Ah, Florence!

Ah, Florence. An Italian city I'd wanted to visit for some time and finally got to see last year. I can't put my finger on one specific thing I'd wanted to see in Florence all this time, it was just something about the city itself that drew me to it and made me want to visit.

Once I arrived though, and seeing how close our apartment was to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, I knew it was the architecture that drew me to Florence.

Growing up in churches all my life and having an admiration for architecture, it's no wonder that I fell in love with the massive Duomo as soon as I saw it. The exterior is unbelievably gorgeous and intricately detailed. It really is a spectacular site. 

We had the most incredible view of the beautiful Duomo from our airbnb apartment balcony - a view I never grew tired of.

Other pieces of architecture around the city drew me in as well - from ornate buildings and palaces to Florence's own Jelly Bean Row along the Arno River, Florence almost made me feel at home. I know I have to go back again some day. We have a bond now, Florence and I.

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.

Big City versus Small City

I don't think anyone would be surprised to hear that life in Toronto is a lot different than life in St. John's. While they may be in the same country, they really couldn't be more different.

Toronto is face-paced, energetic, lively, loud, there's always something to do, the best concerts come to town, movies and television shows are filmed there every day...it offers so much that a small city like St. John's never could.

St. John's, on the other hand, is slower, a little more easy-going, more quiet, and while you won't see it everywhere, you will more often then not get the ol' "wave and nod" while driving past some folks walking down the sidewalk. While there's not as much craziness happening like in Toronto, it certainly does have its charms, that's for sure.

When I first moved to Toronto, I didn't like it very much. I found the people unfriendly and the city big and harsh. It took a while for me to get used to it, but when I finally found "my" Toronto - the little life that I created and built up around me in this massive metropolis - I loved it. I loved going to my regular haunts, I loved riding the subway and walking along Bay Street being surrounded by towering buildings and the sounds of busy traffic. I became more familiar and more comfortable in such a large place, and I was sad when I left.

When I think about it, I really can't choose which place I prefer. Sometimes I lean more towards a quieter life in St. John's, still fun and exciting, but not the same way Toronto is. Other times, I crave the hectic, loud craziness of Toronto, and miss it fiercely. I might be in Newfoundland now, but I wouldn't rule out another stint in the T Dot in my future.

Toronto, How I Miss Thee

As you probably know by now, (and if you don't, what parts of my blog have you been reading?? Kidding!) I used to live in Toronto, going to school and working in the public relations industry. While I love my home in Newfoundland, now that I'm back in St. John's, I realize that I do miss Toronto an awful lot.

When I first moved to the Big Smoke, I was going to school and living in Etobicoke, so I didn't get a chance to explore downtown Toronto a whole lot. But when I moved downtown after finishing school and lived in an apartment with some friends, that was like a different life altogether.

At the time, I was on the job hunt looking for work, with not much to do and little money to spend. While there were days I stayed home and watched a lot of television, (it was then I discovered and became obsessed with the Food Network -  a healthy obsession, I like to think) all that free time gave me a chance to explore the city and get to know it better. I learned street names and subway stations, districts of the city and where popular attractions were located.

Being away from Toronto has shown me how much I really do miss things like:


I miss living with my roommates in our brick townhouse in the heart of downtown Toronto. My friend Heather and I had gone through our public relations program together and our friend Brittany and later, new roommate Kristel, both strangers in the beginning, became fast friends, and are still friends of mine today. It was really nice, being able to come home at the end of our days, make dinner and talk about what had happened at work, and then watch some tv together, play video games, or just chat. I miss those days, girls. :)

I miss walking to the St. Lawrence Market on Saturday mornings with my buddy Paul and having pasta, buying fresh produce and stocking up on perogies. Being able to buy your produce from somewhere other than the grocery store is something that's rare in St. John's. I know we have a couple of little farmer's markets in the city and surrounding areas, but they're nothing like the St. Lawrence Market.





You must know by now that I love cupcakes. I mean, seriously love. So when in a big city like Toronto, there were bakeries and sweet shops that sure, sold cupcakes. But then there were cupcake shops, dedicated to just cupcakes.





Those were the places I used to visit fairly often...so much so, that the staff at one of them began to remember me. I knew then I had a problem. A cupcake-addiction problem...but it's fine, all things in moderation, right? I miss the cupcake shops I'd visit the most, like Prairie Girl Bakery, or Dlish Cupcakes. Both their cupcakes were so delicious.

I know my Toronto friends might think I'm crazy, but I miss riding the subway. (okay, I certainly don't miss the delays on the TTC, but I do miss riding the train sometimes.) I miss getting on the train and letting it take me to wherever I was going, listening to the stops being announced, seeing the people on the train with me, wondering where they were headed. Every once in a while, I'd run into someone I knew on the train (which was rare, since I didn't know very many people in Toronto) and that would always delight me; that in a city of millions, it's still a small world after all.

I miss the atmosphere of the city; so busy and noisy and full of lights and massive buildings and strings of traffic. Those are things that, no matter how much I love St. John's, it just doesn't have, like Toronto does.





My time in Toronto had a big impact on my life and the person I am today. I was out on my own in a city that, while I had visited numerous times on family vacations, was still strange to me. It was a big change. But it was one I had craved and one that I had needed for a while. And because it had such a positive impact on me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't miss that city and all it offered me.

While I do miss Toronto, and still wish I could be back there sometimes, when your home looks like this, it's hard not to feel happy that you're from such a beautiful place like Newfoundland.

Time for a Change...

Ever since Blogger changed around their templates, I've been struggling to try and update the look of my blog. Sure I've fiddled around with the colours a bit, but I wanted a big change to reflect the big change in my life, of moving to a new city and venturing out on my own.

After much searching, I finally found one that's closer to what I've been looking for! So, welcome to the new ININA! I'll be posting a bit more regularly from now on (I know, I know, I said that before, but sometimes life does get in the way!) about life in the big city, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, why not check out my best friend Meghan's new blog, It's a Colourful Life, where you'll find all kinds of interior decorating tips from an aspiring interior designer!

Have a happy week!