2019: A Year in Review (Part One)
If ever a year deserved a review, 2019 would be it. At the beginning, 2019 held so much potential, so much hope, but I could not have predicted all the amazing moments that this year would hand me, the new friends, the happiness, the travel.
In a year where I’ve been on 22 flights, visited more than 13 different cities (most of them for the first time) and lived in a new country for the majority of the year, not only has my life changed, but I have too. For the better.
Please indulge me in a slightly longer review of the year than normal, starting with January — June. It’s been a busy year!
January
Kicking the year off in style with a last minute trip to New York with my fabulous sister-in-law. Five years after my first trip, this time I took a different attitude to The Big Apple and saw a very different city. Particular highlights were seeing the Upright Citizen’s Brigade performing improv, catching the Christmas Lights (nowhere does the festive season quite like New York), spending a day exploring Brooklyn and eating delicious food whilst people watching at Michael’s.
Back in England I was touched by the two fabulous leaving parties — one full of friends, one of family. To see so many people turn up in London from all stages of my life reminded me wherever I end up, I’m surrounded by people who care. Singing karaoke at the top of our lungs in The Star of Kings whilst drinking Jager shots until the early hours will stay as one of my favourite memories of 2019.
Then my wonderful family gathered for a much tamer leaving party! Being away from family is one of the hardest parts of living abroad, not seeing them for months on end, but mine have been so supportive of my choices this year, it means the world having them behind me!
February
The big move! To say I was nervous would be an extreme understatement. Packing up all my final bits, saying farewell at the airport and jumping on the plane all alone was scary, but moving to Toronto turned out to be the best decision I could have made for 2019. A fresh start, a new adventure and so much more than I ever expected it to be.
There was so much snow. And it was insanely cold. That alone was an adjustment. Meeting new people in that weather is difficult, but I managed to make a few friends as willing as me to explore the city in spite of the weather. Exploring the Toronto Light Festival in the Distillery District, seeing the fishes at Ripley’s Aquarium, food shopping in snowstorms and escaping to Tim Hortons every chance I got. It didn’t take long for me to start to feel like Toronto was home.
At the end of the month, braving -17, I saw Niagara Falls for the first time. It was hard to believe something so huge and powerful could freeze, but it did. Another item ticked off the bucket list.
March
The arrival of March brought another move — into my new home. A wonderful new housemate with whom I shared a love of Jane the Virgin and who introduced me to delicious fried rice, made living in Canada a whole lot easier! I couldn’t have been luckier.
March was definitely a month for exploring the food world of Toronto, eating out and hanging in coffee shops repeatedly. Particular favorites included Pai, Early Bird Cafe (blue matcha is love) and a catch up with two old friends from England over a flight of beer at Mill St Brewery [the first of many unexpected visits this year]. I also tried Chinese Hot Pot for the first time, saw an ice carving competition, went to the Opera and the Aga Khan Museum and saw Ellen Degeneres live. A varied month indeed.
April
It’s fair to say that by April, I was very happily settled into Torontonian life, and not at all ready to come home. But back to England I ventured. 10 days and 600 miles of traveling threw me back into the life I’d left behind, with many catch-ups, meeting new friends (I’ve been very lucky on the new friend front this year) and a wonderful wedding.
A surprise upgrade on my flight back to Toronto made the trip a little easier. I went straight into a new job, working from home for a Welsh company filming in Alaska. Time zones were a little hard to handle but it was great to be back working full time after a few months off.
The Jonas Brothers got back together — something I could never have predicted for this year, and with that, a plan came together for an adventure for later in the year. The sun came out in Toronto and I explored further, enjoying the good weather and the joys of living near Trinity Bellwoods Park.
May
May was a month of reflection and fundraising. Having said I would never, ever do the Edge Walk on the CN Tower I was talked into it as a charity fundraiser. I was wowed by the generosity of the people in my life, raising over £500! The view at the top was breathtaking and this is definitely one of the things I am proudest of doing this year.
With the weather getting steadily better, more exploring was undertaken: High Park, Graffiti Alley and discovering just how delicious Korean BBQ is.
June
6 months into 2019 and I felt so far from my old life. Sport seasons were very much underway. The Blue Jays, though not on great form, proved a fun day out repeatedly and the Raptors kept my attention throughout the month as they headed for their historic NBA win. The parade through Toronto was unlike anything I have ever experienced as a sports fan.
I went to see Come From Away, which quickly became one of my favourite ever stage shows, discovered my new favorite coffee shop in the city: Bellwoods Coffee and Gelato (try their banana bread, it’s amazing) and saw Justin Trudeau march in Toronto Pride.
Though homesickness crept in a little towards the end of the month, the excitement of a new job (very much needed after two months working in my own company) and the warmth of Toronto summer kept me going.
So much happened in the first six months of 2019, I felt like I’d done everything. But Toronto is full of little surprises, and I had a trip around Canada on the horizon, plus so much else I couldn’t have predicted.
Come back for Part Two (July — December) on December 31st
