Embracing change: Turning setbacks into success
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:21:04 +0000
Undeterred by setbacks, Komal Samuel believed in her abilities and now runs a successful content consulting business in Ottawa
In 2019, I packed my life into two suitcases and moved to Canada from Bengaluru, India — alone. It was my first time navigating an airport and flying on an airplane.
I felt a mix of fear, joy, anticipation, thrill and the excitement for the great unknown. I was the first woman in my family to do something as crazy as this, but my family had faith in me and believed I was smart enough to figure things out. And I did.
With no family or friends waiting for me in Canada, I’d booked an Airbnb in Toronto’s notorious Jane and Finch area —I didn’t know it was notorious; I booked it because it was cheap. Nothing bad happened. In fact, I was fine — more than fine, actually. I still remember those first few days when I kept bumping into people on the sidewalks in Toronto. I was used to walking on the left side, while in Canada, everyone walks on the right.
Strangers became family
I began attending Northminster Baptist Church. Though I was raised Methodist, denominations don’t matter much to me. The church community welcomed me with open arms, and I soon made friends. A kind couple from the congregation, Ingmar Bitter and his wonderful wife, offered to rent me their guest bedroom when I was searching for reliable long-term accommodation — a challenge in Toronto. Though I lived with them only for a few months before moving to Ottawa, we became friends. I will always be thankful to Ingmar and his family for their kindness. In 2023, they moved to Florida, USA, but I am still in touch with this wonderful family.
In January 2020, I moved to Ottawa to start a new position as an engineer with a telecommunications and networking company. Just as I was settling into a new city and starting to build new connections, the pandemic hit, disrupting everything.
In 2021, I found solace in another church community — Resurrection Church, a Presbyterian church this time. There, I met another incredibly kind and welcoming retired couple, Trouborst Pieter and his wife G, who showed immense love to me—a stranger. Active church members and proud grandparents, they have become family to me. Though we come from different worlds — I was born in India, and they’re from Holland — we formed a strong bond with our shared faith, love, and sense of humor. Now, I spend every Thanksgiving with them, in addition to several other dinner invites throughout the year —eet smakelijk! (a Dutch phrase that means “Enjoy your meal!”). I’ve grown to appreciate two things–cheese and tulips!
A setback can be a blessing in disguise
In 2022, I faced a setback when my employment was terminated due to poor performance. My ego was hurt, and I felt lost. Pieter and G, were there for me, offering emotional support and helping me navigate my next steps. While discussing this with a former coworker from Amazon, Abhinov Bardan, I mentioned that I loved writing. Abhinov, being a very thoughtful person, suggested I look into technical writing, given my background in engineering. That same year, I went back to school to study technical writing. I realized that setbacks are a great opportunity to pause, reflect, realign, reinvent, and grow.
In 2023, two pivotal events significantly shaped my life: becoming a writer and a Canadian, which gave me a stronger sense of belonging and stability.
I started working for a semiconductor company, as a staff technical writer. It was an incredibly fast-paced environment, and I learned a lot more about writing and communication there, than I did in my entire life. However, despite the tremendous learning and growth working the 10-hour days at the office, with a 40-minute drive each way, left me feeling burnt out, and I started to notice some health issues. In June 2024, I decided to quit my six-figure job and a few weeks later, I started my content consulting business—Keynote Copywriting. This is something I intend to build while also taking on full-time employment.
New beginnings
Over the years, I’ve carved out my very own Canadian dream. I want to contribute meaningfully to society with my skills and explore the great Canadian outdoors.
There are many people I haven’t mentioned in this story who have supported me and continue to do so. I would need to write a book to cover all the acts of kindness I experienced in Canada — a project I might explore in the future. I also had some heartbreaking experiences in my personal life during this time, but that’s a story for another day. I am saying this to be as transparent as possible and not to paint an overly rosy picture of life in Canada. Despite these challenges, my life has only become better .
I thank everyone who has been a part of my journey for their love and acceptance. They make my life better and gave me the strength to keep moving forward. Here’s to new stories, dreams and friendships… cheers!
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