She left for Canada on January 22 last year and returned on November 27.

For the duration of her trip she lived and attended school in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.

Lianna said the highlights of her trip were visiting New York City and the snow.

“My best friend was a skiing instructor so I went skiing a lot.”

Her time in Canada was split between living with four different families.

“All the familles were great, they made me feel really welcome,” she said.

“I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great familles.”

Lianna said that school in Canada is very different to school in Australia.

“It’s much more laid back, I went to a French school, so there was a lot of French to learn.

“The best part about school over there was not having to wear uniform.”

She said that the main difference between Glen Innes and Ontario was the climate.

“It was snowing when I left over there, even now I’m still trying to get used to the heat here.”

While in Canada Lianna got to make her own maple syrup.

“I got to do the whole lot, you tap the tree and make a small hole, the syrup falls into a bucket, then you boil it, its actually white when it is first made.

“It’s a pity I didn’t like it though; they have it on everything, even baked beans.”

Lianna said she made lifelong friends over the10-month period and still talks to many of them every day. There was one other Australian who was in the same district as her, which was a girl from Cairns.

“All the people in Canada are so nice and friendly.”

Lianna said that she learnt a number of things about herself while she was overseas.

“I feel like a much more independent person and I realised you shouldn’t be scared to achieve what you want to, just do it.

“I would like to thank the Glen Innes and Mosman Rotary Clubs for sponsoring me,” she said.

“I’m glad I took the opportunity to spend a year in Canada on the student exchange program, I would go back for sure.

“I would recommend this to anyone that has the opportunity.”