Southampton

Ahhhhh to return to the city... incredibly sad since the most beautiful and eco-friendly vacation of my life just ended. I just spent the past week in Southampton, reading "Pushed" and wishing that I had access to the internet so I could more accurately discuss my experience in the small community, and do some Canadian-based research on modern maternity care in Canada. But alas, my life was so hard as I watched the sun set and did nothing but read...

Now that I'm sitting at my desk in Waterloo, I feel like I can't describe the week accurately. (But I'll try)

Southampton is on lake Huron, and it is absolutely beautiful. My family and I have been going there for years, and each time we're there we take a picture by this gigantic rock at our "spot" on the beach. The whole vacation has a sense of nostalgia to it, but being 24 now, it was also a different kind of experience for my sister and I. First, I was able to appreciate the beauty that is Ontario. I experienced 7 beautiful sunsets, swam in clear blue (yet cold) water, and was able to take a beautiful scenic bike ride along the shoreline. Breathtaking. Beyond that, I was able to experience this vacation as something that was eco-friendly! Which was what i loved the most... I think that we drove twice- once with my parents to Port Elgin for dinner, and once to Port Elgin with my partner to do some shopping and bask in the small-town feel of all the small towns. Other than that, there was literally no driving done for a week. You can bike or walk everywhere you need to go in Southampton. Can I also mention the local produce that abounded? The local craft show? The local everything? Wind turbines in the fields on the drive up? It was lovely. Leaving that beauty for the city is shameful! Southampton is the place for the eco-friendly person who can truly appreciate the beauty that is Canada.

This trip was so rejuvenating and really made me come to the decision that at some point I would like to invest in property in Southampton! I would love to own a cottage up there, and I would of course make sure that whatever cottage I bought had a bedroom/accommodations for my parents... they'll certainly have earned it!

I am very thankful to my parents for their polite refusal to take family vacation in Florida or a tropical location. Throughout my whole life they have been firm supporters of travelling Canada, and at the age of 24 I was finally able to appreciate Southampton, Ontario and Canada for it's breathtaking beauty. At this point I feel no need to leave the country for a holiday. I am only concerned with making sure I get one more day in Southampton this summer...