A Quick Hop Back
I am just realizing I went around this the wrong way around, in terms of structuring my posts. I started in the middle, with my stop in Copenhagen, followed by my time in Abu Dhabi, and now finishing it with the time I was in Ottawa, which happened before I was in Copenhagen. Sorry for that, and I will try to keep some sort of timeline going forward, but will not promise. My ideas have been coming to me randomly and as a result, the posts come randomly.
Let’s get started though. In the beginning of November, I made my way to Ottawa for a quick catchup. It was a short, 1 week trip, which I usually regret on my flight back home when I realize how long these flights are. I arrived on Friday evening, and was on my way out on the following Friday evening. But that’s not what you’re here for, probably more about all the in-between.
Before heading to Ottawa, I really tried to make a list of things that I missed, places I wanted to visit, food I wanted to eat, etc…and unfortunately did not end up with many things. I was more excited about catching up with family, friends, and colleagues instead. When I arrived at home, my siblings were out and I was surprised to find out that we have two new pets - a guinea pig and a snake. It was definitely a surprise for the whole family (parents in mind here) so made for an interesting conversation that night. After catch ups, I went to bed and luckily was able to fix my sleep cycle without suffering from jet lag. Great decision.
The next morning, I headed for a morning spin with my sister, and this would be our morning routine until I left the country. After spinning, I grabbed some bagels from Kettlemen’s to have for breakfast. Bagels were definitely among the few things I missed about Canada, as it seems no one in the Middle East can make a good bagel. It’s the simple things in life. If you’re ever in Ottawa, you need to have a bagel from Kettlemen’s, as it is certainly the best. I usually go for a cinnamon raisin bagel with blueberry cheese cream. Throughout the rest of the weekend, I surprised my friends from middle school as they did not know I was coming (save for one, who helped facilitate the surprise). I caught up with one of my early mentors - my high school history teacher, who I had not seen since COVID.
The following week was then a mix of lunches with friends and catchups with colleagues over coffee. It was nice to be back in the office for a few days, to see how everyone was doing, and stay up to date with our projects. At the same time, I had the chance to meet some of the newer faces or even older colleagues who I never had the chance to meet, particularly due to the fact that we’re all always on the go.
One major highlight for me was getting the chance to go to Mantovani 1946 with my sister. Now let me tell you, I have had some amazing gelato in Italy, but this café in Ottawa makes gelato that is on the same level. I had a lemon crema with the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, a pistachio, chocolate, and nuts mix, and they were both very flavourful. So if you ever stop in Ottawa, or live there, you should definitely visit Mantovani and support a local business.
Honestly, I think that’s it for this post. Unfortunately, I know that I did not have the chance to see many people whom I would have liked to see, but at the same time, I was on a tight schedule and am always more about quality than quantity. Seeing lots of people would have been great, but it would not have been enjoyable or enough time to properly catchup. Hopefully next time, I will plan a longer trip, perhaps two weeks is more than enough, to spend better time with everyone.
On my way out to Canada, I had to stop by Starbucks at Toronto Airport for my favourite Starbucks drink, a Skinny Peppermint Mocha. This is a holiday season drink which we do not have in the UAE, and honestly, I did not see it in Europe either. It brought me back to my high school and university days, and gave me a little taste of winter.
Anyways, I have just realized that this post is somewhat similar to an earlier one, so I will probably take a look to check if that’s the fact or not. If you are reading this, then I decided that it is probably different enough to warrant its own post. For all you in Ottawa, what would be your must go places that I should check out next time? Anyone who’s lived in Ottawa, and left? If so, what brings you back/would bring you back/do you miss most? Let me know in the comments below but until then, stay positive!
