Goodbye, Richmond Hill

I can't believe I'm moving to Toronto. Okay, it's not that far away from Richmond Hill, but it's going to be a big change. I grew up in these neighbourhoods. I've been in Richmond Hill for nine years now and I don't even remember life outside of this town. I know these streets on the back of my hand. In a mere three days, I will be completely cut off from this wicked little town (minus the fact that I have a job here, different story).

Today, I walked around Richmond Hill. Visited my old high school (the cramped hallways, the secret corridors and the back field... memories came flooding back). Took one last glance at Central Library (all those hours spent at the exam tables, "studying" for mediocre high school exams). Ordered one last meal at the renovated McDonald's on Bayview and Major Mackenzie (probably spent hundreds of dollars at that place on McChicken combos alone). Walked past my old house, the one my parents and I moved into when we first came to this town (now the trees in the frontyard have grown and there is a basketball net in the driveway, and it doesn't look anything like the house that I used to live in five years ago). I realized that there's nothing keeping me here. Most of my friends have moved away and all the new friends that I made live in Toronto.

This blog post doesn't really have a purpose. I just want to relieve myself of this sadness, nostalgia, and happiness that has accumulated inside of me. I sit in my hollow, empty room and look at my barren shelves and half-empty closet. It's frightening and exciting at the same time and I can't grasp my emotions. They slip right through my fingers like desert sand. I moved to Richmond Hill during the summer of 2004, filled with hope and youthful innocence. It's summer 2013 and I can't believe how much everything has changed. Even though I haven't even moved yet, I already miss this place. As the years go by, I will eventually forget about the streets and the memories. The lessons I learned will stay with me forever.

Thank you, Richmond Hill. My time is done here.

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