Setting the Scene

Ottawa...I live in an apartment complex with just three units, I am living with a Korean woman in her mid 30's, I figured she was a better choice over students because she has a job, she's surpassed her party/drunken days, and mature enough to be respectful of her roommates and be clean. SOOO happy with my choice, she is however moving from a three bedroom house and right now all her "stuff" is taking over the apartment, but I can deal with that. I live just up the street from the Ottawa famous "Byward Market" and just down the street from work. I take the one street all the way to work, about a 20 min walk - good exercise! I have a Loblaws and metro at my doorstep, I walk over the Rideau to get to work and have a beautiful view of parliament every morning. You can walk EVERYWHERE in Ottawa, and I plan to do so. If I want to see a Cineplex movie or I need the VIA Rail Station or the Airport they are all a short easy bus ride away. Ottawa is incredibly convenient. In comparison to Toronto, yes Ottawa is TINY, and does not have much life to it after 6pm, but my partying days are long gone, and I much prefer a stroll along the Rideau or dining at a respectful restaurant, and I can still have a lot of fun with that. That is my life thus far...

My job/internship...LOVE IT, it is just up my alley, a lot of planning and organizing, organizing is what I am BEST at! I have been receiving a lot of positive feedback in regards to my work ethic and performance already after just my first week! I am in charge of doing pretty much everything head to toe to set up an orientation weekend event in late September for incoming American students and scholars. After putting all the work this summer into this event and coordinating the whole weekend, the foundation will cover all my costs to come back to Ottawa, stay in the hotel with the participants and join all the activities as well as help run the event I coordinated! The office itself is a big office space for only 9 staff members, 10 including me. Everyone has been very welcoming, has gone out of there way when I ask simple 'Ottawa' questions like where is the best Mexican food (they take a half hour and tell me all about 3 or 4 different places and then how to get to them from work and my apartment). The President has a short conversation with me, he wanted to know more about me, and given his busy schedule and that he is rarely in the office I was impressed he was able and willing to fit me in, even if just for a few minutes. Some of the staff play a little soccer once or twice a week on lunch and I was invited and have joined them now. Cannot emphasize how amazing the job and staff are. Now not to brag, but the office is in one of Ottawa's largest buildings and we work on the 20th floor (there are only 21) so we have a great view! I have been put at the desk of the receptionist which makes me feel important (not going to lie to you guys). I have been learning a lot about new computer programs and ones I've always been using, and I again LOVE IT!

That is the scene thus far, I know I missed a lot of things, but I am just so excited with my life here I get a bit caught up when it comes to to explain why and what I love so much!