I can see the CN Tower from my bedroom window.
And so I've arrived. Here I am living in Toronto. Since my train rolled into Union Station on Sunday afternoon, I've been having a lot of "WTF, I actually live in Toronto now?!" moments, but today it's sunk in a bit more and life feels more or less normal. Yeah, more or less. Minus a lot of things I miss from Montreal, but suffice it to say that I've learned that building a life in a new city takes a while! Everything will not be perfect right away! And so, I'm just enjoying this time exploring my new city and being on my own.
My first two days being here have been filled with a lot of errands and unpacking and settling down. I also had a job interview yesterday, which I think went really well - I left with the same feeling you have after you know you just aced a test, so I think that's a good sign! The weather has been undeniably gorgeous and sunny and it's been making me so happy. Yesterday I drank my morning coffee outside on a bench in the sunshine and the sun actually felt
warm against my body. Spring, spring, I can't wait to greet you! Spring is a time of change and new beginnings. It's funny how I always seem to make life changing decisions around springtime.
I'm loving that my apartment is situated right in Little Italy. There are so many adorable shops and restaurants lining College St. And the fact that the street car stops right outside my apartment is pretty fan-freaking-tastic too. I can also walk to the subway in about 10 minutes and that will take me anywhere! The whole roommate situation is taking a bit of getting used to. I'm so used to living on my own, or living with a boyfriend. I've never lived with a girl roommate before, and I'm feeling a strange combination of releasing control over my living space and acting on my best behaviour.
Oh! And I can't end my blog post without talking about my amazing sendoff in Montreal! At work on Friday, there was a "surprise" screening goodbye party in the afternoon, and we ate cake and I got a card, and it was very lovely. I felt appreciated and happy and shed a tear or two upon saying goodbye. After work, a bunch of us went out for what turned into an epic night - first it was 2 games of laser tag, during which I re-confirmed that I suck so bad but it's
so much fun! We then headed off to the pub to drink a couple beers (and tequila shots - oops) and watch the Canada Olympic hockey game. From there, I was feeling pretty jazzed and enthusiastically suggested we should go to a strip club! Took a little convincing but I lead the way, and off to the strip club we went! Then the night took a turn into titties, buckets of beers, and... lapdances? Yes, I had my first lapdance, and it was quite the uh, experience. Haha! Suffice it to say, that night, and the people I spent it with, was amazing.
And as a last tribute to Montreal, I love love love this
"Montreal in 2 Minutes" video. My old neighbourhood, the Plateau, is shown between 1:37 and 1:58. I think it perfectly captures how I feel about that amazing city. Watch and love it with me.
Labels: friends, montreal, moving, nightlife, toronto
Two-four
So I turned the ripe ol' age of 24 yesterday. I had a really awesome day, and even being at work was pretty great - I had organized a screening/birthday party and so for the last two hours at work we all sat around and drank beer/wine and ate cake and chatted and screened an episode. Yup.
I decided I wanted to bake my own cake and bring it into work and so I did. I wanted a somewhat healthy cake and so I found a recipe online for a
chocolate cake made with tofu and was intrigued. It ended up turning out amazing and delicious and no one even knew it had tofu in it! I may have countered the whole healthy thing by icing it with Bailey's cream cheese icing though... But YUM.
And then I went out for sushi dinner with Nick and Karine to my favourite sushi restaurant, Juni. It was tasty. And
then we partied it up at Rouge!
There are so many awesome things about this last picture... For one, my tongue is a brilliant shade of red, giving away the fact that the cranberry vodkas I was drinking weren't made with real cranberry juice! I'm making the 24 sign, and Karine thinks I'm turning 42... and Nick doesn't know what the hell is going on! Love it. And the best part is that Rouge is 2 blocks away from my house so, after eating a late night snack of poutine, I could just stumble home!!
Labels: birthdays, food, nightlife
I'm two beers deep (bought nextdoor at the depanneur - how convenient that corner stores and grocery stores in Quebec sell alcohol) and listening to some fabulous house music from the likes of Deadmau5, and I gotta say that I'm itching to go out and dance tonight. I want to get hammered and be overwhelemed by the pounding music. (And it could also be the fact that it's your birthday today and I'm missing it that I want to do this so badly.)
I wonder what would happen if I just walked over to Saint Laurent and went into one of the clubs by myself... (Or maybe I'd really rather not know.)
Labels: nightlife
Confessions
It is such a novelty to be using the Internet on my desktop computer. The wireless has mega issues and for the past couple weeks my desktop hasn't been able to pick up a wireless signal and therefore I've been using my laptop. My laptop is one of those tiny ones with a 15" screen, so now it seems like I've got a monster screen with so much screen real estate!!
So I think I've decided that I'm pretty much over going to clubs. Last night really solidified it for me. We went out for a friend's birthday, had dinner and a few drinks at a lounge/bar and then went out to the club. I was so very much not feeling it at all - I didn't want to dance or drink (I was pretty much completely sober) and it was so crowded and stuffy and the music sucked and the people were lame and I couldn't sit down alone for 5 seconds before some greasy guy would come and hit on me. Gross.
I'm not writing off clubs altogether. I mean, I have fun when I'm there with my girls and if I'm not concerned about getting home and I can let lose and drink. That can be fun. Once in a while I'm up for that. But on a random night when I'm not drunk and not feeling it, it is not fun. I can think of a lot of other fun things that I'd rather be doing. I'm just not a giant party girl. I've tried to fit that bill and it just doesn't work.
Anyway, because of last night, today was pretty much a write off day. I woke up and was completely surprised to see that it was already 12:30! I haven't slept in that late in YEARS. Feels like half your day is gone. So basically all I have done today was go out to grab a coffee, do laundry, and lounge around!
Tomorrow is the first day of autumn. I am seriously
shocked that September is almost over.
Labels: nightlife, rants
