The next morning, I woke up early and pushed myself to finish my research design. Though it wasn't due until midnight, I had no intention of spending my entire day inside. I finished and submitted it by 2 PM, then ventured into the city with Michael and Carolanne, braving the rain. Unfortunately, Rhea was feeling really sick and spent all day in bed. We brought her soup and Gatorade and she recovered somewhat the next day and was fine the day after that. As soon as we could, Michael, Carolanne, and I headed toward an Indian restaurant that Michael's uncle had recommended. I had never particularly cared for Indian food until I joined OAR. Now, it has become a staple, and I loved this all-you-can-eat authentic restaurant. Toronto is notorious for ethnic food and culture and I tried to soak up as much of it as possible, hopping from each town to the next. My absolute favorite, obviously, was Greek Town. I ran around excitedly, ordering pastries and frappes, as well as a gyro of course. I also tried to converse with some of the shop owners in Greek but only a few obliged. We also explored the underground tunnels connecting Toronto and walked around the stadiums for various sports teams.
The next day, I spent some time with Michael and Carolanne, Rhea still sick in the apartment. We walked around without any direction, just enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine. I was so relieved to have finished and submitted my last paper, officially done for the semester, that I practically skipped around the city. I took off on my own for a while so I could walk some more rather than taking the subway, anxious to move around after such a lengthy drive, and I also relaxed in the apartment for some time. We soon packed up our stuff and headed for Michael's family cottage in Peterborough.
We arrived at the cottage late at night and I was so tired that nothing registered. I passed out on a bed with Rhea and we woke up to the sunshine in the morning. The lake was beautiful but, alas, it was far too cold to swim in. I sprawled out along the edge of the water with a book, letting the sun warm my skin like a reptile. Peterborough was the epitome of relaxation. We spent two days on the porch or by the water, drinking tea and reading. I think I drank at least ten cups of tea a day, not realizing how caffeinated it was. Michael and I took out the sailboat and it was so much fun zooming around the lake. However, the water splashing up was very cold, since the lake had only been ice-free for about two weeks. Nonetheless, it was very fun and extremely beautiful. I also got to learn some more about sailing, which I've always enjoyed. I was sad to leave the cottage but also excited to get to Boston!
Events occurred: April 29-May 2, 2013
After some hiking in Kentucky, we headed north. Michael's father used his hotel points to book a room for us in Buffalo so we wouldn't have to camp in the cold and rain. As we drove across the Kentucky border into Ohio, we decided to stop in Cincinnati to stretch our legs after having faced some horrible traffic. I had never been to Cincinnati before but I really liked the river and the bridges. We parked right near the river and wandered around (somewhat aimlessly) until we stumbled upon a park and some food. After a lengthy break, we piled back into the car and trekked toward Buffalo.
I immediately collapsed on the bed in our hotel room, only rising for a much needed shower. The next morning, I decided that I needed to stay back and work on my 20 page research paper, which was due the next day and so far consisted of one sentence. I stuck around with the group in Buffalo only long enough to score some free hummus and chips from a promotional food truck for Sabra (which was AMAZING, especially because they had a ton of delicious toppings to choose from), play with puppies in the park that were up for adoption, and buy some infamous sponge candy from a local candy shop. Sponge candy is virtually indescribable, but I will try my best. It is somewhat hard to bite into at first but it melts in your mouth instantaneously. So good and highly recommended. After I finished my candy, I was dropped off at a Starbucks near the border on the US side. I worked through three cups of coffee, a blueberry muffin, over 100 pages of research readings, and about 12 or so pages of my own work.
When we finally crossed into Canada, Michael circled Niagara Falls for my benefit. I had been before when I was younger, so I didn't feel too bad about having missed it and I was glad that I didn't hold anyone else back from enjoying their time there. We headed toward Toronto, facing heavy traffic and pouring rain. I tried to work on my paper in the car but I was starting to feel car sick because of the stop-and-go traffic combined with novice stick shift drivers (no one stalled out in traffic, thank goodness). When we reached Toronto, we headed to Michael's uncle's house to pick up keys to his aunt's apartment, where we were staying. She was out of town and generous enough to let us stay at her place regardless. He gave us great advice on what to do and see, especially where to eat.
Events occurred: April 27-28, 2013
When I booked my flight to Plattsburgh, NY, I was ecstatic for the chance to go to Montreal, which is only an hour or two away. Accompanied by Kelsey, my roommate Kelly, Michael, Steven, and Salma, this trip was highly anticipated and I could not WAIT for the chance to practice my French. The first half of the trip I spent predominately with Kelsey and the latter half with Kelly. We
arrived in Plattsburgh at about 1:30 AM and Kelsey's aunt picked the two of us up. We had decided to stop in Burlington, Vermont before heading to Montreal but the rest of the group was disinterested. Salma was going to Montreal to visit her sister, who lives there, and Kelly was anxious to revisit Quebec, since she is French Canadian and loves Montreal. Kelsey and I stayed with her aunt Peru, NY and then had breakfast at
her grandmother's the next morning. Her aunt drove us to Port Kent
and we took the ferry over Lake Champlain to Burlington.
In a few words, Burlington
was amazing. It was a small hipster college town akin to Gainesville but with better weather in my opinion. Though it was drizzling, the temperature was much more my style than Florida, cold enough for a jackets. I am also one of those weirdos that actually likes rain for the most part, especially when I'm prepared for it (which I was). We were there on
Saturday so the farmer's market was going on. Everything had maple
syrup or maple products in it, by far the best stereotype I have ever heard about Vermont (Canada was similar, to my delight). I tried maple syrup infused lemonade
and some random Afghani spinach pastry. The pastry wasn't particularly good because it wasn't fresh, but
the lemonade was delicious. We wandered around Church Street, the
main shopping center. There were a lot of charming little cafes and
restaurants. I also tried a maple syrup latte and it was very good, combining my love of coffee, caffeine, and maple syrup. Then,
we walked along the beautiful Lake Champlain for a bit and took the bus to the
airport for the greyhound.
We got into Canada around 9:30/10 PM and
went straight to the hostel. No one was there so we ventured out into
the city and walked along Rue Ontario, Rue St. Denis, and Rue St.
Catherine. We walked and talked for two and a half hours, taking all of the city lights and the excitement pulsing through the streets. We got back to
the hostel and went to bed around 1:30, Steven, Michael, and Kelly
still no where to be found until we woke up the next morning. The group as whole went to a local boulangerie and I
ordered a croissant with almonds, which was awesome. I was pleased with myself for successfully ordering in French. Then Kelly and I
split off and went to Mont Royal and the large look out over the
city from the top of this mountain. There was also a large open field and some sort of festival was going on at the park. We then went shopping along St. Catherine until we met up with
her friend Elizabeth, a student at McGill in Montreal. She was very nice and she also invited all of us to a small potluck party that her friends were
having. It was a lot of fun and I was intrigued by the number of international students I met, one from France, one from China, and a few from Venezuela. I don't know much about McGill although one of my aunts earned her MBA in international business through the school, albeit while living in Japan.
I ended up sleeping over
at Liz's apartment and taking the bus back to the hostel. We returned to the bakery and then Michael took us to a bagel shop.
Apparently Montreal's bagels are famous and after having one, I understood why. I had a phenomenal sesame bagel, hot and fresh. Again, I ordered in French and conversed with the store owner briefly, a charming man in his mid- to late sixties who had been in the bagel business for decades. I was meeting Kelly at the Contemporary Art Museum at 12, so I rushed off on my own across town. Kelsey was supposed to come with me but wanted
to go to the bio dome more, so she bailed. I was 20
minutes late at least, but she didn't mind,
particularly since the museum ended up being closed on Mondays and we
had the day to wander.
We did a lot but nothing in particular. We
stumbled upon a cute little maple syrup museum and an exhibition on
the art of the 11 Native American tribes in Quebec. We seemed drawn to cafes, including one cafe with an art gallery. We mostly walked around
Vieux-Montreal and the old port along the St. Lawrence River. I also tried poutine (pronounced "pou-tin", rhyming with "who" and "win", not "pou-teen", like I would have thought seeing it spelled out). It's essentially a heart attack-inducing plate of French fries coated in gravy and cheese. I thought it sounded disgusting but once I tried it, I was enamored of its deliciousness. We also wandered into a public garden and climbed some interesting structures that we stumbled upon around the city.
We met Elizabeth for dinner and went to a random diner.
Then we waited for our 10:30 greyhound bus back to Plattsburgh. I discovered a magical
chocolate bar in Canada, called Coffee Crisp. It's chocolate and
coffee, like a tiramisu kit kat. So good, I bought five of them to bring home but they didn't last long in Florida. The bus ride was much
quicker than I anticipated and we were in the US in no time. I was
disappointed that I never got my passport stamped but I guess it's
like traveling between EU countries. Kelly, Kelsey, Salma, and I
split a taxi to the airport but the boys were decided to walk the
four plus miles in the cold. Suffice to say, we got there at least an hour before they did, spending copious amounts of time in the tiny Plattsburgh airport. Montreal was wonderful. It reminded me a lot of Boston, but with French undertones. I cannot wait to go back someday and I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in the summer.
Events occurred: September 21-25, 2012
The next morning, I woke up early and pushed myself to finish my research design. Though it wasn't due until midnight, I had no intention of spending my entire day inside. I finished and submitted it by 2 PM, then ventured into the city with Michael and Carolanne, braving the rain. Unfortunately, Rhea was feeling really sick and spent all day in bed. We brought her soup and Gatorade and she recovered somewhat the next day and was fine the day after that. As soon as we could, Michael, Carolanne, and I headed toward an Indian restaurant that Michael's uncle had recommended. I had never particularly cared for Indian food until I joined OAR. Now, it has become a staple, and I loved this all-you-can-eat authentic restaurant. Toronto is notorious for ethnic food and culture and I tried to soak up as much of it as possible, hopping from each town to the next. My absolute favorite, obviously, was Greek Town. I ran around excitedly, ordering pastries and frappes, as well as a gyro of course. I also tried to converse with some of the shop owners in Greek but only a few obliged. We also explored the underground tunnels connecting Toronto and walked around the stadiums for various sports teams.
The next day, I spent some time with Michael and Carolanne, Rhea still sick in the apartment. We walked around without any direction, just enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine. I was so relieved to have finished and submitted my last paper, officially done for the semester, that I practically skipped around the city. I took off on my own for a while so I could walk some more rather than taking the subway, anxious to move around after such a lengthy drive, and I also relaxed in the apartment for some time. We soon packed up our stuff and headed for Michael's family cottage in Peterborough. 
We arrived at the cottage late at night and I was so tired that nothing registered. I passed out on a bed with Rhea and we woke up to the sunshine in the morning. The lake was beautiful but, alas, it was far too cold to swim in. I sprawled out along the edge of the water with a book, letting the sun warm my skin like a reptile. Peterborough was the epitome of relaxation. We spent two days on the porch or by the water, drinking tea and reading. I think I drank at least ten cups of tea a day, not realizing how caffeinated it was. Michael and I took out the sailboat and it was so much fun zooming around the lake. However, the water splashing up was very cold, since the lake had only been ice-free for about two weeks. Nonetheless, it was very fun and extremely beautiful. I also got to learn some more about sailing, which I've always enjoyed. I was sad to leave the cottage but also excited to get to Boston!
