Normally, I take pride in being able to pack up all my belongings into 2 large suitcases in under 2 hours. This time, I found myself purposely procrastinating from packing up.



When I left Beijing, I was just old enough to understand the sadness that accompanied leaving the house and the city that I had lived in for a little over a decade. When I moved out of Vancouver to start college, I was somewhat comforted in knowing that I would frequently return to the west coast city, and that Vancouver, where my parents still reside, would somehow always be home. But leaving Kingston, home of my Alma Mater, is something different all together. It’s kind of like taking the training wheels off of your first bicycle – you will miss the familiarity and comfort it has provided, but you have an insuppressible urge to ride with the big kids.



I will miss the close-knit community here, the historical architecture, and the gorgeous waterfront view. In my bio, I wrote that I was born in Beijing and raised in Vancouver, but I did some growing up in Kingston too, like learning to cook, decorating my own apartment, and getting my first job. I suspect I still have a lot more growing up to do now that I'm about to step in a whole new world, one where I have to get insurance, buy a car, and worry about what tax software to use. But it will also be a world of visiting new places, meeting new people, and learning more photography.

It's been a fun 4 years, but the big kids are waiting. So to that end, I’ll see you later, Kingston.