Remembering Harlow

How can it be 11 years since I went to Harlow? How can so much time have passed, when I can still smell the fresh laundry in the halls of The Maltings? Remember the feeling of the brick wall beside my bed that I would run my fingers along when trying to drift off to sleep? The taste of the potato salad the chef in the cafeteria would make for every single dinner meal? The feeling of joy and excitement and devastation bubbling up inside me while standing in Piccadilly Circus the night before I flew back to Newfoundland, trying to get as much of London into my veins as I could?

So many memories. So many sights and sounds and smells that bring me back to that place every autumn for the past 10 years. My time in Harlow changed me, changed my life, changed the way I see life and see people. I've told people it was the best four months of my life, and while I've had other amazing experiences and been fortunate to have had them, there's nothing that has compared to my time in England.

2015: A Year in Review

It's that time of year again - my annual year in review. I've done this a few times since I started blogging and I like doing it because it forces me to reflect on the past 12 months and take in all that's changed in my life. So, let's go:




- I hit the big 3-0 this year and celebrated with family and friends in style with a fancy pink and gold sparkle party. The glitzy glam night was exactly how I wanted to enter into my next decade. 






- I spent some time in the hospital and had emergency gall bladder surgery! What a whirlwind three weeks that was. As painful as the experience was, I know I'm much better off now that the ordeal is finally over. 







- My wonderful brother married the love of his life and I finally gained a sister. The wedding was one of the most beautiful I've ever been to and I was so honoured to be involved as a bridesmaid. 

- Some of my girlfriends and I began a monthly brunch club, where we tried different restaurants around the city. It was so good to have a regular date with friends, to catch up over delicious food and of course, obligatory mimosas. We love brunch club!!

- After a hectic first half of year with work and surgeries, I finally took a vacation in August and went back to my second home, Toronto for a week of friends, food and familiar haunts. It was so good to be back and to get the city into my blood again. 

- I celebrated the ten year anniversary of the term that changed my life. I've mentioned time and time again in the blog how my experience in Harlow changed my life. During the autumn, I remembered where I'd been on a particular day or what I'd been doing during a certain period of time. It's hard to believe ten years has passed since I was with this group of people. 

- I took another last minute trip to Toronto in December, this time meeting up with my folks and taking my mother to a taping of one of my favourite television shows, The Social. We had a great time! 

- I also popped outside of Toronto and spent a weekend with two of my favourite gals, shopping and visiting wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. Lots of laughs were had those couple of days! 

- I enjoyed a magical Christmas break packed with brunches, lunches, coffees and parties with friends from home and friends from away. It's always a whirlwind time of year, but it's always so good. 

So there you have it. 2015 is in the books. It was a good year with me turning 30 and my brother's beautiful wedding, but I have a feeling there's big things to come next year. 

I usually like to come up with some kind of motto or quote to live by for the upcoming year. This year, the one I'm really feeling is one I've used before and even blogged about recently during my #NaBloWriMo challenge. "More fun, less fear" is what's going to push me through into 2016 and stay with me throughout the next 12 months. Let's see how it goes. 

Here's to new beginnings, new experiences, fresh perspectives. 

Welcome 2016: more fun, less fear!

Oxford, we finally meet

After years of longing to visit the bustling academic city, I finally made my way to Oxford this time last year. I'd first learned about the famous English metropolis from a television program almost 20 years ago and had always wanted to visit, but never got the chance, even while in Harlow ten years ago.

I made the trip last November and spent a few days exploring the beautiful spot with a couple of friends of mine. From colleges to cream tea, it was pretty much everything I'd imagined and everything I'd hoped for. My time there was short, though, so I'm looking forward to going back again in the (hopefully) not-so-distant future.

Hello, Heathrow

A year ago, I landed safely at Heathrow airport; back in England after a long absence. I couldn't believe I was finally there again. There's something about England that gives me butterflies - an excitement that I can barely contain. As soon as I saw that welcome sign outside the airport, the butterflies came pouring back into my system and didn't leave for another two weeks.

I think John Keats said it best: 

"Happy is England! I could be content, To see no other verdure than its own; To feel no other breezes than are blown, Through its tall woods with high romances blent..."

Hopping back in time

There's an app that I recently downloaded that I check almost every day. Timehop is an online time capsule that connects to your social networks and shows you what you were doing one, five, however many years ago on that day.

I checked my Timehop today and this time last year, I was waiting for a late night flight to London for a fantastic two-week vacation with one of my closest friends. It was one of my favourite trips. I'll most likely blog about it more in the days to come, considering I'll have lots of Timehop throwbacks coming up over the next two weeks. :)

I also scrolled down further in the Timehop app and it showed me what I was doing nine years ago today. Funnily enough, I was with that same friend and some of our other friends on a night out on the town. Thanks to Timehop, I'm reminded of some fun nights we had in the distant past, and some more recent fun nights we've had, just a year ago.

For someone who's memory isn't the best, I like having Timehop remind me what Elizabeth was doing four, six, nine years ago. It lets me reminisce about the person I was then and how much I've grown and changed since those years. If you don't have Timehop yet, why not download it and check it out? You might be surprised with what you find!

2014: The Year in Review

2014. What a year. It was a year full of big changes for myself, my family and my friends. Some changes were amazing and came in the form of new jobs, new living situations and new relationships. Others came in the form of illness and disappointments. Looking back on the past twelve months, I can say without hesitation that it's been one of the most eventful years of my life.

This year was definitely the Year of Weddings for me. With half a dozen close friends getting married over the past twelve months, and me standing or participating in some way in almost all of those weddings, to say I'm a bit wedding'd out is fairly accurate. Still, I'm so grateful to all of those friends for asking me to be part of their special days in some form or another.

Weddings weren't the only events that took place this year, though. Let's take a look back at some of the highlights of my 2014:



- Being bridesmaid for a close friend in her glamourous Toronto wedding in February. A long weekend in Toronto is always enjoyable, but when it includes a spectacular wedding of a favourite friend, it doesn't get much better than that. It was fabulous!

- Moving into a gorgeous new apartment with a spectacular view of St. John's. Though this is a small city, living in the east end instead of the centre or downtown areas of town has been a big adjustment for me. Still, it does have its perks - I can see the ocean from my window and have a beautiful view of Signal Hill!







- Taking off on a spur of the moment long weekend to our nation's capital to visit family and friends and escape the island for a few days. Sometimes, the best trips come out of the blue with very little planning. This wouldn't be the only time I did that this year...






- Helping my best friend of 25 years plan her beautiful garden wedding, and stand by her side as her maid of honour. As I'd said to Meg on her wedding day: we've been through a lot, and through it all, we've grown up together and shared each other's biggest and littlest moments. I was truly honoured to be with her as she went from Ms. to Mrs.






- Escaping to Europe on another spur of the moment trip for two weeks with a good friend. As I'd said before, sometimes the best trips come unexpectedly. We experienced the simple things in life: good food, somewhat good wine, lots of history and loads of beautiful scenery. Italy and France, I'd missed you.






- Finally returning to where I left my heart almost a decade ago: London. Breathing in that crisp, English air and feeling the rush of that beautiful city was magical. I felt a constant hum of excitement pulsing through me every day I was there. I know I'll be back again soon.







- Celebrating a different kind of Christmas in my new home. Instead of going to my folks' house, they came to mine, where we've enjoyed making new traditions.





As I said before, 2014 really was one of the most eventful years of my life. Lots of changes came my way, both positive and negative. But overall, it was a really great year. As 2014 comes to a close, I look towards 2015 and what it will hold: a big wedding for my family, a big birthday for me (30! Yikes!) and more challenges ahead, both personally and professionally. But that's okay. I'm ready for it all. I'm going to face 30 head on and take whatever else comes in stride. 

Welcome, 2015! It's time to be fierce.

My love for all things "Alias" (and Sydney Bristow)

Recently, I've taken to rewatching one of my favourite television shows, Alias. I first got into the show in 2005 thanks to my roommate J in Harlow. She was a big fan of the series and had brought along all the seasons to date to Harlow with her. It was a show I'd wanted to watch for a few years but just never got into it.

While in Harlow, however, with access to a large number of episodes, I finally sat down and watched a few episodes every. single. day. I was hooked. I remember saying to J countless times, "Just one more...I'm only going to watch one more episode before bed." She'd nod her head knowingly, pretending she believed me, but she knew me too well. One episode always turned into two or three episodes.

I think what attracted me to the show for the most part was the fact that the lead character was a woman, and not just any woman: a strong, intelligent, kick-ass young woman. I knew it was only a television show, but I really admired Sydney Bristow and loved watching whatever mission she was sent on each episode, and how she juggled being a spy while trying to keep her identity a secret and have a real life.

Another friend of mine has recently started watching the show as well for the first time, and we'll discuss plot lines and different characters, but one thing we discuss the most is how much we like Sydney Bristow. There's just something about that Sydney Bristow.

There's Nothing Like...

A long overdue phone call with your sister living away, catching up on each other's news and excitedly making plans for Christmas. I think my most favourite part of Christmas time is not the presents or the food, (though I do enjoy both those things) but the people that come from away. I am so looking forward to seeing so many good friends next month, I can hardly wait.

Happiest of birthdays to my oldest of friends

Today my best friend of 22 years turns 27. Meghan and I have been through a lot over the past two decades: births, deaths, good times, bad times. Holidays and special occasions, summertime deck parties and snow days curled up with movies and junk food. Primary school, elementary school, high school, university. Boyfriends, other friends, the list goes on and on. We've been there for each other's biggest moments and shared in the little ones as well.

After all this time, after ups and downs and drifting apart and coming back together, we're still friends.

Happy birthday, Meggie. Here's to the next 22 years of friendship. :)

Harlow

There's something about this time of year that makes me really nostalgic. I always think back to what I was doing three, five, seven years ago, and how my life has changed since then. This time of year always makes me especially miss Harlow, where I spent the autumn of 2005 during my undergrad at Memorial.

When I talk to other people about their Harlow experiences, the same words usually come up every time; their time in that small English town was "life-changing", and I know that for me, it truly was. I had the opportunity to study great classics like Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, North and South and works by Shakespeare, and then visit the areas of England where the books took place, or where the author grew up, or where they were laid to rest. To be able to have an experience like that to look back on fondly is something I'm so grateful for.

The picture below is just over seven years old. Even though it's been a while, I can remember it being taken. I was sitting in a T.G.I. Friday's in London, the one on Coventry Street, just down from Piccadilly Circus and across from the London Trocadero. My folks were visiting me for a couple of weeks and we stayed in London for the weekend in a lovely hotel on Gloucester Road. I remember being so happy to see them and missing Newfoundland and the people there...but at the same time, I was completely content with being in England and loving my little life there.

I can honestly say I think about Harlow every single day since my time there.Whenever I talk to people who are considering studying abroad for a term, I always, always encourage them to do so, because you will undoubtedly learn more about yourself, others and life in general than you ever thought possible. If you're thinking about making a move, just do it. Stop wondering and do it. :)

Pizza at Piatto

One thing I really liked doing in Toronto while I lived there was exploring new restaurants around the city, and now that I live in St. John's again, I've been doing that here as well. Last night, I went to Piatto Pizzeria & Enoteca with one of my best friends for some delicious traditional Neapolitan pizza. 

I've dined at Piatto a few times before and thoroughly enjoyed it, and last night's meal was no different. I had a delicious Caesar salad and the Americana pizza, which is simply cheese and pepperoni, but coming from this scrumptious pizzeria it was anything but ordinary. To finish the meal off, C and I had the delicious beverages below: cappuccinos with biscotti flavoured Bailey's steamed into the milk, and dark chocolate shavings on top, with a side of biscotti. So good!

It was so great to see my wonderful friend and catch up on our lives again before she headed back to Ontario. I miss her very much and am looking forward to Christmas when we'll be reunited with the other girls again. Hurry up, Christmas! :)

Pinterest Love

I'm pretty sure I've talked about my love for Pinterest in the past, but I figured now is a good time to dedicate an entire post to it, as I'm on a blogging mission and am looking for lots of topics to talk about!

I was first introduced to Pinterest by my best friend Meghan over at It's a Colourful Life. As an interior designer, she thought it was a really cool way to save ideas for decorating and DIY projects. She told me about it, and at first, I didn't understand the point of it. But as I explored it a bit more and grew to understand it a bit better, I became addicted (like Meghan knew I would. Thanks a lot, Meg. Ha!)

Over the past year and a half, I've pinned dozens of recipes I want to try, loads of clothes I want to buy, a number of places I'd like to travel to, and found lots of great decorating ideas for the home. While it is an online scrapbook of sorts, and there are lots of things I'll never actually own or do, I have tried a bunch of recipes I've found on there, and have made a few of the art projects to decorate the walls of my apartment.

If you're still skeptical about Pinterest, stop. Go check it out for yourself and you just might find something that delights you.

The holiday season is upon us....sort of

Okay, so I know I said a few days ago that I was hopping on the Christmas bandwagon early this season, but when I was standing in Shoppers Drug Mart yesterday and, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" started playing, I couldn't help but burst out, "seriously?! Already?!"

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Christmas, but I don't start decorating on November 1st, unlike someone I know...

Anyway, one thing I couldn't resist today though, was the holiday menu at Starbucks. As one of my best friends is in town for the week, we decided to get together for brunch and catch up, so we headed downtown and started the holiday season off right with some delicious hot beverages from one of our favourite coffee shops.

The two treats I look forward to most from Starbucks during this festive season are the Peppermint Mocha and the Holiday Gingerbread Loaf. To me, they signify the start of the Christmas season. So while I might not be able to tolerate listening to Christmas music just yet, easing into the season with two of my two guilty pleasures is just fine with me.

The Book Club

At the beginning of the year, I mentioned that one of the things I would like to do in 2012 is read more. One great way to accomplish this was to join a book club, and as luck would have it, one of my friends decided to start one.

I never thought I would be someone who would enjoy being in a book club, but the past 10 months spending time with and getting to know the other women in the group has been really great. We've all said that book club is something we look forward to every month, not just to read a new book each month, but to catch up with one another and see how we're all doing. I feel like I've gained a whole bunch of new friends!

It's also a great opportunity to read some books that you may never have picked up if not for being in a book club. We've covered a wide range of books; some fiction, some biographies, some an easy, light hearted read, others a bit darker and move heavy. We haven't liked all the books we've read, but even that gives us something to discuss - what we loved or didn't like about each story.

Our most recent read was The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. It was an easy read and I found it really pulled me in, so much so that I hated having to put it down at night when it was time to go to bed. A tale of three sisters who had grown apart early in life, they all make their way back to their childhood home at the same time. It was an interesting look at the relationships between sisters, something that I've never really experienced, only having an older brother. If you have a sister or sisters, it might be a neat book for you to try.

Next on our list is Bossy Pants, Tina Fey's autobiography. I'm really looking forward to starting this as I think Tina Fey is hilarious and can't wait to see what she has to say about her life.

I'll post an update again soon on some of the other books we've read in book club. Until then, why not try a new book yourself? You never know what you'll enjoy!

Revisiting the New Years Resolutions - Part One

At the beginning of 2012, I made a list of four things I wanted to try and do this year. Now that we're more than halfway through the year, (which I can hardly believe - WHERE did the time go?!) I thought it was be a good idea to check in with myself and see how I've been doing with keeping my resolutions. This might jog your memory as well, and make you revisit any resolutions you may have made earlier in the year too!

1. Learn to cook more: When 2012 began, a good friend of mine and I decided we wanted to try a bunch of new recipes that were relatively easy but still delicious to expand our palettes. Being a big Jamie Oliver fan, and having watched his television series where he teaches people who have never picked up a frying pan in their life how to cook, I thought his cookbook, Jamie's Food Revolution, would be a good place to start. We began our cooking series, Transatlantic Tastes (Since we live on opposite sides of the Atlantic for parts of the year, we cook "together" via Skype) and learned a few new recipes while catching up on what was new with each other.

Now, as I'd said in my original blog post, I figured that we wouldn't be able to cook every single week, because we're both busy people, and I knew life would get in the way. So while we haven't cooked as often as we would've liked, we did manage to do our cooking sessions a handful of times, and we are still trying to get back on track. Stay tuned for more recipes!

2. Spend less: This year, I wanted to spend less; time, money, whatever. I took a look at my upcoming year and all the things I knew would be costing me money over the next 12 months (like weddings, travel, etc.) and wrote down all of my bills and loans to pay off, and set up a budget. Thanks to online banking, a lot of these can be paid automatically at certain times of the month, and also thanks to the helpful bank teller at BMO, I've been able to work out a schedule and figure out how to pay off some of those loans, while still putting away money into my savings.

I've also been spending less time on things like watching television, but during the summer, that's not exactly hard - there's not a lot of good television happening (except for Mad Men and Suits, but the former finished early in the summer and the latter only takes up an hour of my time each week, so that's okay, right? Plus, who can resist the charming Harvey Specter? Not this girl.) I've been spending less time being lazy on the couch and much more time hitting the gym. If you have a membership, you might as well use it as much as possible, right?

Have I jogged your memory just yet? I'll be back soon with Part Two of Revisiting the New Years Resolutions!

The Monthly Friday Night Supper Club

Last week, I had a couple of girlfriends over for dinner. Once a month, we get together on a Friday night and either try a new restaurant we haven't been to before here in St. John's, or one of us cooks a meal for the other two, while someone else brings a bottle of wine and the other a dessert. We call it our Monthly Friday Night Supper Club. (I like to name things. It's a thing.)

This past week, I made my favourite pasta dish for them. I've written about this dish before - infact, it was the first Transatlantic Tastes dish N and I did. This simple cherry tomato, balsamic vinegar pasta dish is so delicious and so easy, it's my go-to meal when I'm tired of stir fry and still want to have something nice and home cooked that's an upgrade from Kraft Dinner or Chef Boyardee Ravioli. (Don't get me wrong, I like a bitta KD every once in a while, but....come on. And as for Ravioli...well, it brings me back to my childhood. I eat it once in a blue moon.)

Anyway, this really is a simple dish, and it's great for a weeknight when you don't want to have to put a lot of effort into dinner, but on the flip side, if you want to have something tasty and impressive looking for a little dinner party, it works really well. You can find the recipe here in Jamie Oliver's cookbook, or you can take a look at my earlier Transatlantic Tastes post about it, so can try this dish for yourself!

I always have a good time when I get together with these two ladies - we met in university at different points; one I studied abroad with and the other I did several English and Religious Studies courses with, until the three of us were all in the same English grammar course. We formed a study group and from that came a real friendship. We lost touch over the last few years, with travelling and studying abroad in different places, but we reconnected this past January and have had a great time catching up. I've said it before numerous times, but one of my favourite things is catching up with an old friend and finding how what's been happening in their life.

I'm looking forward to our next Friday Night Supper Club, and I know the girls are as well. Here's to food and friendship!

Mmmmm, pasta. :)

The Birthday Weekend That Was...Sunday & Monday Edition

On the Sunday of my trip, I allowed myself to sleep in a bit, since I was so sleep deprived from my long day the day before. When I finally got up and got ready, I headed out to Etobicoke and went to IKEA. I had a shopping list full of things I had held out on buying for my new apartment because I knew I could get them for so much cheaper at IKEA. I took the subway out to Kipling, waited for the IKEA shuttle, and finally reached my destination.

I spent a few hours at IKEA, so that actually took up most of my Sunday, what with the travel to and from and the strolling the aisles. It was dinner time by the time I got back to the hotel and dropped off all my purchases. I met my aunt for dinner at Red Lobster, another favourite food joint, and we chatted and caught up on all our news.

That's something I did an awful lot of on this trip: talk. And I said pretty much all the same stuff (as all my news was the same) but it was all to different people. So even though I grew a little tired of repeating myself over and over, I was happy every time to hear about the other person's news. I know I've said it before, but it's always so nice to catch up and learn what's changed in a friend's life, or how they've grown in some way.






I knew a trip to Toronto couldn't happen without stopping by CTV and seeing my pals there. I miss the people and the place so much, so I really wanted to pop in and see it again, so I did that on Monday. As was the usual on this trip, it was so great to see so many friends and catch up again. I miss my Dance Family all the time! How could I not, when I really had the dream job there, working with such amazing people?

I made a few other stops at favourite cupcake shops, familiar subway stations and walked down my favourite streets. When it was finally time to head back to the hotel and pack for my flight, I didn't have any unfinished business. I'd seen and done all the things I'd wanted to do on this short trip, met up with the people I really wanted to, bought the things I'd been longing for. I only had three days in the city but I packed so many things into those three days, it was like a small recap of my life in Toronto. A taste of all of my favourite things about this place I used to call home.




This whirlwind trip was exactly the birthday present I'd been searching for to give myself. A chance to be in one of my favourite places, surrounded by my favourite things. And when it's your Champagne birthday, you really do have to make it special. After all, it only happens once in a lifetime. :)

The Birthday Weekend That Was...Saturday Edition

...When I arrived in Toronto, I couldn't wait to get off the plane and get back in the city. I really had missed it, more than I'd realized. After dropping my luggage off at the hotel, I walked down to one of my favourite places of all: the St. Lawrence Market. I've talked about the Market a few times in the past, and how much I love it, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise that it was literally,( after checking into my hotel) my first stop on my trip.




The market has long been one of the spots I always visit when I'm in Toronto, because as much as I love St. John's, there's nothing of the St. Lawrence Market's equivalent in my hometown. This is the place I think I miss the most. Coming here every Saturday morning, stocking up on my fresh, local fruits and veggies, buying some perogies and pasta, picking up a bouquet of fresh flowers....I loved it.

One place I love in the Market is a little vendor outside on the southwest side. A local artist, originally from England, sells her watercolours from her stall almost every Saturday. I came across her a couple of years ago and bought some handmade greeting cards and a mini painting from her, and fell in love with her art. Before I moved back to Newfoundland in October, I went to the Market one last time and went to her stall. I bought one of her paintings and it hangs in my office today. So, when I decided to come to Toronto for the weekend, I knew I had to seek her out and buy some more artwork. 


I managed to find her email address a few days before and asked her if she’d be there that Saturday, and she said she hoped to be. I hoped and hoped, and sure enough, as soon as I arrived at the Market, I sought her out and found her in her usual spot. We chatted for a while and then she let me peruse her artwork until I decided on a couple that I thought would hang nicely in my new living room.

Pleased with my purchases, I said goodbye to the lovely artist and continued my shopping. Of course, I had to stop and pick up some perogies from my favourite Ukrainian place, and get some delicious fresh pasta and sauce from the pasta place upstairs. Both were just as delicious as I remembered. I really love how they actually make the pasta right in front of you, and you can try scrumptious samples anytime. I'm one of those people that goes and gets a sample...and then goes back 15 minutes later for another one. I can't help myself! 

After I finished my Market shopping, I headed to lunch with my old roommates. We’d stayed in touch after we all went our separate ways when our lease ended last summer, and as soon as I booked my trip, I contacted them to meet up. It was great seeing the girls and catching up on all their news. Jobs and wedding plans and exotic vacations filled the stories we told. It’s always so nice to catch up with friends after long absences.

Another one of my favourite things to do in Toronto, and anywhere, really, is get my nails done. It's one of my vices. I can't help it. I know some people might think it's silly, but there's something about getting a manicure that can make a girl feel like a million bucks. And what better place to go then a salon where everybody knows your name? (It's like the Cheers of nail salons.) Shortly after I booked my trip, I emailed my friend and nail tech at the salon and set up an appointment. It was great to see her again and to catch up on her news, and of course, get a fresh new coat of polish on my nails. There's just nothin' like it!


Later that night, I had dinner with some of my Indigo TweetUp ladies. We went to our usual spot, CANTEEN, where I had a delicious meal, a great time catching up with some pals, and some covert celebrity spying. (One of the guys from The Vampire Diaries was there that night, but I don't watch the show so I didn't really know who he was. Ha!) It was so fun to see the ladies again, it was like no time had passed at all.

To end off the night, I walked back to the hotel, stopping at Marble Slab on the way for a yummy ice cream, and then it was off to bed. I'd been awake for almost 24 hours and I desperately needed some sleep to be ready to tackle all the things I had planned for the next day!

Sunday and Monday are yet to come! Check back soon!