A Journey Worth Ten Thousand Kilometers

It all started when I didn’t see an environment for growth in my home country, Iran. Although I had a full-time job as a business developer at a highly respected tech company, I wasn’t happy. So, I quit my job in the summer of 2019 to pursue music professionally and chase my dreams.

When Donald Trump left the nuclear deal and put new sanctions on Iran, the economy collapsed, and prices went sky-high. I realized there’s no future in this country. Therefore, I decided to continue my education in Canada to make a better tomorrow for my family and I.

I took the TOEFL test on Nov 16th, 2019, to provide proof of language proficiency. Once I came out of the building and turned on my phone, I saw the whole country was under protests. Roads were closed, buildings were on fire, and militaries were shooting at people. There were no cabs available. So, I walked about 10 kilometers amidst smoke, fire, and shootings to get home. The government then shut down the internet for a week and killed more than 1500 ordinary citizens.

Ten days later, I got my TOEFL test results with a high score (106) and applied for the Master of Digital Media program at Ryerson University since it fits me best as a well-rounded person.

A few weeks later, Trump killed General Soleimani of Iran. Then, Iran bombarded the US military base in Iraq with missiles and shot down the Ukrainian passenger plane with two missiles, killing all the 176 passengers whom many of them were Iranian students returning to Canada. The only bright moment of the year for me happened only 2 hours before the beginning of the Persian New Year in March 2020 when I received an offer of admission from Ryerson University for the MDM program.

I was happy until COVID-19 hit Iran. But I decided to accept the offer. I had to drop my master’s degree in Iran because of Iran’s military service regulations, while I had only one semester left to get my degree.

Everything was slow due to the pandemic. I submitted my visa application in July. However, I had to go to a third country for visa biometrics since there’s no Canadian embassy in Iran. At this point, countries set travel restrictions.

I had to start my classes online from Iran without a visa. Paying the tuition fees was challenging because we don’t have access to the international payment system due to the US sanctions, and our currency is losing its value every day. The internet connection is slow and unstable in Iran, and we have an 8.5-hour time difference with Toronto. I had to be online from 2 am to 4 am for some of my classes and deliver presentations to industry leaders.

In the middle of the first semester, when there were no direct flights, I finally got a chance to fly to Istanbul, Turkey, and give my biometrics. I stayed 12 hours at the airport’s transit. It was an expensive trip, and the biometrics process took less than 5 minutes. I also had to take the PCR test twice and provide negative COVID results for my flights.

The coursework was extremely heavy. But I finished the first semester successfully with an A+ GPA. Our program director says we are the best cohort so far and that we are the only digital media students that truly made it digitally. Now, we all are digital media experts like no one, thanks to this situation.

Later in December 2020, my visa got approved, and I prepared to move to Toronto. I had only two months to leave the country. Otherwise, they would’ve sent me to the military service. I booked my flight to Toronto for Feb 17th and reserved my quarantine residence at Ryerson International Living Learning Centre.

Canada’s government announced new travel restrictions a few days before my flight. I was tired and disappointed with so many barriers in my way. But I never gave up. I was lucky to enter the country.

My flight from Iran took about 30 hours. Since there were no direct flights from Iran to Toronto, I had a stop in Doha, Qatar. I was so excited when the plane landed in Toronto. The pilot announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Canada!” It was a joyful moment.

Everything went well. The airport officers issued my study permit quickly, and I got transferred to my quarantine residence after taking a mandatory COVID test on arrival. It was my fourth test.

Although I wasn’t allowed to leave my room, my stay at Ryerson’s ILLC was great. I had a nice room with an amazing view of Toronto, and I had food delivered to my room. My first impression from Toronto is that the weather is fine, people are very nice, but the food? I need to adjust.

The days went very slowly. Two weeks felt like two months. I used the time to do my delayed assignments. Thankfully, we were in reading week, and I could catch up quickly. I’m lucky to have the most amazing classmates. The instructors and staff at the MDM program are very supportive as well.

After two weeks, my self-isolation period ended, and I finally got the chance to breathe the fresh air. I had to take another COVID test as a part of my quarantine plan on the last day, March 4th, counting five COVID tests in total, all for office work purposes. However, I never got used to it. Every time I hear the word, my nose hurts.

Moving to Toronto in these circumstances was a huge challenge. But I’m here, safe and sound. I’m not the same person I was before anymore. Today, I’m stronger and wiser. I’m proud of myself for getting through all these difficulties.

The pandemic hasn’t been that bad for me. Let’s see the full half. I have composed the original soundtrack for several podcasts and films so far, and my master’s degree at Ryerson University is going so well. I’m studying music in video games, which I’m passionate about. I’ve got a fantastic supervisor, and so many opportunities are opening to me within the creative industry as I go further. I’m enjoying every moment of my journey, and I’m sure everyone will feel the same if they listen to their heart. Because everyone and the universe wants you and me to succeed, and they’ll do whatever they can to make it happen.