A Sunday Afternoon Well Spent

September 28, 2025 

Last Sunday, I drove back from Barrie to Ottawa with Ben. He just got his dad's old car and I think we were a little older driving back. It felt so adult to sit in the passenger seat while he drove and I tried to turn my mind off. I had never taken the 5 hour drive from Barrie to Ottawa as I'd only ever gone to and from Ottawa and Guelph. I was so used to the boring stretch of highways and the same onroute stops. Usually Trenton and sometimes another random onroute if the driver felt generous enough to stop to stretch their legs. 

I told Ben that it had been so long since I'd appreciated a long drive such as that one. There was something special about the mountainous landscape and the stunning fall colours. It was part appreciation and part shock as I hadn't realized that the leaves had already changed that much. Usually I feel a pit of panic in my stomach when I see more than one tree full of colours as that means colder mornings and grey afternoons that are dark before dinner. But, for those moments, it didn't seem so scary. I'll report back by the end of November. 

The drive itself was so long that Ben had to tell me to remind him when the kilometers before the next turn changed from double digits to single. I guess I was bad at my job because he missed a left turn and we went in a big circle. He didn't notice my slip up until our surroundings looked familiar. I was blissfully unaware as we listened to American Pie and drove alongside a lake. We joked after that we should've done the loop again. I still think we should've. Likely next time. 

The whole stretch we were in and out of service and Ben barely had any songs downloaded. Due to not yet learning how to navigate the new car's sound and bluetooth system, my phone couldn't connect. We listened to a few songs over and over. I won't be listening to a few of my favourite classics for a while. 

We stopped at Kinmount for a bathroom break and parked at the community centre. We were directed to the public washrooms and wandered around, noticing the fish and chips shack that was closed and the coin laundry store. 

There was nothing much else besides the closed museum, a small grocery store and the best convenience store I've been to in a hot minute. Where else are you gonna get made to order subs, merchandise and ice cream in addition to your regular convenience store goodies? We ordered ice cream from the dinky sign and walked around for a few. 

I got chocolate and Ben got cookies and cream. Many people were in and out of the store, driving to it with their dirt bikes, ATVs or golf carts. We ate it sitting on a ledge beside the community centre that overlooked the main road and the river in the distance. 

There was something so peaceful about sitting there. The sun was getting hot and I took my sweater off. The chocolate was sweet and too much. The type of serving that one scoop becomes almost three. It felt like such a relief to sit there, conversation steady but simple and sweet. Although we had a great time with his family in Barrie, it was the first time in a while that we were both somewhere quiet, remote and almost familiar though I'd never been there before. It was my favourite part of the whole weekend, one of my most treasured memories recently. 

It made me reflect as that feeling in my chest that comes to me in moments of stillness or nostalgia visited. It makes me write here. Which is why I haven't in a year. I've opened this computer too many times with too many tabs and deleted pages. 

I think it's been the past year, filled with trying to achieve things in school and co-op and giving myself to that. Not trying to spread myself out. Or trying to but not feeling like I could really do it like the other year. Creatively. But, such is life. Such is learning and balance. Sometimes it's in my room on my computer (hi) or sitting in a random small town and eating ice cream at 2p.m. on a ledge beside a community centre. 

Later, we stopped at a Subway in Bancroft and neither of our cards were working. We looked like poor students and someone offered to pay for us just as Ben's card worked (thank god). At that point, the drive was already long and we were getting a little delirious. We ate our food outside on the picnic tables and I could barely eat I was laughing so much. 

All of this to say, things have been good. This past year has been busy and so amazing and too much to put into words here. So, instead, here is how I spent last Sunday afternoon.