2013 was a banner year for me in terms of travel. I spent just under half of the year traveling abroad, what with my 5 months in Asia (aka the impetus behind this here blog), brief stint in London, and quick jaunt to Montreal.
It’s been an unusually snowy December in New York this year, which means I’ve been craving summer and the beach way more than I normally do. At the sight of white outside our kitchen window, my mind instantly runs to a warmer, sunnier, HAPPIER place – somewhere I can walk around in a tank top and flip flops, work on my tan, and frolic at all hours.
On my way back from a year abroad in Sydney Australia in 2006, I decided to break up the hideously-long flight home to Hartford by stopping for a few days in Los Angeles.
Sure, I was excited to try poutine and explore Mount Royal, but the thing I was most psyched for on my first visit to Montreal? Cycling around the Montreal waterfront.
Much like how decorative art is everywhere in India, street art is everywhere in Montreal. It fast became one of my favorite things about this city.
First, let’s clarify what is meant by street art:
In my mind, street art is done with the intent of bringing art to a community.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from my wilderness-chasing roadtrips, it’s that cramming too much driving into one day is no bueno. Cramming too much of anything into ANY trip is not good.
I’ve done the halloween parade, gone apple picking, visited the county farm, done a corn maze, gone wine tasting, carved pumpkins, and leaf peeped. In fact, I’ve done most of these things multiple times and they’re still fun – but what’s a semi-jaded New York City dweller to do to jazz up her fall and pretend like the inevitable god-awful winter is not upon us?
In month #9 of my (f)unemployment stint and quarter-life crisis, I was as restless as I’d ever been. I had all this time at my disposal, and all I’d done with it was start my wedding photography business and apply for jobs.
Part of my travel routine is googling ‘best coffee in _______’ when visiting any new city. Then, in the name of coffee snobbery, I feel obligated to sample as many of these coffee shops as possible and report back on them.
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