Back To Kingston - One Last Time!

Oh, this is bittersweet.

So, I hadn`t planned on spending this much time in Toronto. I came back on May 19 to be around for a family reunion over the Victoria Day long weekend, and then, of course, I stuck around for my New York trip at the end of May. I had intended to go back to Kingston a few days after I arrived back from New York. But, of course, things didn`t end up that way. One event was planned after another - another family reunion (on a smaller scale), my uncle`s birthday, events with friends. And.... I ended up staying in Toronto for the first couple of weeks of June.

So, basically, I`ve been home for almost a month. It almost feels like I`ve already moved out of Kingston. But, I haven`t. Yet. I need to keep reminding myself that I`m still a resident of Kingston, Ontario - for about two more weeks.

So, here I go again. One last time. Running around, packing my bags, stuffing my suitcase with shoes and clothing I`ve lugged back and forth from city to city. I`ve done this a number of times this past year - going back and forth from Kingston to Mississauga, from Mississauga to Kingston, on Thanksgiving, Christmas Break, Reading Week, Easter Weekend, and various weekends in between.

I can`t believe this is the last time I`m doing this. It seems just like yesterday that I was moving in, scared out of my wits that my year at Queen`s would seem like an eternity.

But it didn`t feel that way at all. And now, I`m moving out of my Kingston home in exactly two weeks. It went by so fast. Unbelievable.

So, time to make my last days in Kingston count, right? Exploring places I didn`t get to during the school year? Plus, I`ll be spending my birthday in Kingston on Saturday, so it should be fun times, celebrating with Kingston friends!

So, I board my bus tomorrow morning. Here we go, two more weeks, Kingston. Let`s make it memorable.

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
— Albert Einstein

"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."
— Jack Kerouac

"And by the way, Monsieur Marius, I believe that I was a little bit in love with you."
— Victor Hugo (Les Misérables)

Home For Another Week & Karaoke @ The Gladstone

So. Clearly, last night's federal election was momentous. Mind boggling. I blinked a few times, staring at CTV's seat counter (Sidebar: Nothing can take away from my undying loyalty for Lloyd Robertson). I couldn't believe it. But, my comments on last night's historic results will end here. My thoughts on last night's results aren't very popular among my age bracket, so in the interest of tapering down on possible arguments, let's just say I'm sitting here, very satisfied, as I type this message. No gloating, no satisfied smirking. Just very proud of my incumbent MP and the party he represents. If you'd like to discuss the results with me, feel free to send me a Facebook message, friends! :)

But, anyway. The point of today's blog post. I forgot to mention that I'm homeeee for another week! Clearly, I couldn't stay away from Toronto.

THIS PAST FRIDAY...

Amid all the Royal Wedding hoopla, I headed to Toronto from Kingston this past Friday afternoon, running on 1 hour of sleep. I don't know how I survived. I met Alicia and Mel downtown, and we proceeded to kill 8 hours in downtown Toronto, until a fried's birthday celebration at the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar at 10:00 pm that night.

What do you do at the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar?

Why, you sing karaoke, of course.

Okay.

Story time.

When my fried informed me last week that we'd be heading to a karaoke bar for her birthday, I freaked out. In excitement. Do you guys know how much I love karaoke? More than life itself. But, I'm Asian. So clearly, I'm conforming to popular stereotypes. *flashes peace sign*

So, last week, before heading to Toronto, I casually mentioned to Janice that I'd be going to the Gladstone on Friday for karaoke. I was excited to burst into my own rendition of a Spice Girls favourite, you know? Don't judget me.

Except. Janice stared at me blankly once I mentioned the venue.

"You're going to the Gladstone for karaoke?" she asked incredulously, "Uh, do you know how they do karaoke there?"

"No," I was confused. I hadn't been there before. I just assumed it was, you know, normal karaoke. Full of low-key, lovers of everyday music with no hope of ever singing on the right key. Singing off-key, for the win.

"Karaoke at the Gladstone is HARDCORE, Barb!" she complained, "The last time we were there, we were booed of the stage. TWICE."

Okay. I know it was mean. But I giggled. Booed off the stage singing karaoke? I thought she was exaggerating. She tried to convince me that people who sing there are hardcore recording artists, but I brushed her descriptions aside.

I was ready to sing my heart out to old school N'Sync. You know? How could you boo someone off a stage when they're clearly so emotionally invested in classic 90's pop? I wouldn't have the heart to!

So, Alicia, Mel, and I arrived at the Gladstone on Friday night. It was cute. And I was super glad to celebrate my friend's birthday with her, since I missed her parties the last couple of years. And, I wanted to sing, damnit. Quit playing games with my heart. Ten points for getting that reference.

But then, it happened. The first karaoke participant stepped on the stage. She looked like any normal crazy about to burst out in an off-key, heartfelt tune. But.... she didn't.

Oh. She was really. really. really. good.

Um. This woman was talented. And, clearly, had tons of vocal training.

Janice was right.

As people came on and off the stage, singing their hearts out, I blinked. It was like an episode of Glee. They were really good. Almost professionals. I almost expected them to bust out a choreographed dance.

It, clearly, became evident that, uh, my penchant for 90's classic pop wouldn't be well-received by this audience. And, it also became increasingly apparent that we would be booed off that stage like no tomorrow if we even as much as stepped on that stage.

So, dear readers, we didn't.

We didn't make like Brian Litrell. We didn't put Aretha to shame.

Lesson learned? If you want to sing karaoke at the Gladstone, you have to be, uh, a good singer. Whoops.

HOME FOR ANOTHER WEEK!

But, no matter. I'm home in Toronto for another week! God, I love this city. I'll be visiting my old UofT campus libraries again this week to find books for this thesis, so it'll be nice to wander the area again.

It's times like these when I groan at the thought of going back to Kingston next week. Ah well, only a month or so until I can move back to Toronto for good.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week! READ UP ON POST-ELECTION NEWS COVERAGE! Epic, epic, epic.

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves."
- Victor Hugo

"Nothing important was ever achieved without someone taking a chance."
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Second Semester Officially Over & Home For The Long Weekend!

I`m officially done with the most stressful month of my life. And that`s not an exaggeration. I handed in my very last (albeit, pretty crappy) term paper yesterday. But, that`s the thing. It`s done! It`s over! And now, back to a regular blogging schedule.

I can`t believe I survived.

There were moments in April (actually, in this year) where I thought I wouldn`t.

And with that last paper, and with the last day of classes 2 weeks ago, it`s time for a break. So I`m heading home for the Easter long weekend, tomorrow. (!!!!!). Oh, relief. I haven`t been home in two months, I can`t even imagine what my mother`s cooking tastes like anymore. Anyway, I`ll be home for four days, and will be back in Kingston this coming Monday. Home! Home! Home! I`m so excited.

And, starting this Monday, when I get back to my regular spot at the library, I start working on the last thing keeping me from my Masters degree: the Masters Research Paper. Thesis, whatever. But, more on that in a later post.

And yet, despite the joy and relief of having second semester over with, there`s the reality that, while my graduate program lasts until the summer, some don`t.

Meaning, many people are starting to leave, moving out of Kingston for good.

Insert sad face here.

Are you as terrible with goodbyes as I am? Because, trust me. I`m terrible at them. I can`t imagine what it`s going to be like moving out of Kingston in June. You know, that eighty year old Gramma that bawls her eyes out whenever she has to say goodbye to someone, even if they`ll only be apart for a few months?

That`s me. I`m your eighty year old Gramma.

Several friends I`ve made in Kingston will be leaving in the next week or so. A couple are leaving for exchange (to Europe!!), some are in programs that only last until April, and some are moving out and working on our thesis from home.

This is so sad. I hate saying goodbye. And, plus, There are so many things we`ve planned to do in Kingston that we haven`t done yet!

Like, for instance. I was supposed to visit the Kingston Jail with some of you. Is this not happening anymore?

Insert another sad face here.

And, to make matters worse, most of my housemates are moving out in the next week.

Break my heart, why don`t you?!

Well, anyway, to spare those of you moving out this week with my tearful salutations, I will end here with the note that I will see you all again soon. Be it in Toronto, in Mississauga, Ottawa, this summer. We will see each other again! And we`ll keep in touch!

And, I`ll brighten up, because I`m visiting home tomorrow! Woooooo.

HAPPY EASTER LONG WEEKEND, EVERYONE :)

"He told me that in Greek, nostalgia literally means the pain from an old wound. It’s a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. Goes backwards, forwards, and takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It’s not called ‘The Wheel,’ it’s called ‘The Carousel.’ It lets us travel the way a child travels, round and around and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved."
- Don Draper, Mad Men

This Is Why I Miss Home - Happy Birthday, Alicia!!!

Here's my birthday greeting. All the way from Kingston. On a blog you suggested I start, no less. Do you remember this? I hope you do.

Anyway, I know you're all the way on the other side of the world right now, being the do-gooder you are, having the time of your life, but we still can't wait to see you when you're finally home! And, seriously. Adventures in New York await us. So there's a lot of things to look forward to. Thanks for being such a wonderful, fabulous friend! You've been the best partner-in-crime anyone could ask for, and the past seven years I've known you (has it already been seven years?!) have gone by without a dull moment. I'm so glad to have you as one of my bestest, closest friends. May you be blessed with a wonderful new year of your life, full of fantastic opportunities, wonderful surprises, and even more adventures (Two words: Michael and Kors) as we go through this post-grad life together. Love you, friend! Happy Birthday!

And, you know, this is why I miss home. For those of you heading off to grad school next year, always remember the people who love you and care about you. At home. Though grad school has been a wonderful experience for me so far, I think it's also important to remember that grad school can be tough in another sense. There will be many people who will, unfortunately, desperately want you to fail in order to secure their success. It may not be the easiest process to make friends in a strange city, a new school, and new program. And most importantly, grad school can be emotionally and physically draining. So much that, at times, you think you've gone crazy. However, if all this happens to you, take heart.

Because, the antidote? A reminder of everything waiting for you back home. And, my friends, that's where my heart will forever be. With the city I love, and the friends I adore. And today, I miss you all so very very much. Thinking of all of you with warm thoughts and good wishes!

P.S. Do I sound homesick? Or do I sound homesick? Let's wager a guess. Can't wait to see you all.

"Surround yourself with people you love being yourself with."

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence."
- George Washington

Reading Week: A Week of Highlights and Free Stuff (!!)

It's only Thursday and I'm already echoing my sentiments from the end of Christmas break: I really really don't want to leave home. Reading Week has been too short. Too short. Too short. What am I going to do when (or if) I leave the country for law school next year? I won't be coming home for Reading Week. The thought boggles my mind.

After an eventful Coach bus ride to Toronto last Friday, spending much of my time making awkward conversation with my student who boarded the same bus I did (you read the right), I arrived in Toronto, lugging my suitcase (carrying all my students' essays for Reading Week marking) and monstrous backpack off the Coach bus, and happily skipped down Dundas Street towards Eaton Centre. Hey, at least I didn't have as many suitcases as the last time I came home, yea? Oh, the relief. I was so happy to be back in Toronto. Alicia met me by the Pickle Barrel and we happily stuffed ourselves for lunch to celebrate the beginning of Reading Week.

As soon as I got home on Friday night, however, I had to go straight to work. Reading Week hasn't been a walk in the park. I've had to work on a major presentation, work on 2 thirty-page papers, trudge through 300 pages of reading, and sit through marking at least 30 essays.

Boo. Oh well. Not even all that work could sour my mood. I'm just glad to be home.

However, Tuesday was a welcome break from all that work. And it was definitely one of the highlights of the week so far. Not only did I get to wander UofT's campus for the first time in a year, it was also a day of arbitrarily being handed free stuff. And everyone loves free stuff, right? Right??

So. Here's the story.

On Tuesday morning, I hopped on the GO train and headed to the University of Toronto campus to meet my officemate Janice. I had to pass along her 50 student essays ready for marking. I hadn't been on UofT's campus since I graduated a year ago, and I can't express on this blog how excited I was to visit campus. I'm a shameless nerd like that.

Because I'm a cheap grad student, I refused to pay $3.00 for the subway and walked to campus from Union Station instead. Oh, how I've missed walking through the P.A.T.H.! Oh, how I've missed walking down Yonge Street! Oh, how I've missed people-watching oblivious Bay Street workers fumbling away on their Crackberries. Oh, how I've missed walking through the city! Oh, how I've missed it all! (Sorry. It's the excitement. I'm really not this cheesy).

Yet walking to the Starbucks at the corner of St. George and College Street, I was a little taken aback. Ordering my usual tea latte, I was told I didn't have to pay for my drink. Bewildered, I glanced around suspiciusly, wondering if someone was pulling my own Starbucks experiment on me. But no, I received a free drink. For absolutely no reason. Awesome.

And so, I studied at Starbucks for awhile. I didn't have to meet Janice until 11:30 am, you see. But I was a little eager to get downtown, so I had arrived at UofT's campus, um, a little too early. After studying for awhile, I stood up, walked to the Starbucks barista to order a second drink. And yet, after I ordered, the barista refused to take my money. I received a free drink again. For absolutely no reason. I have no idea why or how. I couldn't believe my luck.

Free Starbucks drinks? Two of them? What!

So I skipped happily out of Starbucks, walked up St. George Street, and waited for Janice inside Robarts Library, marvelling at the familiarity. I've missed this campus so much. Yet as I sat by the first floor computers, I noticed a curious slip of paper peeking out from under the couch. Leaning over, I gaped in surprise to find a $10 bill.

Free Starbucks drinks? Free money? What!

So Janice and I spent the day studying, eating at a local Thai restaurant, wandering the halls of the Political Science department at Sidney Smith, stopping by the offices of our former professors. It was fantastic to be back, even if it was just for a few hours. I can't even explain how happy I was to see my old department. I spent four incredible years at UofT, and it was an honour to walk through Sidney Smith's 3rd Floor all over again.

Later that evening, sitting at a local Tim Horton's with Alicia and Mishal, I ordered a medium Hot Chocolate (I only ordered a medium so I could Roll Up The Rim) and one peanut butter cookie. When we reached our table, I opened my cookie package and found that I had been given two large cookies instead. An extra cookie? For free? Why? I never get anything for free!

Free Starbucks drinks? Free money? Free cookies? What!

Okay, so the free stuff was awesome. I'll admit it. Especially the free cookies. But beyond all the free stuff, I'm just so glad I had the chance to see my old department again. To wander the halls of my former buildings. To wander the city I love. To take in the familiarity of places I spent four years of my undergraduate experience in. And last but not least, I'm so glad I had the chance to spend parts of my week with friends. With family. With family friends. To drive around my beloved little suburb.

If there's anything Reading Week has taught me (other than the fact that I really enjoy free stuff! Woot!), it's the realization that wherever I'll be next year for law school, I'll miss home terribly. I'm almost certain that I'll be leaving the country in September, leaving home for three years. The thought boggles my mind.

Home is where your heart will always be, friends. Let's all enjoy and appreciate the time we have at home during our visits. The time flies by too fast.

"Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room."- Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave,
and grow old wanting to get back to.”
- John Ed Pearce

Happy Reading Week (or Spring Break), Everyone!

It's finally Reading Week. Finally. Finally. I leave Kingston tomorrow on a bus bound for Toronto, and I can't wait to come home and see everyone. Plus, it's Family Day weekend, so I'm sure my parents have a number of activities planned for us when I get back. And let's not forget the important part: I'll finally have the chance to gobble down some of my mother's cooking. Yum. Home-cooked meals. I've missed you!

Ah, home. I haven't been back since Christmas break, and I have to admit that, as much as I love Kingston, I've had several bouts of homesickness in the last couple of months. I can't wait to come home, I'm so, so excited.

Side Note: The picture above is misleading. No, I'm not going to Cuba. Or Mexico. Or anything quite that exciting. Because for Reading Week, I'll... actually be reading. Friends, I have so much to do over the break. It definitely won't be a holiday, to say the least. For instance, I'm not looking forward to lugging home 50 student essays to mark on top of all my work.

And so, for Reading Week, I foresee myself spending hours at UofT's Robarts Library next week to get some work done and to, let's face it, pretend I'm a UofT student again. Because I'm a nerd like that. And I miss it.

However, despite that miserable stack of work I'll be taking home, I'm still excited. Because I'm coming home! Home! Home for 11 days! No amount of work can take away this excitement!

I wish all of you a safe and wonderful Reading Week! Have lots of fun for me!

"Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth."
- Martin H. Fischer

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."
- Henry Van Dyke

Packing For Kingston - The End of Christmas Break

The usual packing situation. Sigh.
Friends, the end is near. The end of relaxation. The end of sleeping in. The end of doing absolutely nothing. The end of sweet, sweet stress-free bliss.

I guess I'm being a little dramatic. Okay, maybe a lot. But I thought I'd sit here and grudgingly write this blog post in acceptance of the fact that I'll be heading back to Kingston this weekend. Christmas break is almost over, and come Monday, it's back to class, back to the office, back to drowning myself in an insane amount of readings, back to the usual swing of things.

Boo. I don't want to go back.

And so, I'm dragging my feet, buying time before I have to grudgingly face the task of packing. I have a lot of stuff to bring back to Kingston, and I have no idea how I'll be lugging my monstrous suitcases from the Coach bus terminal to my Kingston home. In addition to winter gear, winter boots, and other necessary items (my skates!), my mother has decided to cook up a storm and will be sending me back to school with enough food to last me till June.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. But it's a lot of food. If nothing else, if I end up in a ditch somewhere in Kingston, trying to lug my suitcases home, at least I won't starve.

I've had such a fantastic Christmas break. My parents and I attended an awesome Christmas Eve party, enjoyed the company of family with Christmas dinner at our house. I rang in the New Year in an unusual yet memorable fashion. I had the pleasure of spending time with my dearest friends, from coffee dates, to lunches, to dinners, to shopping trips, to hang-out sessions and adventures that I've missed so much. My parents and I also had the chance to squeeze in a number of family dates to the movies (The King's Speech. Watch it), to the mall, to restaurants where I happily stuffed my face.

Wahhhhhhh. I don't want to go back! Don't make me! Everything I know and everyone I love is right here. At home. And yet I'm leaving it all once again.

Sigh. Okay. I'm done. No more whining. I have one last Starbucks coffee date tomorrow morning with Paula and Lenita, and one last event to play piano for on Saturday. Then it's goodbye until I'm back for Reading Week.

I assure you, I will be wearing this frown all the way back to Kingston. How did these three weeks pass by so quickly? I haven't even left home yet, and I'm already homesick. Goodbye, Christmas Break! And it's been a lovely break indeed, my friends. Till next time!

"Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."
- Joseph Campbell

"I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be."
- Ken Venturi

Merry Christmas, Dear Readers!

It's Christmas Eve, my friends! It isn't everyday that we get to celebrate Christmas. Of my twenty-three years, I've only experienced the holiday season twenty-three times, and I only remember about fourteen of those times (who really remembers Christmas when they were two? I thought so). We don't get to celebrate the holidays often. Christmas comes once a year, and passes as quickly as the season came.

This may be one of the last Christmas days I'll be spending at home for a long time. Who knows where I'll be next year for law school? Who knows if I'll be able to fly home for the holidays next year? And so, dear friends, as we go through the grad life so laden with unpredictability, I hope we enjoy and appreciate this Christmas with our families and friends: the ones we love and adore. As we grow up, a time may come when opportunities like these don't come as often as we'd like.

And now, I hate to be cliche (actually, who am I kidding? I'm as cliche as they come!), but I'm off to bake gingerbread cookies and figure out the ham and turkey situation with my parents, in preparation for tonight's (and this weekend's) festivities.

Merry Christmas, everyone! May you all have a wonderful, memorable Christmas Eve and Christmas weekend!

"The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss."
- Thomas Carlyle

"It is, indeed, the season of regenerated feeling--the season for kindling, not merely the fire of hospitality in the hall, but the genial flame of charity in the heart."
- Washington Irving

Home For The Holidays - A Taste of Toronto's Hospitality

Christmas in Toronto
I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me. Sing it with me! Actually, scratch that. I'm already home! I know, exciting, right? My Coach bus departed from Kingston's bus terminal around 11:00 am this past Thursday, carrying a number of excited students heading home for the holidays. I was so excited, I could hardly contain it.

Except I had a little conundrum. Actually, it was a fantastically terrible dilemma. It's no secret that I'm a chronic overpacker. Case in point. There was nothing more horrifying than packing for my Eurotrip this past summer, where I had to succumb to packing a mere 3 or 4 outfits to accommodate Air Transat's measly luggage weight restriction while leaving (a significant amount) of room for Europe purchases (a topic I've gone into many times, dear readers).

Packing for the holidays was no different. I stood in front of my closet on Wednesday evening, coming to the conclusion that I would be lugging a suitcase, an enormous duffel bag (bigger than my actual suitcase, unfortunately), my laptop bag, and my purse home. That doesn't sound like too much, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, these bags were Huge. Enormous. Astronomically large. And I'd be lugging these monsters from the bus terminal, to Eaton Centre (where I scheduled in lunch with a friend and shopping), on to the subway, to Union Station, up the flight of stairs to the GO train terminal, into the train, and finally, home.

It was quite the trek. You know those people you see on the street, lugging enormous packages? Slipping and panting as they make their way through the crowded streets of Toronto? That was me. You were feeling sorry for me.

I was in quite the bind. And yet... Toronto, oh Toronto, you never failed me. I've never understood people's complaints about Toronto. Accusations about the rudeness of city dwellers, the indifference, avoiding those in need, too engrossed in their own affairs. I've never experienced that. And in my luggage plight, it was no different.

ENCOUNTER 1: As I stood at Bay and Dundas, pausing for breath, lamenting the aches and pains shooting up my arms as I carried my huge Queen's University duffel bag on my shoulder, an older woman paused and asked if I needed help rolling my monstrous suitcase into the mall, down the escalator. Gratefully, I nodded. And together, we wheeled my suitcase into the mall.

ENCOUNTER 2: As I stood in the mall, staring forlornly at the bruises on my arms from the weight of my duffel bag, an elderly gentleman asked if I needed help lugging my suitcase up the flight of escalators. Gratefully, I nodded. And together, we wheeled my suitcase through the mall.

ENCOUNTER 3: As I stood at Dundas Subway Station, fumbling with my change, I got stuck in the turn style. Oh, how embarrassing. That was me. I was the Girl Who Got Stuck In The Turn Style. Face, meet palm. And yet, about 4 or 5 people stopped to push my luggage through the turn style and waited patiently until I was able to break free.

ENCOUNTER 4: And as I fumbled with my change, balancing my duffle bag on my suitcase, my aching fingers slipped, and all the change in my wallet went crashing all over the subway station floor. FACE, MEET PALM. I was so embarrassed. And yet, right in the middle of busy Dundas Station, about 10 people paused to pick up all my money. And as I counted my change later, there wasn't even a dime missing.

More of these acts of courtesy happened all through my trip back to Mississauga. Women and men of all ages stopped to help me carry my luggage up flights of stairs, up escalators, helped me balance my suitcases in the subway, helped me carry my monstrous, weighty packages through the GO train terminal, helped me lug my luggage onto the train. Contrary to what I originally thought, my luggage plight wasn't too much of a dilemma at all. I was so incredibly grateful.

Who says Toronto is a bastion of indifference? A site of city dwellers engrossed in their own affairs, too busy to lend a hand to someone who needs help? From what I've experienced most of my life, it isn't.

I'm home for the holidays, Toronto. And I'm so excited to be back!
Christmas break, here we go!

"The universal joy of Christmas is certainly wonderful. We ring the bells when princes are born, or toll a mournful dirge when great men pass away. Nations have their red-letter days, their carnivals and festivals, but once in the year and only once, the whole world stands still to celebrate the advent of a life."

Home For A Weekend - Lessons Learned

Thanksgiving weekend is officially over. Friends, I hope you all had a fantastic long weekend. I certainly did. It hadn't dawned on me how much I dearly missed my friends, my family, my home, my car (!!!) until I actually came home for the weekend. It was a wonderful time away from Kingston, spent with a number of people I love and missed. And, upon reflection, I don't regret eating those six slices of pumpkin pie and, really, who knows how many slices of turkey and ham. No regrets, friends. Only a satisfied stomach on the verge of explosion.

After a weekend home, I've come up with several observations that will probably be useful for those of us who are away from home for extended periods of time. Or, rather, let`s deem these observations as Lessons Learned, ideas to think about the next time we go home for a weekend. Because really, you never realize how much things have changed until you leave.

When you visit home, don't be surprised when...

LESSON 1) Don't be surprised when you do absolutely no work at home. As I sit here writing this post, I'm staring in bewilderment at the pile of readings I planned to do but didn't. I boarded that Megabus on Friday morning with such expectations of long weekend productivity, lugging my laptop, readings, and books onto the bus with absolute determination. After lugging all my work two hundred kilometres home for the weekend, how much work did I do? None.

LESSON 2) Don't be surprised when you come home, one month after moving to Kingston, and find that everything in your city changed. Everything. These aren`t mere exaggerations, friends. Heading home, I stopped in bewilderment more than a few times, pausing in confusion at blocks of construction inside Eaton Centre, at the new Indigo bookstore and Starbucks standing two blocks away from my house (when did that get there? That definitely wasn`t there when I left), at rows and rows of new houses suddenly built in my neighbourhood (that wasn`t there when I left either!). You get the point. I`ve only been gone for a month. How did all this happen while I was gone? How was all that built while I was gone? Shocking questions, these.

LESSON 3) Don't be surprised when you come home, see your car, and be overcome with pangs of emotion at the sight of your precious vehicle. Dear car, you have no idea how much I missed driving you.

LESSON 4) Don't be surprised when you come home and the kids you teach in Sunday school are suddenly two feet taller compared to when you last saw them. You stare in surprise, shocked at how grown-up they look. It's the Wheaties at work, I'm telling you.

LESSON 5) Don't be surprised when you come home and the most exciting, celebrity-related events happened in Mississauga while you were gone. Apparently, two weeks ago, Mia Michaels was at my church. Yes. Let's re-read that sentence one more time. Two weeks ago, Mia Michaels was at my church. Let me backtrack and explain. One Sunday over the summer, in early July, as I stepped on the stage towards the piano and obliviously played our Sunday morning worship set, I was bombarded by my fellow worship team when we finished, everyone whispering-but-not-really-whispering that Blake McGrath, contestant on Season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance was sitting in the congregation. And as summer went on, every Sunday, as I played the piano, I looked towards the crowd and never failed to spot Blake McGrath, sitting a few aisles away from my parents. Really, it was the closest I`d ever been to a celebrity. Well, friends, as I sat in Kingston two weeks ago, miles away from home, no longer a regular member of Harvest Family Church's worship band, Emmy-award winning choreographer Mia Michaels, a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, came to our 11:00 AM service with Blake McGrath. Seriously. I'm in shock. Why am I in Kingston? Why did I, the biggest So You Think You Can Dance junkie alive, miss this?

LESSON 6) Don't be surprised when you come home and realize how much you missed your dearest friends. And normal activities like spending hours at a local buffet, watching trainwreck chick flicks like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, meeting up for lunch dates at guilty pleasure fast food haunts, shopping at the usual stores, and picking up slushies at your local Petro Canada are more than satisfying. Dear friends, I truly missed you and I`m so glad I was able to see some of you this weekend!

LESSON 7) Don`t be surprised when you`ll stop starving at the mere bite of your mother`s cooking. Because really, even though your month of independence has forced you to learn how to cook some pretty awesome meals, nothing can compare to the taste of a homecooked meal (that isn`t yours).

It was an incredibly awesome weekend. And as I sit here on the last evening of this long weekend, the reality of my busy week ahead is starting to dawn on me. The fabulous long weekend is over. It`s time to get back to work, friends. Back to work, indeed.

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe