My arrival

The first major turning point in my transformation began when I was given the opportunity to study abroad in Vancouver, Canada. People often associate introverts with a fear of stepping outside their comfort zones, and yes, when I first arrived, I was scared. It wasn’t easy to leave my home and family behind, to go to a place so far away and so unfamiliar. But there was something more profound than fear that drove me: a deep sense of curiosity and adventure. I wanted to experience new cultures, to break free from the rules and expectations that had once bound me. I wanted to discover more about the world—and more importantly, about myself.

The Push and Pull of Contradictions

Being an introvert, I’ve always been drawn to solitude and quiet moments, often finding peace in introspection. But in Canada, I found myself grappling with contradictions. I was introverted by nature, shy and reserved, yet at the same time, I felt an insatiable desire to explore the world. The pull to travel, to meet new people, and to experience different cultures was powerful, and I struggled with how these two parts of myself could coexist.

While I longed for the peace of being alone, I also felt a deep need to connect with others, to experience life outside the confines of my own thoughts. This constant tug-of-war within me left me feeling conflicted. Friends and family often misunderstood me, thinking I was emotionally detached or even uncaring. I never knew how to express myself fully, to explain that it wasn’t that I didn’t feel for others—it was that I felt too deeply. My Scorpio sun made me sensitive to emotions, but my Aquarius moon led me to constantly analyze those feelings, making it hard for me to simply experience them.

I often found myself wondering why people could express such deep emotions for others, especially for those they didn’t know well. I would feel detached from those emotions, unable to understand why someone could care so deeply about something so fleeting. When friends would gossip about someone I didn’t feel close to, I didn’t have the same emotional reaction. I wasn’t driven by the same intensity or curiosity about the stories they shared. It wasn’t that I didn’t care—it was simply that I felt in different ways, and I didn’t always know how to navigate those overwhelming emotions.

Learning to Accept Myself

Through the years in Canada, I began to realize that I wasn’t someone who thrived in conventional social situations, nor did I need to fit into the expectations of typical social norms. I wasn’t someone who found comfort in the trivialities of gossip or surface-level interactions. Instead, I longed for deeper connections—relationships that could challenge me, help me grow, and allow me to explore the emotional and intellectual depths of life. I needed people who could understand me in a way that went beyond the superficial.

But despite the loneliness and the difficulty of navigating these emotional contradictions, my time in Canada also brought me some of the most genuine and priceless friendships I’ve ever known. I met people who truly saw me—people who loved me for who I was, not for who they expected me to be. These friendships were built on trust, understanding, and a shared belief in the importance of deep, authentic connection. They uplifted me, believed in me, and gave me the courage to embrace all the complexities of my being.

The Journey of Rediscovery

While my time in Canada was transformative, it wasn’t without its losses. In the process of navigating the challenges of living in a new country, I lost parts of myself along the way—parts of me that I didn’t even realize were slipping away. The fast-paced world of university life, the pressure to fit in, and the constant need to adapt to new surroundings pulled me in different directions. But it was through this very loss that I was able to do the most profound introspection of my life. I began to search for the parts of me that had been left behind, parts of me that had been buried beneath the weight of expectations and the demands of everyday life.

It was in this space of introspection that I found the parts of myself I had lost. I rediscovered the quiet, introspective soul that I had neglected for so long, the part of me that had always sought deeper meaning in life. I reconnected with my higher self, the part of me that sees the world through a lens of compassion, understanding, and profound connection. This journey of self-discovery helped me see that my uniqueness wasn’t something to hide—it was something to embrace. The contradictions I once saw as confusing were actually the very things that made me whole.

A New Perspective: The Power of Transformation

Now, as I look back on my time in Canada, I realize how much it has shaped me. The contradictions I once struggled with—the quiet introvert who longed for adventure, the person who felt too deeply but couldn’t express it—have all come together to create the person I am today. I’ve learned to embrace these contradictions, to understand that they are not flaws, but parts of a beautiful and intricate whole.

My time in Canada was not just about exploring new places or meeting new people—it was about exploring the deepest parts of myself. It was about finding the courage to accept who I am, with all my complexities, and learning to express myself in ways that feel true to me. Through this journey, I’ve come to understand that transformation is not about becoming someone else—it’s about becoming more of who you already are. It’s about shedding the layers of doubt and fear and embracing the person you are meant to be.

Thank you for joining me on this part of my journey. I hope that, if you too have ever struggled with feeling like you don’t fit in, or if you’ve ever felt torn between the different parts of yourself, you can find comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Our contradictions, our complexities, and our uniqueness are what make us whole. Embrace them. They are the key to your transformation.

With love,

Seraphine Duong

“Looking back, my time in Canada was a profound turning point. It was there that I learned to embrace the contradictions within me—the quiet introvert who yearned for adventure, the sensitive soul who struggled to express deep emotions. I realized that these contradictions weren’t flaws but parts of a beautiful whole. Through introspection and new connections, I rediscovered who I truly am, shedding layers of doubt and fear. Canada taught me that transformation isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about embracing who you are, with all your complexities, and stepping into the world with confidence and authenticity.”