Toronto Chapter: Closed
Well, this wraps up another chapter in the Erica book, I mean six glorious years later and I'm ready to leave Toronto and start a new section of this "book" of life. Starting on Monday, I will be at 30,000ft flying to Puerto Rico and heading directly to the beach. I can't sit here and say that I need a holiday, I was just in Cozumel last month, but I'm headed to school when I get back so I feel that a "rest" will be much appreciated.
Wait, let me catch you up. Last time we spoke I was in Arizona for my millionth time, thrift shopping, cooking and hanging out with the Vintages. Mom and dad are still fantastic, as usual, doing what they normally do, golf, thrift and ... more of that.
I was busy doing a bunch of things, in 2013 I launched my consulting company with four clients. Most of which were nervous to have a 21 year old handle their wardrobe but I proved them wrong and created a nice little clientele of 26 rotating customers who I grew to love, loathe and laugh with over the years. I worked with amazing boutiques here in Toronto and had a nice life picking up dry cleaning and removing ketchup stains from bespoke suits, but I can't complain, paid my rent.
Around August 2017 I grew restless, I wanted to explore. A few months earlier in June, I went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and got the travel bug, and it bit hard. Really hard. Once September hit, I had already planned out a travel excursion to Europe. Yes, it was my first time in Europe but certainly not my last. September 5th, I was flying to New York enjoying a fantastic four days in The Big Apple, staying in various hostels, meeting amazing people and celebrating my birthday with strangers.
October rolled around and I was ready to leave the city behind, a month of me, myself and, I, all three of us was ready. I got on the flight and low and behold my regular customers' son was sitting in the seat behind me, we ended up sharing the flight together, seeing the northern lights and creating memories. I carried on from Iceland to Paris for seven days in the French-speaking, romantic, enthusiastic section of Europe.
Paris had my heart from the moment I stepped off the flight. Actually, that's a lie, I was so lost and turned around coming out of the train starting from Gatwick that I was using all sorts of colorful language. It wasn't until the view from my hostel rooftop that I settled and began falling in love. My second day I had already conquered the metro, Eiffel Tower and spent 7 full hours at La Louvre. By day seven I had tears in my eyes. I was leaving a city that understood my rhythm, food, and yearning for conversation. But no complaints, next was Barcelona, Spain.
Don't worry, it wasn't a smooth transition. The flight I had booked was a catastrophe so I was standing in the airport reconsidering the whole ordeal. Then I remembered I had booked into a "non-refundable" room for 7 days. So Barcelona was the ONLY option. I nabbed a $50 flight from Paris to Spain and I was not disappointed.
Barcelona grew on me immediately, besides getting lost on La Rambla, I couldn't imagine my Euro trip being the same without Barce. My first day I met three rocking Canadian girls who were everything you'd imagine them to be. We spent the first three days attached to each other, then when we parted ways there were tears in all our eyes. We discovered "clothing optional" beaches, cheap beer and Park Guell together. The next four day (at the first hostel) were a blur. A combination of day San Meguel, beer pong and, BOGO beers starting at 5pm I spent many of those nights laughing, greeting and falling in love with traveling.
I ended my first week in Barcelona with one last party with Kabul hostel and headed off to quieter, and a more family oriented hostel. Bed and Bike Hostel was awesome. I stayed in a 16 person dorm and loved it, bikes were free starting in October so I spent the last few days in Barcelona cycling through the streets, down to the beach and over to the market off La Rambla.
Barcelona was a riot, the food, was incredible- everywhere BUT La Rambla. The people were amazing, even the police were extremely helpful. I met a fantastic friend there that I will continue to be friends with and most certainly take them up on their proposal of hospitality.
NEXT was London. Oh, London. This was not a city that I loved. The first hostel that I stayed at was miserable, the food, the people, it was so sad and boring. However, the beds were remarkably comfortable. So I looked online and found a round-trip bus ticket to Leeds for £12, so I booked it!
Leeds was a whole new story. Amazing, brilliant, fantastic little town. The people were so much fun, everyone was in high spirits and because it's a university town there are always festivals and art shows. The music was great, and I even met a friend from my vacation to New York. He took a bus to come to visit and he arrived on a day a food and craft market was happening that night, so we danced, ate, shopped and ate some more until 24:00 when he had to take the bus home.
After three fantastic days in little Leeds, I was back to big old London, my flight was 48 hours later and I was so excited. I stayed at a different hostel, found amazing staff, great food. I ate at the same restaurant two nights in a row. I knew the food would be good, the staff was friendly and there was good flavor, which ... was hard to find.
Now, here we're are five months later and it feels like yesterday. Christmas went by like a blur, I took a quick trip to Cozumel, Mexico, where I snorkeled, ate the best tacos, danced the night away and met handsome fellows along the way. My only regret was to not learn to scuba.
When I returned from Mexico I got news that the shop that I'd been working at for four years was shutting down. It wasn't heartbreaking until the inventory was sold off. Then I could not bear to watch it disintegrate, so I pulled the plug, dropped off my keys and now I'm unemployed and bored. Going to Puerto Rico on Monday so things are looking up.
So now that I've caught you up. How have you been?
Wait, let me catch you up. Last time we spoke I was in Arizona for my millionth time, thrift shopping, cooking and hanging out with the Vintages. Mom and dad are still fantastic, as usual, doing what they normally do, golf, thrift and ... more of that.
I was busy doing a bunch of things, in 2013 I launched my consulting company with four clients. Most of which were nervous to have a 21 year old handle their wardrobe but I proved them wrong and created a nice little clientele of 26 rotating customers who I grew to love, loathe and laugh with over the years. I worked with amazing boutiques here in Toronto and had a nice life picking up dry cleaning and removing ketchup stains from bespoke suits, but I can't complain, paid my rent.
Around August 2017 I grew restless, I wanted to explore. A few months earlier in June, I went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and got the travel bug, and it bit hard. Really hard. Once September hit, I had already planned out a travel excursion to Europe. Yes, it was my first time in Europe but certainly not my last. September 5th, I was flying to New York enjoying a fantastic four days in The Big Apple, staying in various hostels, meeting amazing people and celebrating my birthday with strangers.
Paris had my heart from the moment I stepped off the flight. Actually, that's a lie, I was so lost and turned around coming out of the train starting from Gatwick that I was using all sorts of colorful language. It wasn't until the view from my hostel rooftop that I settled and began falling in love. My second day I had already conquered the metro, Eiffel Tower and spent 7 full hours at La Louvre. By day seven I had tears in my eyes. I was leaving a city that understood my rhythm, food, and yearning for conversation. But no complaints, next was Barcelona, Spain.Don't worry, it wasn't a smooth transition. The flight I had booked was a catastrophe so I was standing in the airport reconsidering the whole ordeal. Then I remembered I had booked into a "non-refundable" room for 7 days. So Barcelona was the ONLY option. I nabbed a $50 flight from Paris to Spain and I was not disappointed.
Barcelona grew on me immediately, besides getting lost on La Rambla, I couldn't imagine my Euro trip being the same without Barce. My first day I met three rocking Canadian girls who were everything you'd imagine them to be. We spent the first three days attached to each other, then when we parted ways there were tears in all our eyes. We discovered "clothing optional" beaches, cheap beer and Park Guell together. The next four day (at the first hostel) were a blur. A combination of day San Meguel, beer pong and, BOGO beers starting at 5pm I spent many of those nights laughing, greeting and falling in love with traveling.
I ended my first week in Barcelona with one last party with Kabul hostel and headed off to quieter, and a more family oriented hostel. Bed and Bike Hostel was awesome. I stayed in a 16 person dorm and loved it, bikes were free starting in October so I spent the last few days in Barcelona cycling through the streets, down to the beach and over to the market off La Rambla.
Barcelona was a riot, the food, was incredible- everywhere BUT La Rambla. The people were amazing, even the police were extremely helpful. I met a fantastic friend there that I will continue to be friends with and most certainly take them up on their proposal of hospitality.
NEXT was London. Oh, London. This was not a city that I loved. The first hostel that I stayed at was miserable, the food, the people, it was so sad and boring. However, the beds were remarkably comfortable. So I looked online and found a round-trip bus ticket to Leeds for £12, so I booked it!
Leeds was a whole new story. Amazing, brilliant, fantastic little town. The people were so much fun, everyone was in high spirits and because it's a university town there are always festivals and art shows. The music was great, and I even met a friend from my vacation to New York. He took a bus to come to visit and he arrived on a day a food and craft market was happening that night, so we danced, ate, shopped and ate some more until 24:00 when he had to take the bus home.
After three fantastic days in little Leeds, I was back to big old London, my flight was 48 hours later and I was so excited. I stayed at a different hostel, found amazing staff, great food. I ate at the same restaurant two nights in a row. I knew the food would be good, the staff was friendly and there was good flavor, which ... was hard to find.
Now, here we're are five months later and it feels like yesterday. Christmas went by like a blur, I took a quick trip to Cozumel, Mexico, where I snorkeled, ate the best tacos, danced the night away and met handsome fellows along the way. My only regret was to not learn to scuba.
When I returned from Mexico I got news that the shop that I'd been working at for four years was shutting down. It wasn't heartbreaking until the inventory was sold off. Then I could not bear to watch it disintegrate, so I pulled the plug, dropped off my keys and now I'm unemployed and bored. Going to Puerto Rico on Monday so things are looking up.
So now that I've caught you up. How have you been?
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