My first year blogging about Ottawa from an immigrant’s perspective

It’s been a year since I started a blog with a funny name.

When I started writing “Ottawa is not boring”, I didn’t imagine how long I was going to keep writing it. The teacher told us to write a blog about a topic we felt passionate about. I didn’t have to think a lot, I felt that way about Ottawa after two years of being a newcomer.

And a year has passed writing this blog where I express my admiration and love for Ottawa, which I consider a wonderful city to live in and not at all boring, and where I also write about my experience as an immigrant in Canada.

What started as an academic project for a short online course last year, led me to dig into the topic of immigrants, because soon I noticed that many of my readers were newcomers to Ottawa or potential immigrants that have started to pursue their dream of emigrating to Canada.

Writing about the expectations, dreams, challenges and struggles an immigrant faces in adapting to a new city and to a new country was really rewarding to me because of all the feedback I received.

I feel so thankful for the comments and messages from people who started following the blog or who have found it while searching for information about Ottawa, and who have encouraged me to keep writing.

I’m glad to know that the posts I wrote were helpful in any way and I hope to keep providing good insights and information about life in Ottawa.

And to keep delivering interesting posts, I want to ask all my readers to tell me what other topics you’d like to read here.

I also want to invite all of you to follow the blog’s accounts on Instagram https://instagram.com/ottawaisnotboring and on Facebook, @ottawanotboring where I post more often about all the good things Ottawa offers to its residents.

And after a year, these are the blog’s statistics. I should mention that writing this blog proved to me that I was capable of writing in English, something that for a long time I dreaded.

Views: 38,112
Visitors: 26,691
Words: 54,793
Posts: 54
Likes: 143
Comments: 90

And here you can find all the posts from the very beginning in just one place:

1. How a Peruvian ended up living in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/06/15/how-i-ended-up-living-in-ottawa/
2. Why Canadians hate Ottawa so much. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/06/21/why-canadians-hate-ottawa-so-much/
3. TEST: Is Ottawa a boring city? http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/06/21/test-is-ottawa-a-boring-city/
4. 5 powerful reasons that’ll make you want to live in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/06/28/5-powerful-reasons-thatll-make-you-want-to-live-in-ottawa/
5. 4 not so great things about Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/07/06/4-not-so-great-things-about-ottawa/
6. My first experience in a cottage near Ottawa: two thumbs up! http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/07/12/my-first-experience-in-a-cottage-near-ottawa-two-thumbs-up/
7. The 4 urban beaches in Ottawa to enjoy summer. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/07/19/the-4-urban-beaches-in-ottawa-to-enjoy-summer/
8. How a family of newcomers survived their first winter in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/07/26/how-a-family-of-newcomers-survived-their-first-winter-in-ottawa/
9. Ottawa’s real estate: hot as a two dollar pistol. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/08/02/ottawas-real-estate-hot-as-a-two-dollar-pistol/
10. 15 practical facts you need to know about Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/08/11/15-practical-facts-you-need-to-know-about-ottawa/
11. 6 amazing provincial parks for swimming and camping near Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/08/17/6-amazing-provincial-parks-for-swimming-and-camping-near-ottawa/
12. My biggest fears when moving to Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/08/25/my-biggest-fears-when-moving-to-canada/
13. Four ways of camping in Canada if you haven’t done any yet. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/08/31/four-ways-of-camping-in-canada-if-you-havent-done-any-yet/
14. The 10 best elementary schools in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/09/08/the-10-best-elementary-schools-in-ottawa/
15. The top 10 secondary schools in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/09/14/the-top-10-secondary-schools-in-ottawa/
16. The best months to visit and enjoy festivals in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/09/21/the-best-months-to-visit-and-enjoy-festivals-in-ottawa/
17. A fresh guide to help know Ottawa’s neighbourhoods. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/09/28/a-fresh-guide-to-help-know-ottawas-neighbourhoods/
18. A fresh guide to help know Ottawa’s neighborhoods (Part Two). http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/10/06/a-fresh-guide-to-help-know-ottawas-neighborhoods-part-two/
19. Major’s Hill: Ottawa’s loveliest park. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/10/13/majors-hill-ottawas-loveliest-park/
20. Moving in Ottawa: our experience. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/10/20/moving-in-ottawa-our-experience/
21. Eight reasons why I stayed in Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/10/27/eight-reasons-why-i-stayed-in-canada/
22. Hintonburg: Ottawa’s hipster neighborhood. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/11/03/hintonburg-ottawas-hipster-neighborhood/
23. Immigrants wanted: How to emigrate to Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/11/10/immigrants-wanted-how-to-emigrate-to-canada/
24. 8 biggest struggles as a newcomer to Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/11/17/my-7-biggest-struggles-as-a-newcomer-to-canada/
25. Ottawa vs Gatineau: where to live. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/11/24/ottawa-vs-gatineau-where-to-live/
26. Exploring Britannia: history, beach and nature in the west of Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/12/01/exploring-britannia-history-beach-and-nature-in-the-west-of-ottawa/
27. Ottawa: Q & A. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/12/11/ottawa-q-a/
28. All about winter gear to survive the Canadian cold. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/12/15/all-about-winter-gear-to-survive-the-canadian-cold/
29. 3 ways to cope with the Christmas blues in Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/12/22/3-ways-to-cope-with-the-christmas-blues-if-youre-an-expat/
30. My three years as a newcomer in Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2020/12/29/my-three-years-as-a-newcomer-in-canada/
31. A list of institutions you should know about if you’re a newcomer. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/01/05/a-list-of-institutions-you-should-know-about-if-you-are-a-newcomer/
32. How to emigrate to Canada through Saskatchewan. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/01/12/how-to-emigrate-to-canada-through-saskatchewan/
33. My story as an immigrant in Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/01/19/my-story-as-an-immigrant-in-canada/
34. Where to study English or French in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/01/26/where-to-study-english-or-french-in-ottawa/
35. 15 great spots to go sledding in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/02/02/__trashed-8/
36. Five strategies to embrace the Canadian winter. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/02/09/five-strategies-to-embrace-the-canadian-winter/
37. Rideau Canal Skateway: Ottawa’s pride. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/02/17/rideau-canal-skateway-ottawas-pride/
38. 7 great winter activities to do with kids in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/02/23/7-great-winter-activities-to-do-with-kids-in-ottawa/
39. My kids experiences adapting to school in Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/03/02/my-kids-experiences-adapting-to-school-in-canada/
40. How to migrate to Canada through the Caregiver program. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/03/09/how-to-migrate-to-canada-through-the-caregiver-program/
41. Orleans: beauty and nature in the east end of Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/03/16/orleans-beauty-and-nature-in-the-east-end-of-ottawa/
42. Cost of living: Is Ottawa an expensive city? http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/03/24/cost-of-living-is-ottawa-an-expensive-city/
43. 5 great spots to go for a picnic in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/03/30/5-great-spots-to-go-for-a-picnic-in-ottawa/
44. Tulip Festival: the most anticipated event in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/04/06/the-tulip-festival-the-most-anticipated-event-in-ottawa/
45. Algonquin College: one of the best in Ontario and it’s in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/04/13/algonquin-college-one-of-the-best-in-ontario-and-its-in-ottawa/
46. Living in Ottawa: Pros and cons. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/04/20/living-in-ottawa-pros-and-cons/
47. Beacon Hill: the neighborhood of great schools in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/04/27/beacon-hill-the-neighborhood-of-great-schools-in-ottawa/
48. Great spots to enjoy the Tulip Festival in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/05/04/great-spots-to-enjoy-the-tulip-festival-in-ottawa/
49. An overview to the job market in Ottawa in pandemic times. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/05/11/an-overview-to-the-job-market-in-ottawa-in-pandemic-time/
50. Eight Canadian habits and cultural differences that immigrants have to learn. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/05/18/eight-canadian-habits-and-cultural-issues-that-immigrants-have-to-learn/
51. The 14 best things about living in Ottawa. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/05/25/the-14-best-things-about-living-in-ottawa/
52. Expectations vs reality: what you should know if you’re moving to Canada. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/06/01/expectations-vs-reality-what-you-should-know-if-youre-moving-to-canada/
53. 14 great waterfront parks in Ottawa to enjoy the city. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/06/09/14-great-waterfront-parks-in-ottawa-to-enjoy-the-city/
54. How to immigrate to Canada as an international student. http://ottawaisnotboring.com/2021/06/15/how-to-immigrate-to-canada-as-an-international-student/

I hope you enjoy the reading.

And for now I’ll have a little break after a year writing religiously once a week, but I’ll came back with more posts about Ottawa, the summer, which is amazing in the capital city, and about life as an expat, immigrant or newcomer. Take care!