When I first came here in Canada, I had no friend or family that I could rely on, so I was so eager to get new friends to gain a sense of belonging. That was the time I hung out with some international students. We were partying, playing billiards and staying up all night. I enjoyed it at first because I felt like home, with friends having fun together, but it didn’t last for long. I started to realize the parties took over my life, but I knew if I stopped hanging around with them, they would kick me out of the “group”. One day I woke up, seeing all the kids were lying on the floor, wasted. I questioned to myself, “Do I really want to be like this for the rest of my life?” So I grabbed my jacket and left, and I never turned back. I decided
