Wowser. That was a long one that one.
It only felt like 4 years ago that I graced your screens with my words. I'll be quite transparent that I wrote "greased your skins" in that last sentence. Maybe all those true crime documentaries, podcasts, books, and games have really taken a firm grasp in my little brain...
Those two years after the last post were a real doozy, weren't they? Holy smokes. Remember the toilet paper debacle? Remember that? I mean I was pretty safe with the tens of thousands of toilet paper rolls and hand sanitiser that the camp had going for it. Y'know there was a time when I thought about taking the toilet paper and selling it out the front of Wal-Mart in Bracebridge. But I'm glad I didn't in the end!
The hidden message in the last post that I'm sure you ALL read was: farts are funny. Which, upon reflection, they are. This is a hill that I will happily die on.
What's happened to dear old Cameron since then, I hear you ask! It seems like I'd not yet driven out to British Columbia during what was the rise of Covid in Ontario. We, my at the time girlfriend and I, took turns driving all the way out to Victoria, BC and then back again. We were gone for about 3 weeks and it was absolutely sensational. There were some hiccups along the way. Mostly car related but even those were sorted pretty swiftly. Highlights for me were all the breweries along the way. And Dinosaur Provincial Park was pretty cool too, I suppose. Sorry Hayley. You were right all along.
Here's all the pictures that I took along the way. One day, maybe, I'll make a photo album of them. Maybe not.
We returned to Ontario and then it was pretty much on for young and old in regards to Covid. Lockdowns, mask mandates, panic in regards to rising numbers. I'd like to speculate that I had one of the most comfortable Covid experiences in that I really did want for nothing. Maslow was definitely smiling down upon me. A key element that I live by is enjoying my environment by it being warm, dry, and quiet. I also drank a train load. More on this in a later paragraph.
Predictably, there was an element of cabin fever that set in and I'd truly like to apologise to all the folks that lived with me for my some time neuroticism. It wasn't a good time. The doom and gloom of Covid, the absolutely tragic sleep or lack thereof schedule, the drinking, and the general ennui of winter was not one that I'm keen to repeat in a hurry.
Then weirdly... it all became better. Hayley, wonder woman extraordinaire, left for pastures greener. Literally. She flew back to New Zealand to do her thing and now lives in Melbourne with a wonderful boyfriend and the torture of the Common Myna in her front yard. This is not a euphemism.
We were told that there would be a summer camp occuring in 2021 which was exciting. It was something to look forward to. However the Ontario Government, Ontario Public Health, and all the other little government bodies decided that we still needed to mask up inside, and to remain away from each other. That made for an interesting summer camp.
I loved again and it was delightful. I don't really want to get too much in to that.
I did see a lot of Ottawa during 2021 and always enjoyed the drive out from Bracebridge to Ottawa each and every time. I dream about that trip often. The one trip I'm glad I couldn't make was when the truckers made their way out to Ottawa. Bleh, no thanks. That was closest to an historic event. Don't correct me on the use of "an historic" as opposed to "a historic". I'm a linguist, you know. Take another slurp of that prescriptivist Kool-Aid, why don't you?!
Now to the part that I've been somewhat guarding for the last 3 years. Maybe in poor taste but it was something that I needed total control over. During October 2021, my dad died. I had the somewhat good grace of an exceptional support system in Canada and, despite keeping it on the down low, did grieve pretty hard. It was turning in to winter in Ontario and that gave me a number of instances to remain in my accommodation and just be sad. Family dinners with Kristina and Marc, coupled with absolutely slaying we accomplished in the Katalyst Brewing quiz nights really pulled me through.
I was drinking pretty heavily. I'd like to apologise to, well, everyone. It wasn't a good time for me and I definitely understand if there's folks out there reading this who are content to not speak to me again. I completely understand it all.
With that being said, that time is over now and whilst I do appreciate altruism, I'd much rather prefer if you're reading this to just contact me on Facebook. No need for sorry, no need to feel bad for me. It's all water under the fridge!
However, it did spurn me on to consider my life? I'd been at Camp Muskoka for 10 years. And I didn't have a whole lot to show for it. I had considered 2019 to be last year there. But it wasn't quite the ending I'd hoped for. Then Covid. 2021 was also a bit meh. And it was after dad had gone that made think "Do I want to be 40 and still the person I am today?". After much consideration and a lot of good conversation with good, helpful people - thank you to Robb, Mark, Marc, Lindsay, Rein, Zee, et al - I decided to kick myself in the butt and head home to Australia. The goal was to apply to university. But I hadn't really ever considered what I wanted to do? I didn't want to be a teacher and studying history had probably slipped by me in terms of an area of interest.
That's when I came upon linguistics. It's a field of study that I've had to describe more often that I'd expected to but it's the study of language(s). I applied, got accepted, needed to do an aptitude test, did that, passed, submitted all my paperwork and then I started in July of last year. I'm more shocked, I think, than anyone else. I've always denied claims, appropriately I think, when people suggest that I'm smart. It's really just the glasses.
I will, ideally, graduate with a B.A in Linguistics in 2026. What will I do with it? Well that's something that I'll 100% need to consider but the idea is definitely focused on a return to Canada in the near future. What can I say? The land of the long white season beckons for me.
I'm also going to put my hat in the ring for a Green Card. And will even consider leaving for the United Kingdom again. I think I'd look good in a thick blue cable knit jumper. Smoking a pipe. Talking about semantic bleaching and what not to any and all concerned.
There's no message this time. Just an update to people. I've been trying to become better at keeping in contact with a lot of you and I do apologise if I haven't been the best at it. It's still hard for me to believe that I'm back here. It feels a bit like a punishment but self imposed? This year is my community year where I hope to slowly engage with people and the community. We shall see.
I would like to be a little more serious with my biking and then I'd also be keen on joining a gym at some stage. Once again, small steps for me.
I suppose this is no longer ocamnada? But I also can't be bothered changing it to austeron or something equally ludicrous.
