T minus 7 days

My time in Toronto is coming to an end. August has been going by so fast. It is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that a week from now I will be in England, to stay. This week has been a whirlwind of running errands, spending time with friends and waking up at insane hours for work. Lately I've been having my fill of Toronto night life. The photo of Tanya and I is at Rockwood Night Club. I met Tanya coaching with RBA a year ago and reconnected while coaching again this year. A fabulous person, who likes to tell stories and is someone who can literally dance to anything :) On Friday, Joey and I went to a Greek Restaurant called "Pan" on the Danforth (Toronto's Greek Town.) It was hands down the best meal I've had in Toronto. Perhaps because it was three courses and Belgium chocolate moose tart was involved. The belly dancer and jazz band was almost as enjoyable as the food. Last week I also told my manager at Starbucks that I'm off to England and to my surprise she was really understanding about it. She even offered to make connections for me if I wanted to continue working at Starbucks in England : o I couldn't be more thankful.

All in all I feel ready to move on, but I am going to savor next week to the fullest. As my time here is winding down, I'm thinking of you at home going through transitions of your own. Autumn is my favorite season in Vancouver hands down. However, I am anticipating all of the beauty and wonder that a British Fall will bring.

Much Love.

Full Moon

Full Moon

A Portal. A circular door -
to eternity, maybe, where existence goes
to die, to be reborn again. A hole to crawl through
leaving failure behind. Call the place we land in
heaven, although it's dark: the moon does not shine
without the sun. The two-faced sky
sees both sides, its single eye
trained on absence: words not said,
the back of a mirror. The stars' mirror-image
held on the sea. We paddle through
our own reflections, full moon above, that watery
gate. The shape of you, the shape
of me. The infinite distance to be crossed.

-Alison Pick

Connections

Big news! I have booked my flight to England! On August 31st I will celebrate my birthday by flying over the Atlantic Ocean and arriving in London in the AM of Sept 1, 2008. I am spending 3 nights in London's city center then taking a train North to Chester where I will stay with friends for a short while. Of course, leaving Toronto will be bittersweet because in my short time here I have made some amazing connections.

Last week I've had to put my trip planning on hold so I could give my all to coaching some more youth basketball. I feel fortunate to have been apart of G.A.B. (Girls Addicted to Basketball) and coach along side the founder and director, Tanya. She is a visionary and dedicated leader in young women's basketball. Truly an inspiration. I hope to pass on some of the knowledge I gained last week to some of B.C.'s young talent upon my return.

On Friday I partied it up with my roommates at a swank club near our place. Great times indeed! I hope I am lucky enough to find awesome flat mates in the UK. I had a restful Saturday lounging and biking around Toronto Island. It is a 10 minute commute by ferry from Downtown. Although the beaches are man made and the ice cream is $6.00 a piece, the vibe is very relaxed and it offers the best seat for a Toronto sunset. A worthwhile trip overall.

The photo of the Korean ladies are 2 of my ESL students. We prefer meeting in coffee shops because we get the stink eye from library patrons due to outbursts of laughter. Learning is fun, right? Next week I plan to introduce my students to some Canadian Soul by taking them to my favorite live music joint in the city. I anticipate being more entertained by them than the music.

Tomorrow I'm back to the coffee making grind (bad pun.) I begin my shift at 5AM. Ouch. I am not looking forward to giving my manager my 2 weeks notice, after being an employee for only 2 weeks. I'll let you know how that goes down.

That's all for now. I love you.

C

Pursuit of Happiness

I am sitting in an Internet Cafe situated across the street from Much Music Headquarters. On the corner, a musician is hooked up to an amp strumming as he sings. I see him daily. His Lyrics are as bad as his pitch which may explain why he's playing on the street and not any particular venue. However, in this second level room, his echoes sound a little like John Mayer, so I'm enjoying it :)

I am feeling happy. I am happy with the choice I made to come take on this journey. I am happy to be in Toronto. After a rough start, the city has become welcoming and inviting to me. The picture above is of the complexes where my apartment is, which has become my much needed haven. I eat, I sleep, I do my laundry and I am quiet there. I can see the CN Tower from my bedroom window which makes for a good show at night! I am in my element in the photo of myself taken by Joey eating Mexican and drinking Sangria. The restaurant is among many located on a quiet side street near my place, a nice oasis from the buzz on Queen Street. Joey is someone I met through friends while I was visiting Toronto a year ago. While I've been here, he has introduced me to a lot of neat places and people. I am Grateful.

The final picture is of me at work...or at play? I can't decide. Yes I am a Barista in training! In the photo I am getting trained by Aubrey. I think we spent more time playing with our cameras though. We share a love for photography. I have really enjoyed working there so far. Along with the endless amount of free drinks and coffee beans, I adore my coworkers. It's a very social environment which keeps things lively and fun. Next week I will take a break from making frappa cappas and will working for a basketball organization called G.A.B. "Girls Addicted to Basketball." It's a much smaller camp than Raptors Academy and is designed for young female athletes. I look forward to being apart of it.

Planning ahead for Europe has also kept me busy. Lately I have been researching flights for the beginning of September. I am excited about finalizing more plans and researching UK sights, flats and employment. I'll keep you updated on that.

I think about you often. If you don't already have my Toronto phone number, contact me and I will get it to you. Staying connected is tres important to me!

Until soon. xoxox

D.R,E.A.M.

Bonjour! Woah, this past week has exhausted me entirely. But I loved every moment of it. As you can tell by the pictures, I have been coaching for Raptors Basketball Academy. This has been my second year returning. 14 Coaches and handful of staff and volunteers united 300 young athletes in the game of basketball. After all the hype with NBA visitors, sponsors, TV crews it is the kids that really wow me. It was especially inspiring to see their passion and desire for the game throughout. The first picture is of me with the NBA Championship Trophy. The second is of myself and all the lady coaches. We decided to make it a really pretty picture by leaving the men out. I've made some connections for life. The third photo is my favorite. I'm posing with one of the amazing campers I coached, Rodrigo, who flew in from Mexico City to attend (we had around 30 international campers this year!) What a week, I hope I never come down from the clouds...

That aside, I've moved into my new place. Love it so far. The roommates have hardly been home. I can actually keep my belongings out of my bags and it's located in the heart of Downtown Toronto near Queen Street W. Now that I have the space, I must restrain from accumulating things. Which should be attainable since Europe is what I have my eyes on. Europe, or cute shoes.....hmmmm? ;)

I hope all is well with you. I love love love hearing from you all. Keep updating me!! Currently I am phone-less. I will be getting a phone in the next day or so and I will email you with the #.

Be Well.

Love, Carlee xox

Hope