I cannot believe I start University this week! I am excited and nervous all at the same time!

He said

This weekend is a monumental one in our journey as Emelia’s parents and it doesn’t weigh lightly on us. After this weekend she is a university student, full-time. Now, we lucked out in that she by no means wanted to go off to somewhere far away as her school and program of choice by far & away were literally two blocks down the street at Kings University College. And she was quite content to forego the residence experience to save money (a lot) and to avoid the crash course in living in tiny spaces, sharing everything with someone who sleeps and lives six feet away in your room! She was happy to live – rent free – in her own defined space and still be closer to school than most who rent off campus.

Initially with this being Emelia’s last weekend before university starts, we thought we would skip on getting up to the trailer so we could be here in case Emelia needed her home base for anything. After the O-Week schedule started to flesh out and it was apparent there wasn’t any big school things until today or tomorrow at the earliest, Danielle & I called an audible and decided to get up to the trailer the second I was done work at 5pm Saturday. We did have Sunday and Monday off back to back so that would give us two nights, two days up there to relax. Given how busy the last month has been, it was the perfect remedy as there was nothing to do up there but to ride our bikes, relax and enjoy each other’s company. And that we did.

It was three hours, almost to the minute that I left work at 5 on Saturday, got home packed the bike, my clothes and that Danielle & I were sitting at the fire pit, eating supper and beginning our weekend of unwind. Our area of the campground is so quiet that it really makes the trailer the perfect antithesis to all that goes on in our lives at home—and the pace at which life moves. We’ve gotten to know the families around us so there is always catching up as they are out and about while we sit at the fire pit. But, with it being Labour Day weekend and a huge one for the cacophony that is transient campers, as we pulled into the park Saturday evening and looked down to our old area that is predominantly transient campers, loaded full, I was reminded just how happy we are up on snob hill.

Danielle and I traded our scheduled daily alarm clocks for wake-ups whenever our bodies decided. We got to enjoy slow mornings with coffee on our deck before getting out for a bike ride on the G2G together. But, the best part was that when we got back from that, there really was nothing else to do except relax and unwind. And catch-up with our neighbours up there. It was one of those things that I think neither of us recognized just how much we needed that slow down of pace, with no to-do list there lingering, until we were knee deep in it.  The temperature is starting to feel a lot more like fall is near, so it made the fire pits that much more cozy and inviting. And I swear 80% of our time there the last two days was sitting at the fire enjoying it.

Emelia and all of her besties from high school, including her prom date Carter who was finally back to London after his summer job at Bon Echo, got together last night to celebrate their end of summer together—the same way they began summer. From all reports they had a lot of fun together and it was like none of them missed a beat. I know that it will be strange, new ways for them for the next week or so as they’re all going different directions. Emelia & Bri start university, Carter starts college, and Belle & Ashley are doing a modified half-year victory lap at high school. I’m sure deep down the kids are worried they will drift off as they go their different ways, but I feel like  this group will survive it all, as goof friendships always seem to do just that.

She said

I cannot believe we are here. As I type this Emelia is downstairs getting ready and waiting for her bestie Bri to come over so they can go to their first big O-week event as university students! The girls have been pretty quiet about the upcoming changes trying to make the most of their soon to be former life. The whole summer Emelia and her besties have been attached at the hip spending most of their waking moments together. There was really only one piece missing, and that was complete last night. After a summer away Carter was back in London. He got home on Saturday and quickly came over to visit with Emelia and then the bigger group all got together at Bri’s house last night and spent the night catching up. From all accounts it was like they didn’t miss a beat. But things no matter how hard they try to hold on are going to change for them. I am so happy this group is all staying in London together and by all accounts will stay together as a group. But Emelia and Bri are off together to university, Shai and Carter are off to college and Belle and Ashley are going back to high school. A lot of change.

Tonight is the big first event for Emelia and Bri. This is the annual Storming of the Bridge for the King’s students to head over the Western’s main campus for the opening ceremonies for the O-week and the first night of entertainment. I think the girls are nervous but I know that once they meet a few new people and they find some new friends they will be golden. Emelia last week came back on campus to get more things set up for first year which is making this whole next step very very real!

I am so excited and proud of Emelia and her friends, they are all making a bold first leap into their next stage of life. I hope that is everything they hope it would be and that Emelia and Bri live their best life this week! Go get em girls and ROLL STANGS!