The last haul: Buffalo, Brampton and Toronto

After our beautiful day in Chicago, we hit the road for our last long haul to Buffalo.

This was our longest drive yet. It wasn’t our longest in time, but by this part of our journey we were both exhausted and wouldn’t be arriving until after 10 p.m.

But we pumped up the radio, John drank a red bull, and we drove until the sky was dark and our eyes were tired.

Not knowing to expect, we arrived at our hotel in Buffalo and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Maybe it was because I was tired, but mainly it was because this hotel off the highway had a giant fountain with fake flowers and looked like a mix of Disneyland, Las Vegas, a tacky Italian woman’s house and an acid trip all thrown together.

We walked into the front lobby and were greeted by a larger than life chandelier, glass cases holding stuffed animals and roses, a giant carpeted market street with tables, walls set up as buildings and tables and chairs all along.

Our room had a Jacuzzi inside, a mini bar from the sixties and a note from our cleaning lady introducing herself. In a funny way, we were smitten.

John was starving so we headed down the street for the first place that was open for a late night snack. We ended up at Friendly’s where I continued to laugh. The menu not only had a Fruit Loops sundae, but 12 scoops of ice cream served on six brownies, just in case someone was feeling a little extravagant.

The next morning we hit up our free buffet- deciding toast was the safest bet- and then the outlets for some bargain shopping.

After finding some great deals we made our way across the border for another sweet surprise. Crossing the bridge into Niagra Falls we were greeted by the falls themselves, splashing wildly across from the bridge.

Since neither of us had ever seen the Niagra Falls, we stopped for lunch, admired them from above, and then got back on the road to my family’s in Brampton.

We arrived at my aunt and uncle’s home exhausted, and were happy to indulge in some great conversation, wine and a home cooked meal. We had made it.

The next day we went apartment hunting in Toronto, the first step in making this city our new home.

Welcome to the lobby

A gift for your loved one?

Visiting Friendly’s…exhausted

Breakfast meets dessert, why not through some bacon in?

Going down to our eccentric lobby for breakfast


Modelling our indoor jacuzzi

The outside of our hotel in the morning

Shopping at the BCBG outlet

Lunch at Niagra Falls

With a view to remember

The summer sun is coloring the city golden.

I grew up here and always adored the summer months.  Seeing and feeling the sun again makes me nostalgic.

I remember going down to the beach with my family and getting dinner from the burger shack before spending hours running around and climbing on anything I could find.  I remember walking to school with my mother and singing songs as we went.  I remember making my grandmother dirt soups in tin cans in our garden and her gratefully accepting (years later I made her some delicious scones to make up for it).

I had an incredible childhood filled with love, adventure, education and open mindedness.

I grew up with an amazing family and think of all of them as my closest friends.

I’m so happy that today my life continues to be filled with love, and that I have someone I feel totally at home with.

Sweet sun, baby keep on shining, I want to keep building more beautiful memories every day.

Looking back on childhood photos…

I’ve got lots of it.

For the woman who loved me from day one

For my goofy, wonderful dad

For my brothers who have always been there for me


For a young man who makes me glow in a way I’ve never known before

For friends who never forget about me

And those who came into my life at just the right time

For family that live across the world but still feel so close

And total strangers that became  family

I am full of love for so many people. For the simple things in life. For everything I’ve been given.

My boyfriend and I both spent Valentine’s Day at work,  but their were moments of tenderness, a single rose and a chocolate heart.

Canada won gold for the first time on Canadian soil and the streets were smiling. In its own way, it was a perfect day.