Springtastic

Aah, that’s the pure smell of spring. Exhale and inhale. The smell of flowers, barbecue and the fragrance of the rain and odour of the green freshly mowed grass. This year is my senior year before my friends and I split off and move to different cities to pursue our passions. We all decide to visit the annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival to make this season a little more special. 

We wake up very early for a weekend. At 6 am. It better be worth it. I start getting ready right away since I have to drive all of my friends since I am the only one with a license. My summer dresses arrived in time. The weather is very warm today so I decide to wear one of my new dresses with a light cardigan in case the weather gets chilly.

We stop at Tims for a quick pit stop to grab some coffee on the way since we are all half asleep. As soon as we arrive we are handed a brochure of the events throughout the day. Of course, we head to the pancake tent to grab some breakfast. The maple syrup was exquisite with a hint of caramel and vanilla sweetness. 

For the next hour or so we browse the handmade crafts and other unique goods. I promised myself to waste money on useless items but I found the perfect fabric-covered cactus pot for my desk. It’s gonna look very down to Earth next to my fiddle leaf fig. 

Then Lauren wanted to try the Saw A Log activity so we all headed there to watch. She made it look so easy since she’s incredibly strong. She even got to keep her branded slice home as a souvenir. 

Soon after we went to check out The Mobile Sugar Shack to see how maple syrup is made. It’s about the most Canadian thing anyone can do. The smell was spectacular. Then we decide to visit some of the farm animals and go through the straw maze at the Macdonald’s farm. This activity is mostly for kids but there were some adults there. There was a baby lama that was so cute. 

After long hours of non-stop activities, we decided to take a break and grab some lunch. Lauren and Aya tale my car to grab us some pizza while Lana, Aisha, and I set up a little picnic. We brought some frozen fruit in the cooler along with some iced tea. Lana also brought a minimalistic cake and some glasses for dessert. There were pretzels and cheeses laid out. It looked very aesthetic.

We played some music on the speaker since we chose a spot where no one was around us. We played some frisbee to pass the time. And my dress did not co-operate. But it was still a fun way to pass time. It reminded us of our childhood days when we used to play together after school at the neighbourhood park.

Lauren and Aya are finally back after what had seemed like an eternity. We enjoy the delicious pizza and talk about graduation and prom. We are all very excited even though we are anxious about college decisions since they come out in a week. 

We all have applied to somewhat the same colleges but we all have a different ranking and different programs that we are hoping to get in. I know people say that most high school friendships don’t survive, but I have a feeling we’re gonna make it. 

We eat some cake and name the clouds based on what objects or characters they look like. We used to do it when we were younger whenever we were bored. “Ooh, that one looks like an elephant,” says Aisha while we all giggle. 

We pack up and start walking around again exploring nature and checking out the activities. We stop by the Snyder Arena for the pancake flipping contest. It is very enthusiastic and engaging. The audience divides into two groups cheering on the contestant as loud as they can. 

We find a booth that's passing out paint and canvases and decide to paint for a while to pass some time until the sunset. I haven't painted since my freshman year visual arts class. I wanted to paint the trail right in front of me. It was beautiful with its colourful vigorous leaves, bold grass and a rustic crossing bridge.

The painting took me a while because I had to mix colors to make new shades, but it looked really good. It might be one of my best and favourite paintings yet. It’s good to know I have not lost my art mojo after all. We sign our names at the bottom of the canvases and walk to the Beaver Tail truck.  

As soon as I bite into the crunchy golden skin and the thick layer of white chocolate with a light drizzle of milk chocolate syrup and a sprinkle of crushed Oreos, I feel a moment of joy. Everything seems to be falling into place like puzzle pieces. After all those years of hard work, I feel like it’s about to pay off. After college admissions, everything will be perfect and I will relax and wait for summer break to start. 

We start walking through the broad hiking trail on our way to watch the sunset. As the sun went down in the sky, new colours brushed across an artist's canvas, as if those beams were intended to create a great masterpiece of art; capturing a simple moment in life.

We walk back to the main square and lay the matt on the freshly mowed grass and sit to wait for the fireworks. Today feels so similar to Canada day with all the celebrations of maple syrup, beaver tails, and fireworks. 

I feel the spring breeze as I watch the colourful fireworks pop in the sky.  After this fun but very long day we were exhausted and barely able to walk so we decided to ride the shuttle all the way back to the parking lot.