It’s the most wonderful time of the year (well, for me anyway). It’s officially Christmas time, snow, hot chocolate drinking and scarf wearing season.
Toronto may be chilly outside but it is still the season of festivities, feasting and drinking so there is no excuse to bunker down, hibernating for the entire season. Toronto is well-prepared for winter and there are numerous – mostly free – activities, events and festivities to keep you toasty and entertained.
Just over a year ago now, we landed in Toronto at the start of the fall season, yet I failed to truly take note of just how beautiful a season it was. I remember noticing the occasional red and yellow tinted tree. But amidst all the shiny and new, the unknown and bizarre, the season’s change got lost amongst the overwhelmingness of moving, our new way of life, and a pile of paperwork.
Now this year with the summer humidity finally dissipating I came out of my air-conditioned hibernation and took note. Passing by everything a year on, now so familiar, has had me reflecting back to exact moments this time last year… The first time we discovered an area, the first time we walked down a road, the exact conversations we had as we walked that road, the first time we boarded the subway, the first time we stepped foot in a grocery store, we ate there, saw that, felt… for the first time ever.
A year ago, we zipped up our suitcase for the final time in Namibia and moved our lives and our cat, 12,217km and 6 time zones away from everything we were familiar with, to restart life in Toronto, Canada.
One year on, we have weathered many emotional storms but on the whole, we had more sunny than gloomy days. The year has been filled with many new experiences, learning curves, challenges, lots of eating and we can also officially gloat that we endured, survived, and even thrived in a Canadian winter!
Soon Toronto and I will be celebrating our 1-year anniversary together (can you believe it). We have weathered all the seasons and survived the so called dreaded winter. And we can now finally say we are settled, found our feet, rhythm and routine. I feel like I have found my other half, this city just gets me and when it comes time to pack up and say goodbye (and that time will come) I already know it will be a very hard breakup. As I am deeply in love with Toronto.
Another city exists below Toronto’s downtown core – the PATH.
The Toronto PATH is a 30-kilometre underground walkway system that connects more than 1200 shops and services, nine subway stations, 50 office towers, twenty parking garages, two major department stores, eight leading hotels, a railway terminal as well as the city’s main tourist attractions and entertainment arenas. In fact, the Toronto PATH holds the record for being the largest underground shopping complex in the world!