Time Is Racing By!

When we left BC, we knew we were in for a long trip home – and 3 days without showers – so arriving safely home in Ontario was cause for celebration and immediate cleanliness!Our time in Hamilton was definitely different from being on the road, and I know most of us took advantage of our time by seeing friends and family. It felt great to be welcomed back with smiles from house advisor Bryan, and even better to find the groceries we had left behind in the cupboards and fridge! We had to get a bit of fresh food, but a great part about having a kitchen is getting to create food with friends. Jacob and I cooked an apple, tomato, red pepper, and caramelized onion pizza – it sounds weird, but I promise it was delicious. The finished product even LOOKS edible! Although it wasn’t the same as when we left the Magill house (many less people!) but for Sarah, Jacob, Jenna and I, it was home. And even better, we got to spend some time with Team 1, because they came home just a few days after we arrived!Hamilton is a city that’s built on bricks, based on steel, and bursting with talent. Student Sarah even got the opportunity to be apart of rapper Manafests’ video shoot, while Jacob and I took in local talent at the art crawl. From pottery to paintings as varied as they come, the art crawl gave us the chance to see a piece of the city that is truly unique. Some team members were also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Santa Clause Parade that took over downtown last Saturday! Another special thing about downtown Hamilton is Jackson Square, located beside the Cops Coliseum. Affectionately deemed ‘Michael Jackson’ square, or ‘MJ’ for short, it houses the Hamilton farmers market among other stores. The farmers market is a great place to grab fresh produce and baking – I bought a pint of strawberries for just a dollar!On the topic of a dollar, in Jacobs Hero Holiday talk he mentions the value of it – and continues to receive bags of sun chips from his fans daily! The band boys also receive their fair share of attention, especially in the shows we do at all girls’ schools! More importantly, students across the country are getting excited about Hero Holiday. Hearing so many young people talk about their plans to go really drives home the reason we do what we do – something important for us to remember these last 5 weeks of tour.Time is racing by – just the other night, Sarah and I spent nearly 6 hours in a mall and hardly noticed the clock! Though a little home time was nice, I know being back in the bus and on the road feels normal – Jenna and Jacob have already gone swimming in Elliot lake, and the bus is already a little disorganized.. But that doesn’t stop us. Northern Ontario and Manitoba are in for a taste of Team 2 – don’t worry, we’ll see you soon!