Ottawa Bound

My brother moved into Carleton University in Ottawa recently, and my mother and I came along to help. We took the via rail from Toronto to Ottawa and it was a lovely 4 hour train ride (I love trains). Prior to Ottawa, we spent about 2 weeks running around to get school supplies, clothes and things for his dorm. It was a lot. We went three days before the move in date, just so we can settle down and get last minute stuff. We toured around downtown Ottawa and it was absolutely stunning, mesmerizing and overwhelming. I couldn't help but gush over the impeccable architecture and stunning scenery. Then came the moving day, which was super busy and also fun. There were lots of 3rd and 4th year students with a great deal of school spirit and they all welcomed the freshmen's by cheering "POP THAT TRUNK" and "SWIPE THAT CARD" when either arriving at their residence or opening their dorm room for the very first time. It was a new experience, that's for sure. After all the exciting chaos, we met my brothers roommate, named Bryce, who is from Alberta. He is an interesting character that's for sure - but a decent fella! We slowly but surely unpacked and dressed his dorm room with all things Bed, Bath and Beyond (and a few Walmart and Target items). We then had free lunch on the house - the cafeteria is massive with a large selection of food. I mostly had pizza. After the excitement of moving in, my mother and I left and did our own thing. However, being a mother who is closely attached to her son, she insisted to come back to the school every single day - and so we did. We appeared bothersome to my brother, although that didn't stop us from creeping in and out of his dorm room. During the day, my mother and I would venture back into downtown Ottawa, where we visited the Parliament building and had a tour (ugh, so beautiful), as well as a tour of Canadian coins (also very interesting and educational). It wouldn't be a true downtown experience without having some street meat - we even befriended the hot dog street vendor and advised us where to go and what to see. Then came the time to say goodbye to downtown Ottawa, as well as to my brother. My mother prepared herself for this moment and promised herself to not cry. But not everyone keeps their promises. My brother has a hard time with emotions (as do majority of men), so he couldn't help but giggle when my mother began to cry. I, on the other hand, just observed from the outside and took a bunch of photos (my mother will thank me later). After goodbyes and all, we then departed from Ottawa, via the train, and got back home to the motherland of Toronto. It was a lovely trip, filled with new adventures, beautiful scenery and enriching history. I'll be back, Ottawa.