Separation

It's tough moving away. Ask me, because I know.

Tonight is my first night in Ottawa. The apartment is hot, because I didn't think to install air conditioning before I got here. Nor did I pack the fan my mom had so neatly set at the side of my car before I left Toronto. I've opened a window, but it seems to be helping less almost, pumping in nothing but even more hot air, dust, and the most noise I've heard in a long time. Every two minutes, there's a firetruck roaring by or a bunch of random college kids returning home from the bar.

Which reminds me of my friends, suddenly, and I open facebook to reminisce on the times I've left behind. The toughest part about the move is leaving your family, for sure. But to some extent, since I've been at Queen's for so long, I've learned that friends soon become your family. And leaving your friends is anything but easy.

This move to Ottawa proved nothing different.

I feel alone, and it's weird being in a new city where your friend isn't just a 10 minute walk away. I'm farther, it seems, then just four hours from where my friends reside in Toronto. I try not to think about the partying they're doing right now downtown, or the jokes they're cracking, the pranks they're playing, the celebrations that begin once school finishes and the real world opens its doors.

I'm sure my move to Ottawa will be enlightening. And soon I'll make it my second home. I know there are places to discover, work to be experienced, ladders to climb, and further education to complete.

They say it's tough when you're friends move away, especially friends that are your family. In my case, I guess I'm the friend whose moving away. But I know that wherever I'm going is the right path for me. And I know that my friends will cope without me. I won't be replaced, I'll be missed, and I'll always be welcomed back.

There's some comfort in that.