I'm Alive (in case you didn't know)

I don't know if I have any regular readers, but in case I do, you may have thought I have disappeared off the face of the Earth into some dark abyss and secret land in the universe. As cool as that would be, I'm sitting at a computer at my Dad's company's office and writing to you at long last.

I don't know how to explain why it has been so hard to write besides telling you that I haven't felt such unique grief in my life. Saying goodbye to the second years and the first years was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It's tougher to explain Pearson to people who haven't been there. Nonetheless I am devoted to spreading the UWC message whenever I can (even if it means ice cream shop owners and skytrain store women and some odd glances from my friends). Alisha thinks I have a fan club at this adorable ice cream place in Kits, which is really sweet. Haha. Anyways, I got home last Wednesday. It has been 9 days since I left Pearson and the first two were absolutely brutal. I wasn't functioning that great at all.

Then step in, wonderful second year saviors! Alisha, Aneke, and Daphnee from Toronto, Manitoba, and Whitehorse, respectively came to stay with me for a few days and helped extremely to smooth this transition from


- Middle of the forest, on the water ---> Middle of the fairly big suburban city

- 200 people on campus -----> 216 000 people in this municipality

- Deep friendships formed by living together 24/7---> people I haven't seen in 9 months whom I'm used to seeing on an ad hoc basis

- Going back for my second year in September ----> all of my old friends have graduated grade 12 (their ceremony was the day after I got home, I didn't go)

Btw - CONGRATS to a lovely, beautiful, and sweet Sarah for being an incredible valedictorian for our class of 2010

- Family in a community ----> family of four

- Old house wooden house that is 36 years old----> We're building a brand new house this summer



Anyways, you get the idea. Some things change, some stay the same. And I'm appreciative for all of it.

So my therapy in getting back to a good place (which is very closeby) is going to be filling in some gaps of this year, that I wasn't able to do in the midst of scary exams. I finally have access to my photos and videos and will put them up from Pearson. I also wrote a poem last night detailing all of my innermost feelings about this process and will put it up soon. Juicy stuff, eh?

If any Pearson people are reading this, just know that I love you and miss you very much! The door of my heart and the door of my house is open to you. Everyone else out there who is interested in my adventures, I love you too!

Gonna quickly post up Kay's amazing village meeting remarks after this.

Will write soon,
Emmy