She left Chile for a fresh start in Saskatoon. Now, her life is on a roll

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Barbara Elliott-Gomez's first time trying a Caesar was shocking. After taking her first sip of the quintessential Canadian cocktail, the 30-year-old grimaced and started coughing, covering her mouth.

"Do you really drink this here?" Elliott-Gomez said, as she coughed. "Yuck, I can't believe this!"

Luckily, most of the other new experiences Elliott-Gomez has had since moving to Canada have been a lot more palatable. She's found her people, found love and is finding her way in a new country.

Elliott-Gomez is originally from Santiago, Chile, a city of nearly 7 million people.

After struggling with depression and anxiety during the pandemic, she decided she needed a fresh start. So in April of 2022, she packed her things and moved to Saskatoon.

Her brother Felipe was already in the Bridge City, so moving there made sense. He's a filmmaker and documented his sister as she completed her goal of joining the Saskatoon Roller Derby League over the winter.

Before arriving in Canada, Elliott-Gomez did a lot of research about what Saskatoon was all about.

She looked on social media and followed hashtags for things she was interested in, such as Dungeons and Dragons and anime.

As an immigrant, she said it can be tough to navigate new surroundings. Finding friends wasn't easy, so she volunteered at the Saskatoon Entertainment Expo and met a few people.

The recent transplant walked around the city and browsed in art shops, chatting with staff and customers to find connections. She also