Am I home now?

I made it to Canada! I'm staying at Mountain Trout House Marina, the business my parents own on Kawagama Lake north of Toronto. They were incredibly busy today, probably because it was officially the first Saturday of Summer and the cottagers are arriving in flocks. What blows my mind is just how many people frequent Muskoka these days, and how many of them have huge wake board and ski boats. I remember when the tincans with the 10HP engines were the most popular boats on the lake. Now I sound like my grandfather, who continues to lament the arrival of the jet ski ("Damn things make too much noise, those people act like they own the damn lake").

Leaving Portland was really difficult, although not in the way I imagined. My going away party at Amnesia was a ton of fun, and Vanessa had better send me her pictures asap! I thought that leaving work would have been more emotional, but I really felt as if I finished out the year and made a real contribution to the program. It felt good to see my chief resident and friend Gautam complete his training, and I'm glad I ended with the Finishing Dinner. I met much of his family, including his mother-in-law and grandmother, both of whom are from Chennai! I have contacts there now, which is very reassuring as I have a feeling there will be many days when I will really need a touchstone from home. Three of my doctors at OHSU gave me contacts in Chennai, and I will certainly ignore the British mannerisms in me and be sure to reach out to these friends-of-friends while in India.

There are already things I miss about Portland: walking into work at 8:30am and already laughing with Miriam, the smell of the flowers and trees in our neighbourhood, cycling about town and exchanging knowing glances with other riders, the all-local, mostly organic grocery stores, omnipresent recycling, coming home to Adam and Dan, cackling with Vanessa and Holly, Wendy's spinning class.

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I'll be out and about in the next six weeks, and have decided to post the tentative schedule (more for my own excitement than for general interest or posterity)

• July 3rd-July 9th: Dave comes to Muskoka, we've got 3 birthdays to celebrate, and my uncle Scott, aunt Matina, and cousins Stephanie and Jamie come up for a weekend of tubing, picnics, and eating!
• July 10th-12th: Don, Dawn, and I attend the Stratford Festival of Canada, this enormous and prestigious Shakespeare and theatre festival. We are seeing Merchant of Venice, King Lear (my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, ever since Professor Mike Bristol reenacted the Gloucester eye-gouging scene), and Oklahoma!
  
• July 13th: Kathryn's 23rd birthday (party location TBA). Of our 14 year friendship, I have not been around for enough of her birthdays, and this year I will celebrate with her, come what may!
  
• July 14th-21st: Jeff visits from Seattle! Boat rides, dinners cooked on the grill, G&T's, a three-day Montreal excursion, and even a Motorcycle Bar and Museum in Toronto. Oh, and the Ping Pong Championship of North America, winner-takes-all.
• July 21-27: Elsey Family Reunion! Mark, Laurie, and their crew are coming down for just over a week. There will be trips to Canada's Wonderland (hopefully without losing our feet on the Drop of Doom), tube wars, and long dinners at the 15 Finchley house.
• Late July: Road trip to New York City to visit Dave and hopefully catch up with Leigh, Sarah, and Maggie. Oh, and the real purpose behind the trip is to see The Simpson's Movie with my brother.
  
• August 6th: Leave for Chennai (via Buffalo, NYC, Dubai) - arrive in India at 8:00am India Time on 8/8/07

See you along the ride!

On the stereo, as usual these days: Anything by Patty Griffin Make sure you check out "Long Ride Home" (thanks V!)