A trip around the Sun...
A kaleidoscope of three sixty-something days around the sun.
The past year will be one I won't forget quickly.
While it went by so fast, I remember days when it felt like time froze.
Days where words filled my heart, and I just could not put them together.
Drafts started but were not complete; empty note pages littered my Keep.
We never truly know how far we can go until there is no option but to keep going. The night before I left home, I cried, I cried because I thought three months was too long to be away from my family.
Three, four, five, six, seven, EIGHT! months until we were together again.
This experience, I will forever cherish because it taught me to appreciate being together with my loved ones. You know how we take it for granted when we have people around, constantly annoyed with each other's presence, bickering over little things, all these are what make our lives with each other colourful.
For the fun part, I'd be telling the rest of the story in pictures I took showing my experience the past year. Some with a little back story, others "just because" I took the picture.
The Seasons on My Street
Amazing how the same view changed with the season. Each picture literally captures the overall mood of the seasons for me.
My favourite so far is Spring because it shows rebirth. I was literally giggling at every budding flower I walked by. The cherry blossoms added the right feel to the warmth Spring came with.
My second favourite will be winter, Xmas Winter, not winter winter. It was so beautiful with the snow and the jolly feeling that came with the season. I, however, missed my family the most during this time because I had hoped we would celebrate the New Year together. This was also followed by my birthday, and I felt really alone. Winter came with a lot of mood swings, emotional highs and lows. I enjoyed the highs; no doubt, in fact, some of the highs made my high for the year.
I travelled back home just at the beginning of summer and did not get the full excitement of the SUN. I am looking forward to the next summer, then I can update my favourite season list. Fall welcomed me here, and I was in the middle of finding my new normal. The orange colour of autumn also warms my heart, but sadly it does not top my list.
Some other pictures that made the cut:
My Trip to Toronto
My International passport was expiring, and I needed to renew it. Renewal can only be done in Ottawa, the Nigerian High Commission in Canada. That's roughly a 5 hour's trip by flight from YVR Vancouver, and I needed to get to the High Commission early to ensure I was accepted for biometrics capturing.
This means I am spending close to $1k on my return flight, and I wasn't ready to spend more on a hotel. So I planned an overnight trip to land in Ottawa in the morning, conclude my business at the High Commission and take the evening flight back to YVR.
Oops! I did not factor in the layover at Toronto and the effect of the 3-hour time difference. The first picture is me lounging in the Toronto Pearson Airport at 2:30am -3oC, waiting for my 6:00am flight to Ottawa. Talk about penny-wise...
Aside from this, my trip was smooth. I was lucky to conclude my business on time, get my new passport the same day, make it back to the airport, grab a snack and join my class online.
Fasting in Spring
Imagine coming from Nigeria, where the sun sets at most by 7:30pm on the longest days. Fasting in spring started with sunsets at past 8:00pm, then gradually 8:30 pm as above, 9:00pm and then after 9ish. It was tough at first, but the body tuned to the timing over the course of the month.
Homecoming
Passport renewed. Permit extended. Visa extended. Classes moved online.
With all of this achieved, we agreed it was time I came home while I continued the rest of the term from Nigeria.
I was scared-excited.
Excited because I was going to see my people, my family, be on my own turf. I was scared because it meant giving up my apartment and my "minimum wage part-time job." Yes, I knew I could get those back, but it was going to be stressful starting afresh from a pattern I was used to, although I knew I was going home no matter what.
My roomie made sure my last few days before I travelled were FUN, and I love her for it.
Randoms
Looking back, it was really a wonderful year.
Back here šagain, but this time it's a new chapter. The full squad is here, and it is like learning the ropes afresh. I hope to enjoy this new phase even better and fill it with unforgettable moments.
....xoxo...
Comments
Post a Comment