In the Next Room

Valentine's Day is coming up in the next few days and everywhere you turn there are heart shaped cards and candy galore. I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day, but I stumbled upon this cute gesture and I had to share. This would be a very sweet surprise and make your crush smile while handing him his favourite hot drink. Even being on the receiving end of this gesture would be adorable!

 Zandan 

This Modern Love

Today was such a nice day. I cozied up in a cardigan and scarf and went to class feeling pretty good. I don't know what it was about today, it could have been that I aced one of my assignments, my delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte or seeing one of my darling bff's, but I felt so good today! That was, until it started to rain heavily and I was stuck walking home in the rain with soaked feet. So, I really need to get a new pair of fall boots, ones that don't suck! I'll probably buy some new ones this week, I don't think the ones I have right now will last another week, eep! Well, that's a short update from today, I'm sleepy so time to cozy up under my duvet and listen to the rain outside.

weheartit

*I've decided that I'm going to start integrating more of my own photos into my posts. I don't like not having anything to show that's actually from me. I think it'll personalize my little blog a bit more. Also, I love this picture, I don't know why.

Cityscape

So, I'm a bit disappointed that the Netherlands lost in the World Cup finals. It was a tough game, and the Dutch played great. It would have been nice for them to win, but there's always next time! They're going to be fierce competition come the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil (I'll be 25 years old then, yikes!). Anyways, onto less depressing news!Here are a few photos that are inspiring me right now:

Photo: weheartit

Amsterdam in the wintertime. Doesn't it look so pretty? I can just imagine someone riding up to the rail and parking their bicycle before grabbing a mug of tea at a local cafe.

Photo: Flickr

How amazing is this photo? Skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa might be nice, but skating in Amsterdam has to be so much more amazing. For people who don't know me, fall and winter are my favourite seasons. It's something about the snow and how it can make even the most unsightly things beautiful.

This video is amazing. The first time I watched it, I was in awe. You never see this many people riding bicycles in Ottawa. I wish Canadian cities were more bicycle friendly. 

I would really love to visit the Netherlands one of these days, and not when I'm too old to travel. Ideally within the next few years. I don't think I would want to travel with someone though, I want want to do it alone. I don't know what it is, but I feel as though travelling with someone who doesn't appreciate the area as much as I do would distract me from taking in everything around me. Once I learn Dutch, I'll be set. I have a few language books lying around. One day!

I Am A Stand Up Artist

On Thursday I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. I've been itching to go to the ROM this summer and I was pretty excited that I was able to go, even though it was super last minute. When I was in New York City in 2007, I had the opportunity to see the talented Dan Perjovski's Project 85 at the Museum of Modern Art and was wowed by his quirky comic-strip style political commentary. After heading to the exhibits on the 4th floor of the ROM, I discovered that there was another Dan Perjovski exhibit!

Below is a photo I took during Project 85 in New York City.

Even though my trip to Toronto was short, it solidified my future plans to eventually move there after I graduate from university. Ottawa is alright for the time being, but it isn't a city I can identify with (if that makes any sense?). Toronto has more of a sense of character, a vibrancy to it. Ottawa, to me, is kind of a blank canvas. I still have some time over the next year to really think about my options. 

Smile Like You Mean It

I'm home for reading week which means that I get a lot of extra time to relax and think. Even though my time at home means a lot of time relaxing, watching movies and hanging out with friends, I've had a lot of time to think about my life, the future and the types of things I want to accomplish during my lifetime. I guess that I'm in some sort of a transition period, I'm feeling very restless in my last year of university, and I'm trying to come to some sort of conclusion about what I can do now so that I'm completely happy in the long run.

I don't know what sparked these feelings, but I think it has something to do with the 2010 Winter Olympics currently being held in Vancouver, BC. I'm normally not a very sport oriented person, but I can barely peel my eyes off of the screen during any of the events, especially the speed skating events. It's so fascinating to watch these strong individuals pushing their bodies and physical capabilities as far as they can go, conquering their fears and reaching their goals...even if they don't win anything (and most of these athletes are my age or even younger!)! I can't fathom how amazing it would be to be in Vancouver right now! It would really be amazing to witness it at some point in my life.

Anyways, I think this is what sparked my restlessness. Here I am, 21 years old, about to graduate, and there are so many things I want to accomplish right now. I just feel like my life is at a standstill right now, with one more year of school, another 13 months to go until that chapter ends. I love it, but I'm so giddy for the things to come next, when my career starts and I can afford to live on my own salary and just do things that make me happy. I can't wait...I've always thrived off of positive energy and accomplishment. So, in leu of this new beginning, I put together a list of the things I want to accomplish at some point in my life. I guess you could call this my bucket list!

1. After school, move to Toronto.

2. Go skydiving.

3. Live in Europe?

4. Volunteer at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)

5. Go backpacking through Europe (maybe even the winter olympics 2014!?!)

6. Learn to play the piano.

7. Run a 5k (and if I'm really ambitious, run a half or full marathon)

8. Improve my handwriting.

9. Be famous...at something!

I was kind of in a bad mood earlier, but writing this post made me happier!

Currently listening to: Smile Like You Mean it (The Killers cover)- David Gray