Chattering Flying Squirrels - Final Goodbyes - August 7-8, 2016

PARTY TIME!!!!Amazing how time flies when you are having fun! Students were stunned when they realized that these were their last two days at Wynchemna. Emotions were mixed and running high. We started off Sunday morning with a greasy breakfast at Tim Hortons, the quintessential Canadian spot (even though it has been bought over by an American company). We had a delicious English muffin with hashbrowns. Then we went back to our residence and wrote our Airport Letters. Each student had their name on several sheets of paper which would be passed around the room and signed by all the other students. These were then sealed in an envelope only to be read when they boarded their flights. Students were loud at times, laughing hysterically at what they were writing, and other times absolutely silent in concentration, penning heartfelt notes to each other. Before we knew it we were heading out to lunch at Maurya’s, our favourite Indian buffet. We had butter chicken, naan bread, rice, and potatoes; as much as we wanted! By the time we were finished, we were stuffed and could barely get up out of our seats! Good thing we had to walk back to get in some exercise and sweat off all that food we’d been stuffing our faces with!Then we were back to the residence again to clean our apartments and pack our bags. Don’t forget anything! After they were done packing and cleaning, students had their last taste of free time. Some played basketball, some went to buy groceries, some went shopping, and some just hung out and chatted.Tick tick tick and suddenly it was six o’clock and we were hopping onto the bus headed for our most fancy meal yet: yes, our last dinner at Wynchemna. We arrived at Nick’s Steakhouse. What a quaint little place this was! Inside there were nice dim yellow lights, TV screens on every wall and comfortable booth seats. We were treated to a steak dinner. Students could choose how they wanted their steaks done: rare, medium, or well-done. They also had a choice of mashed potatoes, baked potato or fries. When the steaks arrived, students were chewing with smiles on their faces. It was goooood.Click your heels three times and we were back at SAIT, all packed into our common room excited to watch our Slideshow. It was a collection of all our photos played to a choice selection of summer songs. Students loved it. They laughed and laughed at the funny, wacky photos of their peers, they shouted out names and whistled, they cheered. But the hooting and howling wasn’t over. Next we did certificates. Each had a funny moniker attached. We had a Mr. Mango, a Most Likely To Become A Professional Swimmer, a Best Smile and many more witty titles. It was the most open and together yours truly had ever seen the group.Then students went to freshen up for the party. They took showers and dressed up and headed over to the Tower basement. We had a smooth DJ waiting there for us, playing some sweet tunes. In short, we danced all night to the best songs ever. We danced like the night was never going to end. By the end we were drenched in sweat, happy and smiling from ear to ear.In a few hours’ time we would take our flights back to our home countries. Students signed t-shirts and traded cards and gifts. They didn’t want to sleep, and who could blame them? It was their very last night at Wynchemna. By the time morning rolled around students were loading their luggage onto the bus and van. They said their goodbyes, there were many a tear and hugs abounded. We promised to email and social-media each other, we promised we would go visit each other, in Taiwan, in France, in Italy, in Mexico, in Russia, in Czech. It was bittersweet as students made their way to the airport. As their planes took flight, soaring up and up into the skies, students were already missing each other and missing the great times they had at Wynchemna. We knew we would see each other again, if not in real life, then for sure in our dreams. – Signing out for the last time, John, Julia, Kat, Aggy and Dave ☺[AFG_gallery id='549']