Where It All Began

If you told me 2 years ago that I would be travelling to New York and Ottawa in the span of a few months, I would have been doubtlessly in shock. I would have wondered if I was the right person you were talking to. For such a time I have been so used to the community or environment around me. I knew there was a larger world out there and I was eager to explore, but I thought that would be far off into the future. Travelling is a luxury not easily ascertained, although is incredibly worth it. It pushes one to see new things, meet new people, and of course a little self-discovery along the way. You learn of so much history as it has contributed to the present and witness the new world taking shape right in front of you.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM OTTAWA

Remembrance Ceremony: 

The ceremony was held at the National War Memorial and when I think about it or tell people the story, the one word that comes to mind is "surreal." It was almost like being transported back to another time. Seeing all the men and women in uniform, those veterans who served and those currently serving was not an everyday sight. Collectively with the artillery fire throughout the ceremony which shook the ground we stood on and the military aircrafts that flew above us, it created an experience unlike anything else I've had before. It gave me insight into a world not so long ago where that was the normal and those threats were in fact very real. There is so much to be learned from conflicts in the past and is so important for us to remember so that we might create a better future.

National War Museum:

We went to visit this museum on multiple occasions and each time I always learned something new about it. The Vimy Exhibit in particular was a highlight of the trip. Entering one would walk through a tunnel where the sides were screens with the battlefield of Vimy displayed across it. As you would walk through your shadow would be one of a soldier marching across the background. You could hear the sounds of bombs and gunfire as you treaded across the stretch and the shadow would be duplicated to show a line of men marching. Inside there was wall entirely of light. The description next to it read that each represented a fallen Canadian soldier in Vimy and to see how one's presence would make them glow brighter. The curators did an amazing job putting together such a moving testament to Remembrance. It truly pushed our understanding of the events that took place, of the actions of so many that came before us that shaped our home. It made us value the world we live in today so much more. 

So many people have walked these streets before me. In the moment I spent in the city I thought a lot of all that they have done in their lifetime as my feet traced their steps. Though years may separate me from them, I've learned that despite everything we still continue to persist and exist as much more than just physical body. Our actions touch so many others and each and every soul is interconnected.

Stay gold,

Anne