Vanessa and Darcy met over ten years ago at Glen Bernard Summer Camp up near Algonquin National Park. Vanessa came from Toronto, while Darcy had travelled all the way from New Brunswick, mainly attending the camp because her mother had gone there and wanted her to have the same experience.
They both began attending camp at age eight, but became friends at age ten after being put in the same cabin together. Darcy remembers Vanessa as cheerful and energetic. Vanessa remembers Darcy as being very passionate.
Vanessa: “[Darcy was] very cheerful and smiley. She loved boats and sailing and was very passionate about the east coast. She lets everyone know!”
The pair were separated during the year, but were reunited every summer after that at camp.
Darcy: “Camp friends are great, because you don’t see each other for forty-nine weeks but then you come back it’s like you never left.”
They bonded further over their love of out-tripping (extended trips into the wilderness, common at many summer camps). One of their best memories together was in fact on one of these trips. The pair spent one week canoeing together up in Temagami. They remember fondly running the camper canoe, separate from the staff, and spending a week camping out together under the stars.
Following their days as campers, the pair went on to become counsellors together. After one year, Darcy left camp and Vanessa carried on, marking the longest separation for the pair since they first met.
This was not to last. Midway through grade 12, the pair discovered that they had both been accepted into the Commerce program at Queen’s University and were elated at the opportunity to spend the next four years together. While they could both hardly contain their excitement, neither one wanted to come out and say it:
Vanessa: “We were texting back and forth saying things like I want to be in a double with someone I know, not a stranger, but not one of my best friends from home and not someone from school.”
Darcy: “We were both ‘Like yeah, same.’ and then finally Vanessa bit the bullet and asked if we wanted to be roommates.”
The pair roomed together for their first year in residence. It worked out so well that they signed a lease together in second year and are still living together today. Vanessa even had the opportunity to go out and visit Darcy’s family on the east coast.
Darcy: “it has truly been a journey… an evolution of sorts.”
Living together has given them the time to perfect their favorite activities, including choreographing and practicing dance routines to be performed at parties and on the Stages dancefloor. The dances are normally done to a song from one of their favorite musical genres: Disney, Mamma Mia and 2000’s adjacent.
Darcy: “We really give-er.”
Vanessa: “Yeah, no one seems to get into the dances quite as much as we do.” *Laughs*
In their spare time, they also enjoy cooking together and getting chicken bites from Pizza Pizza.
The friendship has not been all smooth sailing. The pair did have to endure long-distance last year when they opted to go on exchange in separate semesters, but after spending years apart during high school, distance was an old routine.
Darcy: “I loved hearing about her life and all the fun things she was doing.”
Vanessa: “Yeah it was crazy all the cool things she was doing. I remember one day Darcy sent me a video as she was about to jump out of a plane.”
It also helps that both are good communicators. Darcy, known for videos to her friends, would film herself before jumping out of planes, on the top of mountains or simply to say hi.
Darcy: “Yeah, I send long form videos, mostly when I’m drunk, but sometimes when I’m not. Sometimes when I’m on the top a mountain.”
When asked about the success of their friendship, the pair agreed that it was because of balance. Both agree that their personalities complement each other, something which has helped them grow and develop in university. Darcy helps to remind Vanessa to take some time away from school work to have fun and Vanessa motivates Darcy to take advantage of school activities.
After so many years of friendship, they have some truly beautiful words of wisdom to share with readers:
Darcy: “The saying is true; you can’t make new old friends. It is important to cherish those old friendships that you have.”
Vanessa: “The most important things is to be unconditionally happy for your friends. Treat their successes like your successes and their happy times like your happy times. Just have that with no strings attached. Totally unconditional love.”
- Love, Human Crossing
p.s. If you are interested in learning more about how other Queen's alumni are doing...check out our friends at The Limestone Era. (They even feature the iconic Professor D. J. McConomy!)