There was an excited ginger girl, anticipating her favourite thing in the world:
Aeroplanes.
She strode through the airport, head held high, eating chocolate clodhoppers and tropical skittles with reckless abandon. She spied a boy, and knew instantly that he was a lot like her, she later learnt his name was Anthony, he was from Vancouver, B.C. That night, she would meet one hundred and forty one incredible people, five of which, she met in the airport that night, and became best friends with, in a matter of minutes. That night, she would sign in, take her bags to a dorm room, eat spaghetti and garlic toast, aimlessly talk to people in the hopes of winning "person bingo" (a game everyone was supposed to play to learn more about each other), then she would go back to her bunk, meet her bunk-mate Davis, and then collapse only to be awoken in a few short hours. After those few short hours, she would meet (and get to know) one hundred and forty one of the most incredible people of the face of the earth.
A year ago today, I went to a youth forum called Encounters With Canada. If you don't know what it is, let me explain:
After being accepted and registered, you will spend months filling out forms and mailing checks.
Then, you will leave on a certain day (a Sunday) and fly to Ottawa.
There, you will meet many people.
Because no one knows anyone, there are no cliques, or mean people, or... anything bad.
You will make friends with everybody. Everybody.
You will spend a week doing workshops, eating junkfood, shopping, and most importantly... making friends.
Then, on a Saturday, after dancing all night, you will leave.
You will leave your new best friends.
If you are like me, you will cry... a lot.
And it will be the best week of your life.
I met the most wonderful people.
I try to keep it pretty anonymous on this blog (a first name, or even an initial basis) so it's hard for me to describe all these people, but I'm going to try.
The first person I met... let's call him... Mitchell.
Mitchell lives in Alberta.
Mitchell was hilarious.
We had known each other for all of five minutes at the airport, but we still sat beside each other on the bus to the Terry Fox Centre (where EWC is held) talking like we'd known each other for years. Mitchell and I still talk and skype frequently.
Incredible.
I met Davis, (I already gave that name away, so ha)
Davis lives in Ontario.
Davis was a lot like me, and very different from me too.
She is a ginger, for one. She was so cool.
But she was artistic, and composed.
She was my bunk-mate, and I could always rely on her to shake me awake in the mornings.
I miss her.
I met Brandon (fake name)
Brandon lives in Alberta.
He was so funny.
He could be telling the story of of someones gruesome death, but if he wanted to, he could still make you smile. He has a special gift that I like to think I share with him:
He always had energy.
He never needed to stop, or slow down.
BAM.
Constantly in motion.
Aiden. (fake name)
Aiden lives in Saskatchewan.
Aiden is different from anyone else I have ever known.
He's super smart, but not a nerd.
He's the kind of person you want to talk to, because you just want to know what they have to say.
Aiden taught me standard protocol of how to handle a hangover. Apparently there's more than one use for gatorade.
Props to Aiden.
I miss him.
Then the trio, Raye, Jordin, and Ash.
All from Alberta
They came from the same town, so they actually knew each other.
They were inseparable, but they still allowed me to join their trio.
I was able to visit them this summer.
It was possibly the second best week of my life.
I'm thankful for our anniversary, a day I'm going to spend deep in thought and longing for my friends from Encounters With Canada.
I love you all.
Solidarity Forever.
J
