'Everything ended one day.' Artist Lu Sakhno escaped the Russian invasion of Ukraine and came to St. John's, along with her husband. She's slowly getting her well-established career back on track.

Jamila Nahhat came to Canada, along with her family, in 2016. Being able to go to school was one of the best feelings of her life, she said, she's now continuing her education to ultimately care for people.

Home is where the heart is. These women come from places like Ethiopia and Chile, but they're carving out room in their Newfoundland homes that mirror the traditions, sights, sounds and family spaces that remind them of the places they left.

It's aerobics in a pool. But this 45-minute class at the Ches Penney YMCA in St. John's is also filled with laughter, jokes and participants who are there for each other through thick and thin.

When Aisha Elgayar moved to St. John's in 2019, she planned to visit her hometown of Cairo every six months. The pandemic had other plans. But when she finally did get to make the voyage, St. John's was never far from her mind.

One St. John's book club recently met in person for the first time in almost two years and members could barely contain their joy, while another writing club is sticking to virtual meetings for now.