Ontari-ari-ario! My home and native land

The moment we crossed the bridge from Port Huron, MI, to Sarnia, ON, I felt a surge of excitement. Though not much of the scenery had changed between the two countries, I was happy to be home - and not just in Canada - but in ONTARIO.

I was born here. It was where I spent my childhood and early twenties, camping in its many provincial parks, soaking up the summer on shimmering lakes, working as a camp nurse and counsellor in the Muskokas, and learning about life, literature - and the Gospel - at Western. My family is also here, as are many friends I'd made during university. Sure, it doesn't have the spectacular mountains or coastal wildlife of the pacific northwest, but this place still holds a special place in my heart.

Coming back to Ontario has been a bit like stepping back into time, taking me back to when I was 18 and saying goodbye to my parents after they dropped me off at my dorm. Back to a much younger, different me who had no idea what future was in store for her. Seven years later, I return from my rainy metropolis in the west a little bit wiser, a little more steady - and infinitely more blessed - now with a husband and baby in tow!