Day with the Dinosaurs

 

Walking into a museum is like stepping into an entirely different world. It’s what I love most about it. The escape from the everyday hustle and bustle, letting your mind wander, and traveling back in time.

 

Sebastian and I put on our explorer's hats and back in time we went… travelling millions of years to a land where humans didn’t exist, and dinosaurs roamed the land. From the moment we entered Toronto’s ROM, we were greeted with a massive Futalognkosaurus (say that five times fast!), and I found myself waiting in line for tickets just standing there, jaw-to-floor, in awe. It’s the kind of admiration where you know that if you weren’t so fascinated by looking at their skeletons, you’d be booking it in the opposite direction, filled with sheer terror.

 

As we walked through the Ultimate Dinosaur exhibit, I kept imagining what they were like in the flesh, while replaying the Jurassic Park Trilogy in my head… every so often, peeking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t being stalked by a Raptor. As we explored, our amazement only grew, all the things I learned when I was a kid was coming right back to me ten-fold. The massive skulls, horns, and razor sharp teeth stared down at us… this was a species who ruled Earth for 135 million years. You can’t help but think about how insignificant our own human history is in comparison, just a tiny blip on the radar.

 

Now, 65 million years after their extinction, which has been credited towards a variety of causes... an asteroid, volcanic explosions, tectonic plate activity, the ice age... all that's left is bones... and if you use your imagination, they come back to life all over again.

 

P.S. This video of the history of Earth's formation is really incredible to watch, if you're interested. (Might as well go full-nerd today!)

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The Moments

We're in the middle of the Winter cold, and at times, it can feel like I've gone days without seeing the sun. I find myself craving it. Longing for it. Just a hint of that warm glow behind the thick clouds has me daydreaming about warm, sunny days. Daydreams about biking down to the beach, sitting on the dock by the lake...

This day was particularly grey. Not a cloud in the sky, no sign of the sun, just muted grey as far as the eye could see. The day was coming to an end, as early as it does now, and I knew that it would be another grey Winter day. Wishing for sun, wanting to curl up with a blanket and hibernate instead.

As I was driving back to Toronto, there was a distinct moment where the grey faded away, and the most magnificent blue replaced it. The sun was beginning to set, and I was in awe. Maybe it was because it had felt so damn long since I had seen the sun. Felt like weeks, rather than days. Or maybe it was because sometimes our days are simply made of moments like this, the moments that take our breath away.

I saw the sky transform before my eyes - the blues, pinks, oranges lit up the sky. I was on a race against time. Hoping that the day would last just a little bit longer so I could soak in as much of this sunset as I possibly could.

And I did. I parked my car and braced myself before stepping out into the cold air. (Although the word cold, at this point, seems like such an understatement.)

It was then that I was reminded that it's not about waiting for the perfect moment. The perfect moment to savor, the perfect moment to capture. It's stepping back and taking the time to notice them. Because those moments are in every single day.

Now it's your turn: What's taken your breath away lately?

 

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Zombie Walk

Before I begin, I'd just like to say I'm sorry. 

I'm sorry that these images may cause you distress and haunt your dreams. I'm sorry that you won't be able to "un-see" what you're about to see. For what it's worth, having a zombie clown run towards you and jump inches away from your face, thus making you want to run and hide, is one of the most terrifying events ever. I endured that for these photos. I endured that for you. You're welcome.

Halloween is fast approaching and you can feel it in the air. The fallen leaves on the ground, the carefully carved pumpkins on display, and you know, the zombies who are walking around with intense cravings for brains.

I had never seen Toronto's "Zombie Walk" before, so I was anxious to check it out this year. I had heard all about it and really wanted to witness it with my own eyes, but sadly didn't know when it was happening. That is until Sebastian and I were walking around the city, and every so often would casually say to each other, "Wow, there really are a lot of zombies out today." (No joke. Because in Toronto this is normal behaviour.)

Then, it happened. We came across a sea of zombies. It was a bloody mess. Literally.

Thousands of people zombies gathered around for the opening ceremony, and then dragged themselves around town, flooding the downtown core. At first glance, it was very shocking - you're just minding your own business and then suddenly a child turns around covered in blood with shards of glass sticking out of their face. (True story)

The amount of detail that went into each look was incredible, and to be honest, frightening. While I was snapping away photos at the scene of the crime, there were times where I was actually too scared to approach some people because of how scary their costumes actually were. Blood filled the streets, open wounds were on full display, guts were hanging out everywhere, and no one was safe.

Check out some of my favourite shots, if your stomach can handle it...

From The Fair

Spending time at the fair always reminds me of when I was a kid. Running around full of excitement, eyes wide taking in all the sights, salivating as you pass by the food stands that are so bad for you, but oh-so-good. It's the kind of excitement that can hardly be contained.

Growing up, we had our own town fair, and we'd go every. single. year. I always looked forward to that time of year. It meant a day spent with some of your most favourite people, going from ride-to-ride (multiple times), and tummy aches from overwhelming amounts of cotton candy.

And this time was no different. Except for the fact that we were in Toronto, and that small town fair was now bigger than anything I'd imagined. It was my first time going so I didn't know what to expect. I hummed and hawed over the decision on whether or not we should even go, and I'm so glad we did.

Because I immediately went back to that time, and I was a kid again. We stuffed our bellies full of corn dogs, and pizza, and snow cones, and itty bitty doughnuts. We went on the swings, that spun around and around, and Sebastian realized that he's not as young as he once was. (I've been nominated to go on all the rides with our future children while he looks on from a distance:)

We hopped on a lift that stretched over the whole length of the fair, getting the perfect bird's eye view of our surroundings, and we danced. And people laughed. And we kept dancing.

As the night crept up on us, our eyes were full of flashing lights as far as we could see. And, of course, the experience wasn't complete without a sunset Ferris Wheel ride, and the ultimate adrenaline rush after the Mega Drop, where my stomach most definitely flew up into my throat.

We biked home with our bellies stuffed, and our hearts full. It was just another Tuesday night. :)

What are some of your favourite memories as a kid?

P.S. I hope you all have an incredible long weekend! I can't believe it's already here!

Needle in the Sky

Some of the best adventures are the most spontaneous ones. It's probably been a good fifteen years since I've made the journey up the CN Tower. And now, fast forward to all these years later and it's the first thing I see when I wake up. When I first moved to Toronto, it helped me get oriented with the city. Hell, it still does. That tower is my symbol for home.

So as we walked past that same spot, like we have countless times before, we decided to go up. And up we went - traveling at 22km/hr, shooting up past 340m in two minutes. Literally, two minutes.

The CN Tower is one of the most recognized structures in the world, so to say it's a tourist hot spot is a ridiculous understatement. But still - with all the hustle and bustle up there, there was something calming about looking down at the entire city. Seeing our home and how insignificant it is. We imagined ourselves back on the ground, like little specks that could hardly be seen from way up there.

And so we did what everyone does when they visit the top of the tower. We stared in awe at the incredible view. We ventured out onto the observation deck only to be nearly blown away by the wind - we walked the full 360 then hurried back inside because let's be honest, my goosebumps were outta control. Then, of course, we made our way to the glass floor. And sprawled out on it. Scratch that - I sprawled out. Sebastian can easily jump out of an airplane by himself but getting him to stand on that damn glass floor was like pulling teeth. But he got on the beam, and that's close enough. :)

Check out our photos, if you'd like...

(A view of the game!)

(I'm incredibly short...)

Are you a fan of getting out and enjoying tourist attractions in your own city?

Exploring the City

Over the weekend, Sebastian and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, hop on our bikes, and explore the city! We didn’t have a plan in mind, just peddled off and went wherever we happened to end up.

While biking east on Lakeshore, we came across the new waterfront park. Toronto has had plans to redevelop the waterfront for a while now, since it looked horrible and industrialized. I had no idea that they already completed some of it! It was such a wonderful surprise. I’m so excited to see the rest of it when it’s all done! Being near the water is such a luxury and it’s pretty sad that it’s not being utilized the way it should be right now.

We admired the pretty tiny waterfalls, the new splash pad, and splashed around in the cold water.

… Then went on to take photos of our footprints. Because apparently, we’re cute like that.

We biked around some more and ended up in St. James Park. I actually had never been to before, which kind of seems ridiculous since I’ve been living in the city for over a year now. (I’ve officially decided that we’re coming back here for a picnic just because it’s so beautiful.)

One thing that I’ve truly come to love about living here is that there are so many hidden gems everywhere. That awesome burrito place, that hole-in-the-wall café that makes their own lemonade, and the parks that make you feel like you’ve left the city even though you’re smack in the middle of it.

…Then we found this tree branch that was perfectly parallel with the ground! It looked so crazy that I instantly wanted to climb it.

…Then I came to the realization that a) I am incredibly short and b) I am far too weak. Unlike Sebastian, who is a giant in comparison.

The AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) currently has a Picasso Exhibit running until sometime in August, and I’ve been wanting to see it ever since it first started – so when Sebastian suggested we go there, I pounced on the idea! (We did the audio tour, and I snuck this picture of Sebastian without him knowing:)

“I paint the way some people write an autobiography. The paintings, finished or not, are the pages from my diary.”—Pablo Picasso

We saw paintings like this 1925’s Le Baiser, or The Kiss, from his Surrealist period.

And this moving piece, entitled “Massacre in Korea”, which is seen as a criticism of American intervention in the Korean War, and was influenced by Goya’s, The Third of May 1808.

I think what I was most surprised with was how Picasso could so easily go back and forth between different styles of art. From expressionism to cubism to realism, experimenting with different ideas and techniques, switching between different mediums - paintings to sculptures to a combination of both. He was a true genius, and he knew it.

If you ever get the opportunity to come to Toronto, I definitely recommend hitting up the AGO! The museum itself is a work of art and worth exploring.

I can’t wait for the rest of the summer where we can explore even more of the city and discover all sorts of new things.