I gazed out the window of my boyfriend’s apartment. Such a lovely view from the 16th floor. Every morning this week I’d woken up early enough to catch the sunrise. Today was no different.. I thought about how lucky he was to be living in the heart of such a thriving city. Everyone had something to do...some place to be. People watching alone was enough to keep me entertained any time my boyfriend was at work. I was on vacation after all. I had freewill to do nothing if that’s what I chose. This wasn’t my first time visiting Toronto, Ontario. Back in August of 2017 I’d crossed the Buffalo, NY border into Canada for the first time on a road trip with one of my best friends, Bri. It was a quiet misty morning when I got my first look at Niagara Falls up close and personal; the most beautiful thing I’d ever witnessed at 8AM. We hit Toronto shortly after.

I’ll never forget being captivated by the way everything looked. In terms of architecture, the city had an NYC/Chicago vibe to it but it was much cleaner than both. There were restaurants, bars, headshops, and boutiques everywhere.. The August sun was warm on my skin. The smell of delicious foods both foreign and familiar filled my nostrils. Beautiful women in long sundresses and handsome men in shorts and t-shirts adorned the sidewalks. The positive energy was hard to ignore. The vibe of Toronto swallowed me whole. I knew that this was a place I’d be visiting more than once.

Turns out I was right. I met my now boyfriend my very first day in Toronto, Ontario. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with more than just the city. So now here I am almost 8 months later...gazing at a beautiful skyline...people watching...daydreaming about food. My stomach growled. I stared into the sky for another minute or two before my hunger got the best of me. I grabbed my purse and headed for the front door. I’d treat myself to a sandwich and then head over to the nearest bookstore. There’s a gorgeous black cat that always sits in the window of Acadia Art & Rare Books on the corner of Queen St. East. I think it’s time we get acquainted.