"LET'S GO RYAN!"

With my academic career winding down I thought it would be a good idea to see some of the countryside before I leave Southern Ontario. I headed up to Ottawa and Montreal with Ryan and Nimit for a week to take in some of the sights and sounds. I have never been to either city, so nearly everything had a glimmer of surprise to it. Nimit is from Ottawa, so he showed us around. We visited the National Gallery of Canada. I had no idea that Ottawa was home to some of the finest and recognizable pieces of artwork in human existence. Among my favourites were pieces by Monet, Klimt, West and Van Gogh. It's such an extreme feeling to be so close to a priceless piece of artwork. You feel very in touch with history and civilization. For me it's rewarding to see the precise colours, brushstrokes, scale and techniques used to create such beautiful work. Ottawa is a beautiful city. I really enjoyed my time there and would highly consider taking up residence in the area.

Montreal was much different than Ottawa. None of us had any idea where we were or what we would be doing during our stay. We ended up venturing into the heart on downtown Montreal for the majority. The language barrier did not hinder me as I thought it would have. We were fortunate enough to be in town for an Andy Warhol Exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. His work is very unique. I'm not going to say that I absolutely loved his work. He was a Renaissance man in a sense. All over the map creatively. Definitely worth seeing.

It was a very good time. I'm happy to have seen more of my country and experience more culture. Road trips are always fun; however, this one seemed a little more magical because I doubt I will be seeing my friends very often after this school year. It's a sad truth. It was a week I will not soon forget. We weathered the shame storm boys, and came out with quite a collection of bar coasters. I tip my cap to you gentlemen. Now back to reality.