HOME SWEET HOME
If you haven't caught on by now, i have spent alot of my life moving around Canada. Well i guess moving around, and most of my life is bit of an exaggeration cause i have only moved three time. However, each time i have moved they have been to completely diffferent atmospheres and environment. The east and west coast of Canada are compelely different in there background and lifestlyes.
Mississuaga, Ontario is where i was orginally born. This area is typical surburbia. The houses were not seperated by much, but fences and yards. My family was fortunate to be placed amongst many other families in the neighborhood who had children around the same age. We had a babysitter around the corner, who basically took care of all the neighborhood kids. We had a huge backyard we played in no matter what season it was. Most of my home videos are of my sisters and i playing around in the backyard or driveway. Whether we were skating on the homemade rink my parents managed to make in the cold Ontario winters, or playing in the home made playhouse my grandpa made for us, we were always outside!
British Columbia was a completely different setting. We were all taken by surprise when we were put in a neighborhood that wasn't as close knit as our old one. We lived right down the street from the school so even though we had a huge backyard, we spent most of our time at the playground or basketball courts. When we first moved into our house in Richmond, there were two HUGE cherrytrees in the backyard along with a pear and plum tree. They lasted for a couple years, but the crows kind of took over during cherry season and my parent would much rather have us have the play to play around in. Even in this house we spent most of our days in the backyard, playing baseball. Also a large amount of time was played frog fishing in the ditches around the block. My sisters and i were always being yelled at for bring the frogs and tadpoles home in a jar so we always had to return them. Many walks were spent around the block covered in ditch water cause someone fell in trying to jump across. I just didn't have as long as legs as most of the kids. The thing the most set BC apart from the other places i have lived was the mountains and the early green lifestyle that had started in BC. Even before the whole green phenonmenom became popular British Columbia already had a fine grasp on it. Even at a young age i understood the importance of the environment and noticed more of the population taking advantage of the fine set up they had infront of them.
Oakville is were i now call home for a couple months out of the year, because i go to school for a large part of the year. It is more like the Mississauga, the typical surburbian area. Oakville is spenting alot of time focusing on going green and looking out for the enviroment. It is similar to what i go through here at the Elmira College campus. There are always people taking care of the greenier whether it is the local parks or the medians of the middle of the road. I am very fortuante to live in such a be
autiful surrounding. I find in Oakville there are always people getting outside and walking or running. I live on minutes away from the lake, where i can see the city from across the way and enjoy some peace and quiet. Living in Ontario again gives me access to my cottage whenever i want. My cottage has been in my family for over 50 years, and is the biggest part that connects me to the environment. My whole life every summer has been spent up there with my family laying on the beach and huddling under blankets during thunderstorms. We barely have any technology compared to the city, but find it the best time to connect as a family. There are many irreplacable memories i have had there.