Summer in the City (Reprise)

It's summer again! Well... the end of summer. What better time to look back with fond thoughts and hopes for getting it right again next year.

This summer was one filled with friends, summer camp (that I run), and events all over Toronto. Summer isn't just a season filled with fun in the sun and bad t-shirt tans, but also a time of change, rejuvenation, and the occasional good-bye.

Change comes in many forms. For me it was the end of my contract as a teaching assistant at a prestigious girls schools and the beginning of a new job at yet another private school in the heart of the city.

From Picasso at the AGO, Canada Day fireworks, the Pride Parade, movies at The Open Roof Film Festival, BBQs, birthdays, patio dinners, Summerlicious, watching the Olympics, and laughs at Yuk Yuk's, the summer brought about it's usual fill of good times. I even managed to fit in a massage and meditation class the SpiritWind Internal Arts centre in Kensington Market.

As a martial artist of 14 years, I earned the rank of 3rd degree black belt. After so many years of fighting, I've decided it's time to turn my attention inwards moreso and focus on aspects of the Peaceful Warrior. Dan Milliman and Carlos Castenadas' books have been an inspiration as I pursue this path. Zen Meditation can't hurt either, right?

Feeling rejuvenated and centred, this summer was also one with an important and meaningful good-bye. My friend who I wrote about in an earlier post (who was sworn in to the Canadian Armed Forces back in November) has been signed on to the CAF full time. This means she left Toronto for a base in Quebec to train and prepare for her duties an impending soldier to protect Canada and it's allies around the world.

Now, with the cool breeze tapping us on the shoulder, reminding us that autumn is soon approaching, I look forward to the fresh start of a new school year, and a new season to make other great memories.

I'll be attending TIFF, teaching a new Grade 1 class, and continuing my M.Ed at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)! Hopefully I can sustain my centred-ness and rejuvenation.. at least 'til Thanksgiving.

Where I Built My Home

On a cold February evening, I was laying on my couch and felt the crisp breeze gently brush my hair. In the dim light of my livingroom I realized that I was alone, relaxed. In this silence, I reaped the benefits of having a home to call my own; an oasis in the heart of the city.

I didn't plaster a wall or caulk the bathroom tiles. Instead I moved into a new space and set up my new home, piece by piece. With the help of some incredible friends, my fantastic 1930's boutique apartment at Yonge & Bloor took shape.

All city folk have a place they call home. It might be their local Starbucks, their favourite pub, or somewhere else they feel welcomed and "at home". For some, this place is where they do their best thinking.

We all need a place to call home. We all need a place for our ideas to peculate and take form. In our home, we feel inspired. It's likely the one place we feel that we can truly be ourselves.

I recently saw a replica of Leonardo Da Vinci's studio when I attended the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre. His studio/ atelier/ home- whatever you want to call it- is the place where did his best work.

Maybe we can't always have a large studio like Da Vinci to make revolutionary works of art and engineering. We can, however, create a space that will foster and encourage our aspirations and ambitions. This place is what we call home.

Whether we share our home with others or live in it alone; whether we live in a quaint bachelor suite, a rustic loft, or a Forest Hill mansion, home is where we build it. I built my home with love- you can too.

Though home can at times seem like a lonely place, I remind myself that being alone in a fabulous classic apartment is a luxury that is all too often overlooked.

Where ever you build your home, whether in Vinci/ Italy, or another city, build it with a solid foundation that will not only keep you secure, but will ignite a fire under your passions and allow you to strive toward your dreams.

The Plaid Boots Have Come Out of Hiding!

Toronto is experiencing one of the its most mild winters' its had to date. The lack of snow and above seasonal temperatures have made winter feel more like late autumn or early spring.

On this day, however, after some some light snow began to fall, my blue plaid Rubber Duck boots have emerged from their hibernation!

Several winters' ago, I got these boots thinking they would be comfy and warm. Little did I know they would grab so much attention (ok, I sort of knew they were a little unusual/ amazing!!).

When I wore them in New York, in the winter of '08, I was approached on a 5th Avenue street corner by an inquisitive old lady. She said, "Those are SOME boots! Where did you get them?". I politely and somewhat proudly answered, "Toronto". She looked a little confused so I added "Canada".

She then replied, "Oh, you brought them all the way down from there". To which I said softly, and underbreath, "Ya... I wore them" (by this time the light turned green and off she went).

These boots have survived several winters now and will most definitely survive this balmy winter too. They're unfortunately starting to show some signs of aging though; I think it's time for new insoles.

Whether their plaid, or bright red, take your boots out for a walk. You never know what kind of stories might one day be told of your boots and their adventures in the city.