Going Back To University

So the title of this post makes it sounds like a life-altering decision has happened in our family. That would be wrong. At our church when a child turns twelve they can choose to have a mentor, an adult in our congregation who will be there for the child and do things with them and talk with them about life. In about 1998 I taught 4-year-old Sunday School and in that class there was a girl named Vanessa. When it came time for Vanessa to choose a youth mentor, she chose me! We had a great couple of years together and then I moved to Edmonton. Well, the Sunday we moved back to KW, Vanessa was baptized and she asked me to be her advocate. I was thrilled. And now she is in her first year of university in Toronto and on Saturday I went to visit her. We had a great day together.

Vanessa is in residence at one of the colleges and the dining hall, where they even have a formal dinner in black robes once a week, reminds me of Harry Potter. In fact, Vanessa explained that they even have a Quidditch pitch where people play Quidditch. They set up hoops for goals and run around on brooms. Awesome!

I thought the quad of Vanessa's residence was amazing. And I'd love to see it in December when they set up a Christmas tree in the middle of it. I had to take the picture of Margaret Atwood on the right because I spent the bus ride up rereading The Blind Assassin, which Atwood wrote.

 

These are the desks in one of Vanessa's classrooms. I love how they are completely different from the plastic and metal ones I sat at when I was in University. These ones make me think of the one-room schoolhouses I've seen.

 
Vanessa said this was one of her favourite staircases on campus. I can totally see why and I said I had to get a picture of her with it :) I just loved the colours.
 
After we'd toured around on campus for awhile we went to Chinatown and Kensington Market, where we ate lunch at a Middle Eastern place. We shared the falafel platter and it was so good. I wish I could eat some of it right now, especially the hummus. I LOVE Middle Eastern food.

We ended off our day at a place called "future" as in "your future holds a lot of yummy cake in it." Oh. My. Goodness. I also want to be eating some of this cake right now. I am definitely going to have to go back there. Want to join me? I had the "Super Caramel Crunch" cake which was layered meringue with caramel sauce and whipped cream in a couple of delicious layers. Next time I want some cheesecake and after that I want some mousse cake and then I want...! I justified the yummy cake by the fact that it was there we had done a TON of walking that day. Of the five hours we spent together I think we spent three and a half of them walking. It was a great day and I really enjoyed seeing Toronto from Vanessa's vantage point.

Also, I went on my own so I didn't have my kids with me which was a rare treat. And Vanessa and I had five hours of amazing, insightful, interesting and stimulating conversation. I just love Vanessa and I am so excited to see where her life's journey takes her. I just know it is going to be amazing.