Home[ostasis]

I love being at home, and I also love travelling to new places. But these two yearnings are seemingly at odd with each other.

There are some places I love visiting, and a revisit is my favourite type of travel. The first time visit is new and exciting, but the second time, you have a bit of the background in your mind, you recognize streets and buildings, you know the feel and mood of the place. Could I be enjoying this more because there is a bit more 'home' to be found in this once-strange place?

I do love being at home, but I feel while a little recharges me, too much makes me feel stagnant. I get too comfortable, feel lazy, and think 'everything I need is in this one place'. I feel the mood reflected in my dog too, as we enjoy lying around in each others' company, and a long walk outside of our usual route often re-energizes both of us.

As usual, the conclusion is always: everything in moderation. Striking the right balance is the tricky part.

All walks of life, pt. 3

In Japan and South Korea, there were so many elderly men at gardens, palaces, and just walking along the streets. Many of them were volunteers that were eager to speak with tourists, and when they found out we were Canadians, they would happily share their experiences of traveling and living there.

Plants over flowers

Giving and receiving flowers has always made me feel a little sad; the flowers are beautiful at first, but slowly wither and die, or die prematurely to make dried flowers to last 'forever'. I always wondered why people didn't gift potted plants and flowers, and as a result, I started building my own plant family once my living situation had settled down.

Allan Gardens Conservatory

Earlier this month, during the long weekend, we headed downtown for brunch at Chez Firenze. 

Magical places, magical moments

There are certain places I've been to in my life, where I was suddenly struck with the feeling of magic. The place may not look extraordinary, but there was something special about it, a difference in the air, a shift in the order of things. It is a rare thing to come by, which makes me treasure these places all the more.

Berry picking

Our original plan of peach-picking turned into berry-picking, and we made our way to Andrews' Scenic Acres.

If I told you a story, would you believe it?

I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking, and thinking about what I've been reading.