I left my home city of Jakarta, Indonesia, in September 2024 to pursue my MBA at SFU. Excitement filled my veins as I stepped off the plane and onto a new chapter of my life. But the question remained: “How will I fit in?” Surely, a 180-degree personality shift would be needed to survive on this beautiful, mountain-filled battlefield. Maybe I will finally be in a Jekyll and Hyde situation? Thankfully not. What I found during my four months in Vancouver is that three months was all I needed to find my “groove.” What seemed improbable was smoother than I thought. But like all goals, I applied a strategy to achieve it.
In Indonesia, my life has always revolved around many sides of my interests. I love sports and their culture, so I joined the local baseball community. I love music and vintage aesthetics, so I’ve collected vinyl records in my spare time for over 10 years. I love learning with people, which is why my job as a Senior Marketing Consultant got me collaborating with individuals from Japan and the UK. And I love being involved with communities and helping them if I can. In Vancouver, it seemed like life had been wiped clean, but gladly, it just took shape in a different form.
For international students, especially if it’s their first time leaving their home country to study, the common problem is, “How can I find my life again when the life I love is being left behind?” The trick is something that I call the “personality pockets.”
Simply put, these personality pockets are finding areas, activities, and groups that align with your interests from back home to ease your adaptation to a new environment. What I’ve learned is that no matter where you are in the world, your home country’s personality is always present—you just need to know where to look. In my case, my “pillars” of personality were music, sports, and hobbies.
Sports: No community? No problem—find their culture and experience it!
Being enamored with Vancouver’s hockey culture and my interest in the sports industry, I increased my knowledge of hockey through the Vancouver Canucks with some people from my cohort and even went to a couple of games to “breathe in” the euphoria. GO CANUCKS GO!
Music/Vintage: Finding local vintage shops and music wasn’t too hard!
Finding a local record store and vintage market was my adaptation method to Indonesia’s very accessible e-commerce culture. Turns out, going out of your way, conversing with new people, discovering new music, and diving into different vintage aesthetics in Main Street and Burnaby was a blast!
Explore: You have your own personality, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone a little bit!
Lastly, it’s important to step out of your comfort zone to see what bonds you can create and what unforgettable experiences you can have. I’ve never been a hiking type of person—I’m pretty sedentary when it comes to my day-to-day life. But getting out of my comfort zone to hike in Squamish and North Vancouver allowed me to share experiences and bonds, especially with my FT MBA cohorts!
Settling into a new environment is hard, but not impossible. As long as you know who you are, your key personalities, and where to find those pockets in this new “battlefield” you’re entering, it can ease your adaptability phase. Take your time, find your bedrock in this new place, and don’t forget to have fun!
About the Author
Bara Adiarto holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and has over five years of experience in brand and marketing consultancy across industries such as automotive, oil & gas, and entertainment. He is currently pursuing a full-time MBA at SFU Beedie, where he also serves as a student ambassador.