A man walks along the beach. It's bright and sunny, with a refreshing breeze. The waves roll smoothly and rhythmically onto the shore, reaching just a little bit farther each time, and then the water trickles back into itself, pulling along granules of sand and fragments of kelp. He stares out at the vast open water. He soaks in the sunbeams that warm his back as he treads along rocks which tumble one over the other. One side hits another side and whether black or white, gray or brown they bounce off one another, knock off the grit that lies on the surface, and slowly shape and are shaped by each other. A cacophony of change, to the man, part of the harmony of recreation. He stops, picks up a small, speckled stone. He holds it in his hand. He feels the smooth and the rough. He caresses it's imperfections. Gently, he swings his arm, opens his fingers and watches the rock soar out over the water. One bounce, and a ripple. Two, and more ripples, and then it silently sinks down through unknown waters, landing on unseen rocks beneath the surface of the sea.

I came to Ottawa because I honestly believe that it is where God wants me. But the world where I've landed is completely unfamiliar. I know that I'm going to be recreated here. I'm going to learn, grow, and meet new people. I'm going to discover more of what God wants me to do. I know that God is with me, that he hears me, and is here for me. But at the same time, I need someone who I can touch and see. I am so excited to be experiencing a new life: but it hurts to leave the old behind. This evening I went to a church service on campus. I needed so much to praise my creator. As much as I truly believed every word I was singing, each one was painful. God has picked me up and taken me away from everything I know: everything except him. It's terrifying. My emotions are so jumbled, and it's hard to find my centre.

What else happened today?

- I managed to read what I needed to read for my politics class, and I sort of understand it.

- I conquered my first bus trip, with a score of 95%. I took two buses to get to Orleans, but then got off at the wrong end of a Princess Louise, and therefor took the scenic route to visit Lianne/Jim/Lane/Neil. It was Neil's birthday and there were a bunch of other University students there. It was good to eat real food and to chat with them, but I just didn't feel quite right being there.

- I thought about literally every person I know who isn't in Ottawa.