I Heart Fairview

Okay, so last year you heard me talk about my former home, Totem Park, and how it’s not really all that different from it’s counterpart, Place Vanier. This year I am back in rez, but in Fairview, which I can honestly say, is quite different than Totem.

First off, Fairview, by definition, is different. Fairview is one of many suite-style residences on campus, meaning several roommates live in one unit and share one common area (living room, dining room, kitchen), as opposed to Totem and Vanier, where you have your own room on a floor with a cafeteria close by. Though, Max and I are not living the true suite-style life here in Fairview as we are, awesomely, staying in a one bedroom unit. Don’t get me wrong, I think I would enjoy sharing a place with 4-6 of my closer friends, I just prefer to share a place with my best friend. We’ve made our own little nest, the walls are decorated, everything put away, and we’ve already had our first Dungeons and Dragons game here. But back to Fairview…

I think what I have found I love the most about Fairview is the atmosphere. I feel like we live in a rustic little ski village nestled in the forest. There are squirrels and spiders and everything in between. When I look out my window I see trees and grass and my fellow Fairviewians going about thier business. Everyone in the commonsblock is warm and welcoming and seem earnestly interested in how our lives are going. No longer do we have to venture into the basement to do our laundry, we just take a short walk outside. The Beanery is GLORIOUS, with it’s fantastic food and friendly staff (Max and I have had peach smoothies there everyday for the past WEEK). We have a kitchen, which we use to a great extent, making all sorts of dishes, from Shepard’s Pie to Rice Krispie Squares. True, the walk from Fairview to Buchanan that I make each and every day isn’t always fun, but it’s a good pre-class wake up, and I can already tell I am getting healthier.

Don’t get me wrong, Totem Park gave me the perfect first year experience, immersed in student life, living and breathing and learning about what it is to be at UBC. I miss Totem, and the friends and fun I had there, and I see the same potential in Fairview. The people are just as open and friendly, the events just as welcoming and fun, and the atmosphere, is, if anything, a little bit more open. I feel as though I am living on my own now, surrounded by support, should I need it, but basically left to my own responsibilities and duties. This is a very nice feeling.

I am really quite happy with the way things turned out. Max and I have made a nice little life in our nice little home, and I owe all of that to Fairview, and it’s ever present coziness.