5/31 - Missing Waterloo

Last week, I had the pleasure of talking to Elizabeth, my good friend in Waterloo, on the phone. It has been a couple months since I last saw her, and although we've emailed a few times, I haven't really talked to her much since I left Waterloo. Anyways, she's great! I got to know her well over my years in Waterloo, and last May, I had the privilege of standing up for her in her wedding. Spending time with her and Ben (her husband) was one of my favourite things to do during my evenings, and it's one of the things I miss the most! Talking to her last week, and hearing about people that I know and mention places that I would pass everyday, made me very sentimental towards Waterloo, and realize how much I miss it there! My years there were very formative years for me in many ways, and I know that my heart does miss it there (even though I am also VERY happy to finally be done with the schooling portion of my life for now!).

So, I thought I would do a bit of reminscing on all the things in Waterloo that I'll miss the most.

-Elizabeth & Ben -- like I said before, I spent lots of time with these two. This past fall, I spent several evenings visiting and drinking tea with them at their apartment. They're so great!

-Elizabeth's parents, Samson & Susan -- I spent several evenings at Samson & Susan's house with Ben & Elizabeth, and ALWAYS felt so welcome and loved there! In some ways, they kind of felt like my "parents" in Waterloo.

-the Walls -- I was so blessed to live with this family for nearly 4 years. I didn't think when I moved there in 2005 that I would end up staying the whole time there, but I am glad that I did. It was so nice to live in a home, and be a part of a 'family', but still have my independence. Unbelievably, I don't have any pictures with them at all, but this is a picture of their wonderful home. I miss them lots!


-my school friends -- I spent a lot of time with my classmates, and especially my good friends from my class! I have some good memories with them, and miss seeing them on a regular basis. In December, I spent a week in Florida with several of them, and we had lots of fun together. The picture below is one of my favourites of us at Disneyworld.


-Frank & Noreen Filion -- I loved going to visit Frank & Noreen (my mom's aunt and uncle) on weekends. It was kind of like going to my Grandma's house! They and their family were so good to me, as I spent all my Thanksgivings and Easters with them, and I was blessed to get to know them better! Frank & Noreen also have a great dog named Heidi - she is so sweet, and the friendliest dog ever!


-school -- Unbelievably, I think that I will actually miss going to school on a regular basis!

-St. Jacobs -- Going to St. Jacobs was one of my favourite things to do on the weekends. It's a cute little town, with some great shops, and they have a fantastic Farmer's Market that runs year-round. The fresh produce is something that I definitely miss a lot (there was always loads of fruit in my house!)

-the shops on King Street -- Uptown Waterloo, a 10 minute walk from my house, has lots of great little shops. I spent a lot of time there, especially during my first two years when I didn't have a car. There is a 10,000 Villages, an awesome little bookstore, a stationary store, a couple gift shops, some coffee shops, and a fabulous Gelato place! I loved walking there, and getting lost in my own thoughts!

-my gym, Columbia Lake Health Club -- I was a member of this gym for nearly a year, and loved it! It always felt good to head to the gym after a day at school or in the clinic. I'm really missing not having a gym to go to anymore, and am really looking forward to the weather getting nicer, so that I can get outside and be active again!

-beautiful fall colours! -- the colours in the fall in Ontario are absolutely gorgeous! So many reds, oranges and yellows - and of course, lots of apples and pumpkins! These leaves were on a tree that I saw this fall in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I thought the combination of colours was beautiful!

There's lots more things that I miss about Waterloo - but these are the main ones! I'm looking forward to being back there for a couple weeks this spring/summer!