I can’t say I can experience nostalgia - I’m only 17. That would be rather pedantic of me. However, some memories are very strong. For instance, the smell or fresh, cool air and the sound of rain coming down from a grey sky reminds me of the first time I went to visit a friend who I hadn’t seen in another town. We had soup at a little coffee shop and hung out, it was the first time I went somewhere on my own planning without my parents. She is still a very important friend.
I think everyone has these moments. It’s weird what a small reminder can bring back - December, 1963, that song makes me feel like I’m about to land at 8:30 at Kona International Airport because all three times that I have landed there, somehow, that song on my shuffled playlist plays right at that instant. Every time I take the SkyTrain through Lougheed Town Centre station all I can think of is my ex-girlfriend who I made the mistake of dumping and ignoring for almost half a year. I go to Stanley Park and it’s memories of biking around the Sea Wall with training wheels.
The strongest memory, however, isn’t always the event itself, but the emotions that come out of the event. The happiness I experience when I visit the park in Fort Langley brings back memories, wonderful memories of yet another relationship. I’m sure that one day I will travel to England and all I will be able to remember is how the first email we got after landing was a notification from my grandmother that my grandpa had passed away while we were out of communication.
Visiting Ottawa will only bring back good memories, of making more friends than I could ever imagine. Some things draw emotions that aren’t in the guidebook of emotions that are commonly recognized - specific emotions, such as “holy god that tree with moss hanging off the branches is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.” I hope some day you will be able to share happy experiences with others, and not just photos and sound, but the actual feeling of it.
