver, BC

What are your top 3 most essential travel items?

My camera, EpiPen, and travel journal.

Where would you like to go on your next big trip?

Antarctica has been a dream of mine since I was a kid! I'm drawn to places that haven't been devoured by commercialization and insane tourism--places that boast natural beauty and killer views. Since I'm a broke student, I'll have to put Antarctica on hold for a little while. Until then, Iceland and Greenland will hopefully be my next big trips!

Where would you like to retire?

Vancouver Island, BC

Anything else cool that you want to share?

My love for the Canadian North probably stems from my superwoman mom. She's a Nurse up in the Canadian Arctic (Nunavut) and has seen many parts of Canada that many of us will probably never get the chance to experience firsthand. I think the most beautiful thing about her work (besides having the best seat in the country for the Northern Lights) is the connections she gets to make with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada in the various remote villages she provides care to. Being able to connect with locals is hands down my favourite way to travel.