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Niagara Falls

This past weekend I was on vacation with my lovely boyfriend. We went to Niagara Falls. Now, to people from the GTA, Niagara Falls may not seem like much of a vacation. But look at it globally. People come from all around the world to experience the falls, and all the magic they have to offer.

This happens all the time with people. It's human nature to take things for granted that are there for you. You don't realize how awesome it is that your mom does your laundry for you until you move out. You don't realize how much you appreciate having recess until you go to high school. It's true of people around you too. It's easy to want things we don't have. It's not so easy to appreciate what we have already.

Niagara Falls was like another world. It's almost like a mini-Vegas, with the casinos, cheap gags and gimics, and flashing lights everywhere. Staying there for two nights not only heightened my appreciation of Niagara Falls and how truly magnificent it is, but also made me realize how great my boyfriend is. It's easy to feel complacent with the people around you. Disconnect yourself from your world as you know it, and enjoy yourself and the company that you're with. It will give you a new appreciation for people you love. Whether that be for a weekend, going somewhere new or be an evening when you just turn off your electronics and enjoy each other's company wholly.

Take-away advice? Stop multi-tasking all the time. To appreciate something for all its value, you need to let it have your full attention.

    November 5

 This is a photo out the window of my work. I feel as though I have been through a lot with these workers, even though they don't know that I exist. I have seen them work through beating sun, torrential rain and strong winds. When the paneling for the building started to go up along the sides, I knew I had to get a picture of it.

     November 6

I like this picture because its subjects are the two main focuses of my blog post this weekend. Epitome of appreciate what's around you.

     November 7

So this a slight lie. I didn't take any pictures today, so this one is from Saturday. But it's absolutely gorgeous, the lighting was hitting the falls just perfectly. I love how you can see the sheer power from the water. Epic.

Buildings that cross my path

    November 3

 A pretty building on my way home from the gym in the evening. I love this angle, how it just seems to go on forever, and I love that you can see reflections of other buildings in its windows!

    November 4

This is a building on the corner of Prince Albert and St George. I love this building, and cannot for the life of my figure out its purpose even though I pass it every day to and from work. I love this beautiful red tree even more than the building. Gorgeousssssss.

Hustle and Bustle

Toronto is a big city. It's interesting how the atmosphere here is entirely different, and produces entirely different people. Here, being selfish is the way to get ahead. You want to make that train? Cut people off when swiping your card, push down the stairs and jump in between the doors while shoving others out of your way to make room. I once let four trains go by because other people seemed to be in more of a hurry than me, and there wasn't enough room on the subway for all of us. No one else ever extends the same courtesy, and any sorts of generosity seems lost on the population of Toronto.

It gets you thinking, what is the way to get ahead in life? Doing good deeds for others, or looking out for yourself? If you believe in karma, you'd be all about the first, while if you make your own luck, you much more likely lean toward the latter. Are city-slickers just make-your-own-luck kind of people, while country folk believe in something a little more mystical? The different is palpable, moving from Kingsville, to Waterloo, to Toronto. The level of courtesy given to others decreases as the population increases. I wonder if there is actually any real correlation there. I should write thesis.

This leads into my photo for today. I actually love the way this turned out. For fun I played with photoshop and added some effects for kicks. It truly shows people in their own worlds, focusing entirely on themselves while a man sits homeless with his dog on Bloor street, begging for attention.

    Nov 2

Advice learned from all of this? Take the time to notice the other people around you. Get out of your own bubble and hold doors open for other people, smile at the person sitting across from you on the subway and make an effort for others.

Who I am starts with who I've been...

I've never been one for constant blogging. Attempts were made in the past to no avail, and to be honest, I don't see this one ending much differently. Start off strong, waver off, slight re-peak and then completely drop off the map. It's a standard blog graph really.

But you never know. I've made a goal for myself for this month, so I at least know November will be a constant stream. Even if no one reads this, it's something I'm doing for me more than for you anyways (selfish, I know). My goal is to post a photo a day for the month of November. I was inspired by all of my amazing friends who love photography, as well as this neat 30 Day Speed Creating Project. 

As most know reading this, I recently moved to Toronto for a work term at the Hospital for Sick Kids. The experience is something I would never trade for anything, but sometimes living in a new city and not knowing many people can result in a lack of things to do. I figure this is a great way to share my Toronto experience with friends that I am now distanced from. This is going to be a story of who I am, who I want to be, and who I've been. The photos will be of things that have meaning to me, of places that I go regularly or just something that catches my eye. So I figured why not start out with something simple, and showing aspects of who I've been. You can't have a future if you don't have a past.

November 1

This picture is my bulletin board. Tickets to various events such as a Matt & Kim concert, or the musical Wicked, my golden goggles from orientation week, and a photo of someone who means the world to me; this represents who I've been. What has made me who I am. What I like, how I spend my time, and what is important to me. I truly believe it's important to know about someone's past to know where they're coming from, and be able to see why they are the way that they are.

Photo 1 is not the most exhilarating photo. It is not the highlight of this album that is going to be my November. But it is an introduction, a bit of insight as to who I am. It's all in the journey, and this is just the beginning.