Ottawa: A Proper Good-Bye

I have left Ottawa. A home to me for about 10 years is now a thing of the past. This move (although not to any place in particular) has been a thought in my head for years. Now it is real. As I’m sitting in my new Aurora apartment it still doesn’t feel quite like home yet. I am lucky to be living close (underneath to be specific) to family. It does make things a lot easier, especially since I don’t know the area and I live so far from the school.

On my first full day in Aurora, a nice suburban neighbourhood part of the Greater Toronto Area, I was crossing the road while walking King. Stepping up on the curb I heard something that actually made me jump a little. Someone, from their car, screamed out, “I want your dog!” Living in a shady neighbourhood in Ottawa, Vanier, I have seen a lot. I’ve witnessed arrests, someone exposing himself, overheard fights with girlfriends and boyfriends because their boyfriends and girlfriends had kicked them out or locked them out. I’ve seen discarded condoms, I’ve seen people yelling at their kids, I’ve seen people mistreating their dogs and I’ve passed by Crazy Nancy many a times ranting about the police and some girl. Never in my three years there has anyone ever screamed at me! Frankly, I am appalled! :)

Speaking of discarded condoms …

Come on guys! I thought I left Vanier!!

Things I will miss about Ottawa:

I will miss Vanier. You know I thought I wouldn’t but there is a lot about the area that I lived in that I will miss. Walking King through Vanier there was a lot more choice on where I could go. I will miss being about to take King to Richelieu Park, which was basically a forest – a small forest but a forest all the same. I will also miss running by the water in through New Edinburgh and Rockcliffe.

I will miss aspects of the last apartment. I loved the size of it because even though there were three of us living there (at some point there was four) we each had our own little space but there was common space to hang out with each other in. The apartment was so big that in the end I had my own gym.

I will miss the people: Kat for her much entertaining paranoia and Adam for his random facts that sprung from some normal conversation, or from some odd conversation, and also his movie commentary – usually when he’s not even watching the movie. I will also miss being able to play Catan with them three times a week and our dishes system (because now I have to do them all by myself). I’ll miss Victoria for her quirky sense of humour and off colour comments, Becky for hanging out with and her cooking, Paula and Karl for their fun European sense of humour, and of course, I will my Mom, who was and is always there for me. I expect though, that I will see her often enough!

I will miss Bob and Emma at the Lucky Dollar. They were a lot of fun and I wish them luck in their soon to come retirement.

I will miss a lot of people at Rogers and I’ll miss all the discounts and concerts and Sens tickets that came with working there. It was pretty awesome.

I will miss the Bytowne and the Mayfair because they played some pretty good movies. It’s a shame I didn’t get much of a chance to go to the Mayfair after it re-opened under the management of “the Drunken Master” but I did at least get to see a few movies.

I will miss the Byward Market. It was such a neat atmosphere to hang out to go for breakfast or to look at all the vendors, in some sunny late morning or an early afternoon. I especially loved it after we discovered the Tea Store. I will miss the Beaver Tails. Even though I did not get them very often, they were still a nice treat once in a while. I loved being able to walk there and buy fresh local vegetable and fruits. I like to support local whenever I can.

I will miss the many festivals that Ottawa hosted: Bluesfest, Tulip Festival, Lumiere Festival and Winterlude (and there are so many more of course).

Lastly, I will miss WBK. These were the boxing classes that were a major influence on why I’m going into Fitness and Health. I almost feel like leaving them for this program is like a child leaving the parent that taught them the secrets of the family business, only to start a business of his own. Only I think I can see this case in a slightly more positive light.

Things I will not miss about Ottawa:

I will not miss my apartment in the end because the flies got really bad and the whole place was badly out of shape. Of course some of it was kind of our fault but we didn’t really like our landlord so at some point (combined with the fact that we knew we were all leaving) we stopped caring about the place. I will also not miss the very heat sensitive shower or the furnace of the living room!

I will not miss OC Transpo. Fifty one days of strike and service went back to normal (which wasn’t really that good to begin with, I think I speak for many when I say that I have had enough of them!

I will not miss walking King through slummy Vanier, trying to discourage him from eating discarded chicken bones or cigarette butts.

I will not miss everything having to be bilingual.

I will not miss Adam crushing my every thoughts and beliefs. Although I’m sure he’d be quite capable from doing the same from far away. Damn you Adam!

I will not miss Crazy Nancy, who lives up the street, always shouting out crazy thing, and because this is Ottawa, Nancy’s crazy rantings are available in both English and French.

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No matter the things I will miss or not miss, I am very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life. There will be some bad, but mostly it will be good. Perhaps someday I will return again to Ottawa to live (I will definitely to visit) and start a new chapter with my new career but until that day may or may not come, Toronto, here I am, whether you’ll like me or not!