Leaving Ottawa is going tobe difficult
“Say hello to your home for the next four years.” Those were the words that are burned into my mind from my first day in Ottawa. Those words were said by my friend and soon to be roommate of four years Jason Moore. To tell you the truth when he said those words to me the thought of being in Ottawa for that long made me sick. I didn't want to come to Ottawa way back when but I did it because something in my heart told me it was what I needed to do. My family and friends back home in Scarborough meant the world to me and I wasn't ready to leave them but I left anyway.
Adjusting to my new life in Ottawa was difficult to say the least. Not knowing anybody except my roommate was a bizarre thing. I never did give Ottawa much of a chance that year because I always looked at it as a temporary stay. In residence I met some really great people and there were others who were just interesting. I am proud to say that some of those people I am friends with today and helped make Ottawa home for me. For the sake of not forgetting anybody I am not going to name anybody in this entry.
In the summer after first year some things changed for me I wasn't in journalism anymore and still didn't feel Ottawa was a home so why did I come back here for year two and beyond? To be perfectly honest it was because of a girl. A girl that meant so much to me that I actually looked forward to coming to Ottawa. I found myself in a good spot because when I was in Ottawa I was happy and I still had Scarborough as my home. As strange as it may sound although I was now happy in Ottawa it still wasn't home. It was always more of a vacation.
When that girl broke up with me I was faced with a challenge. How do I approach the rest of my time in Ottawa? Do I live my life like I had been or do I open up and make it a home? I challenged myself and tried to make Ottawa a home. What I came to realize was that I did like Ottawa I was just too afraid to admit it because it meant leaving some people in Scarborough behind. Last summer I can honestly say that I hated my time in Scarborough. After that summer I vowed I was through with Scarborough as a home.
This past year has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. I have experienced extremely high peaks and success but I also experienced some very dark lows, ones that made me question the kind of person I am. As scary as those lows were I wouldn't change a thing. Some of those dreary moments were by my own doing while others were a result of circumstance, regardless, I learned from each and every experience which is really all one can ask for in life.
As I begin packing and going through the motions of my final days in Ottawa it is becoming clear to me that leaving this place is going to be difficult. I have become attached to certain places and a lot of people. A great number of those people I have only known for about a year. Those people are the ones I met while working at Kelseys. I feel more attached to them than most of the I met at school. The reason I feel so close to these people is because of the emotion exchanged between us.
The restaurant industry is a very peculiar thing it really is. A typical night is packed with surges of energy, frustration, laughter and sometimes the feeling like you are going to go crazy. The beauty of it is that you go through it as a group regardless of your position. At the end of the night when sitting at the bar with your friends having a beer, or most of the time in my case not having a beer, there's this unity I felt amongst us. You see no matter how strong of an individual you are, or how good a server, cook, or host that you are there are moments when you need to look over to the person next to you and say 'I need your help'. A lot of people might take that as just part of the job, helping a fellow team member, but I took it as a personal favour. When somebody helped me out I took it as them taking the time to lend me, Tim Whalen not co-worker, a hand. Maybe that's why I felt like the staff at Kelseys wasn't a team but a family. The dynamic of a family is interesting because the same people you can hug, laugh with and love can be the same ones you can be angry, annoyed and pissed off with. One things remains the same though. At the end of the day you help your family out no matter what and that's what we did.
So why am I leaving Ottawa if I love it and the people so much? Well it's kind of like how I began my journey here, there's something in my heart that tells me it's time to go. It isn't completely the same as before however. I going towards certain things as well as going away from others. I'm looking forward to spending time with my immediate family and friends but I'm also excited about finding a new job and meeting new people. As great as that is believe me when I say I am going to miss Ottawa so much and there have been times when I have second guessed my decision to leave. It's just hard but I know everything is going aight (there are a few people who will be laughing while crying after reading that sentence).
For four of my five years I considered Ottawa almost a vacation spot. For that final year I considered it a home. Now that I'm leaving I will always consider it a home with family that I will never lose. I took a lot of classes, read a lot of books in my time here. I've learned a lot of things and a great number of lessons. The greatest thing I learned is that true friendship lasts a lifetime and over comes all obstacles.
Adjusting to my new life in Ottawa was difficult to say the least. Not knowing anybody except my roommate was a bizarre thing. I never did give Ottawa much of a chance that year because I always looked at it as a temporary stay. In residence I met some really great people and there were others who were just interesting. I am proud to say that some of those people I am friends with today and helped make Ottawa home for me. For the sake of not forgetting anybody I am not going to name anybody in this entry.
In the summer after first year some things changed for me I wasn't in journalism anymore and still didn't feel Ottawa was a home so why did I come back here for year two and beyond? To be perfectly honest it was because of a girl. A girl that meant so much to me that I actually looked forward to coming to Ottawa. I found myself in a good spot because when I was in Ottawa I was happy and I still had Scarborough as my home. As strange as it may sound although I was now happy in Ottawa it still wasn't home. It was always more of a vacation.
When that girl broke up with me I was faced with a challenge. How do I approach the rest of my time in Ottawa? Do I live my life like I had been or do I open up and make it a home? I challenged myself and tried to make Ottawa a home. What I came to realize was that I did like Ottawa I was just too afraid to admit it because it meant leaving some people in Scarborough behind. Last summer I can honestly say that I hated my time in Scarborough. After that summer I vowed I was through with Scarborough as a home.
This past year has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. I have experienced extremely high peaks and success but I also experienced some very dark lows, ones that made me question the kind of person I am. As scary as those lows were I wouldn't change a thing. Some of those dreary moments were by my own doing while others were a result of circumstance, regardless, I learned from each and every experience which is really all one can ask for in life.
As I begin packing and going through the motions of my final days in Ottawa it is becoming clear to me that leaving this place is going to be difficult. I have become attached to certain places and a lot of people. A great number of those people I have only known for about a year. Those people are the ones I met while working at Kelseys. I feel more attached to them than most of the I met at school. The reason I feel so close to these people is because of the emotion exchanged between us.
The restaurant industry is a very peculiar thing it really is. A typical night is packed with surges of energy, frustration, laughter and sometimes the feeling like you are going to go crazy. The beauty of it is that you go through it as a group regardless of your position. At the end of the night when sitting at the bar with your friends having a beer, or most of the time in my case not having a beer, there's this unity I felt amongst us. You see no matter how strong of an individual you are, or how good a server, cook, or host that you are there are moments when you need to look over to the person next to you and say 'I need your help'. A lot of people might take that as just part of the job, helping a fellow team member, but I took it as a personal favour. When somebody helped me out I took it as them taking the time to lend me, Tim Whalen not co-worker, a hand. Maybe that's why I felt like the staff at Kelseys wasn't a team but a family. The dynamic of a family is interesting because the same people you can hug, laugh with and love can be the same ones you can be angry, annoyed and pissed off with. One things remains the same though. At the end of the day you help your family out no matter what and that's what we did.
So why am I leaving Ottawa if I love it and the people so much? Well it's kind of like how I began my journey here, there's something in my heart that tells me it's time to go. It isn't completely the same as before however. I going towards certain things as well as going away from others. I'm looking forward to spending time with my immediate family and friends but I'm also excited about finding a new job and meeting new people. As great as that is believe me when I say I am going to miss Ottawa so much and there have been times when I have second guessed my decision to leave. It's just hard but I know everything is going aight (there are a few people who will be laughing while crying after reading that sentence).
For four of my five years I considered Ottawa almost a vacation spot. For that final year I considered it a home. Now that I'm leaving I will always consider it a home with family that I will never lose. I took a lot of classes, read a lot of books in my time here. I've learned a lot of things and a great number of lessons. The greatest thing I learned is that true friendship lasts a lifetime and over comes all obstacles.