Exploring Toronto with teens, was for me, like seeing this cosmopolitan city with new eyes. Toronto had become so familiar to me over the years, having lived, worked, and played there, that I had become complacent about it as a tourist destination. On a recent trip with my teenager and her best friend though, I was reminded why the Six attracts visitors from around the globe. Safe, clean, bursting with arts & culture, adventure, sports, dining, and shopping, Toronto quite literally has …
Capital Pride – Ottawa Brings The Love
I believe in love. I am fully, completely, and with a giddy, fluttery heart in love with love. It's hard for me to explain how important it is for me to know that. My heart has been through a lot lately, and it would be easy to let cynicism guide me. It wasn't a delivery of a dozen roses or a new guy though that reminded me of the power of love, but an invitation to march in the Ottawa Capital Pride parade. What better place to find affirmation for living and loving wholeheartedly than …
Into the Great Wide Open – Skydiving Into Life’s Next Chapter
This was supposed to be an article about skydiving in Ottawa but as often happens, the story I intend to write and the story that gets written is often wildly different. And oh my god, doesn’t that last sentence just sum up the last twenty years of my life. So, apologies in advance if you came here to learn about skydiving in Ottawa, because this is actually about skydiving into a life. I recently published a list of 50 things I wanted to conquer in honour of my upcoming 50th and you …
Need Peace? Go East – Five Reasons to Go to Cape Breton NOW
I just returned from the east coast and from the bottom of my heart I believe that everyone needs to go to Cape Breton now. If there was ever a travel prescription for obtaining inner peace it's this emerald island just off the coast of Nova Scotia. Full disclosure, I didn't always feel this way. I actually hated Cape Breton for a long time. My family roots run deep on this island, so every single summer vacation growing up was spent there visiting family. By the time I was a surly …
Six Key Takeaways from a First Time Staycationer
I’ve never really understood the concept of a staycation, going so far as to poo-poo the idea for years thinking they were rather lame. I always felt that in order to get the benefits of a vacation you must first travel some great distance that requires you to complain at length about the journey. Then, and only then, will you reap the rewards of a holiday. Oh, and let’s not forget that the journey home must also be as arduous, meaning that by the time you arrive home, you’ve lost much of your …
