All ma T.O. people ...
I would like to start this post by saying THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! My first video and post was such a huge step for me, and I got nervous, excited, scared and euphoric all at the same time. But you made it so simple to enjoy each and every post, each and every comment, each and every like on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/andrina.stan)! I was smiling for 4 hours straight from the moment I hit that POST button, and I am so so happy that we will go on this journey together.
Now, if you live in Toronto, or if you are planning on coming to Toronto, there are a few places that you must have on your itinerary that might not necessarily be on a touristic map. Normally, when you vacation to a new country and visit cities, towns, villages, you go ahead and grab a touristic guide and plan according to what is offered as touristic attractions, historical sight seeing or popular restaurants. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with that! You should see all of these great monuments and buildings, and take pictures and get silly and feed the pigeons or whatever it is you want to do.
What I want to do is give you that cherry on top of the cake experience - at least for Toronto seeing, for now. You see, I find that I can stare at the CN Tower for hours while eating sweet potato fries in my car and listening to Adele. One could say 'what is so special about watching a huge piece of concrete change colours while greasing your fingers in oil and getting depressed on lonely and heartbreaking songs?' Well, it's the beauty of the moment! To start, the CN Tower reminds me that we are so so small in a world SO BIG, and that, in the same time, we small tiny little creatures have built all the tools necessary and have gathered all the skills required to build that monstrosity of a tower. This thought simply takes my breath away...
After walking the streets of a city, or hiking the paths of a forest in a forgotten part of the world, the cherry on top of the cake is finding a place which gives you a panoramic view of the parameter you've just experienced. A view where you can approximately point your finger and say 'I was around that area yesterday, and bought a danish from that bakery today; I left my initials in the bark of that tree 2 days ago, or we kissed on that funny shaped rock 1 hour ago'. The feeling you get from seeing that place you visited from afar is so important for appreciating the present. It's like looking at a live snapshot of your life- it brings everything into perspective. The moment your eyes start wondering on the view of the place you just visited, the memories and the emotions attached to them will come back. And you will feel alive!
"Every day is a good day to be alive, whether the sun is shinning or not" Marty Robbins.
So be alive, feel everything that happens around you, and put things into perspective. When you detach yourself from a place and look at it from afar, you will learn how to appreciate it more. When you are close to that monument, you will want to touch it, and take pictures of it and sing to it or dance around it because you will feel its vibrancy, its heavy presence, the sweat and tears of the people who have built it for you to enjoy. Instead of flashing a fake smile to the camera because you have to post some pictures on Facebook and show the rest of your friends that you are having a good time, HAVE A GOOD TIME and smile with all your heart! And once you detach yourself from that moment, once you are far from it, and look back upon it, all that joy and emotion will rush in again and you will feel alive.
So now that I have made my case with why I think seeing places from a far is so important for your living in the present, I would like to share with you a few spots of downtown Toronto that I consider relaxing and hope you will too. And the best part of this is that you don't have to pay anything to see it. These are great locations where you can simply take your dog for a walk, detour when on a date or enjoy Adele and eat fries in your car- like me. Heck, you can even get out of the house right now, grab a Chai Latte and go there and be with yourself, your thoughts, your emotions. It'll be only you and the city a.k.a. URBAN ROMANTICISM.
The first panoramic view I want to share with you is a bit of a hidden spot near Greek Town. What you want to do is get to Danforth Ave. and Broadview Ave., then go south on Broaview until you reach Riverdale Park. Somewhere in between the houses, condos and trees is the magnificent view of downtown Toronto.
Now, if you pass by this area, or live near Riverdale Park, leave me a comment and let me know how magical it is to be surrounded by both a great park and the view of this vibrant city. Or better yet, how often do you take the time to simply sit on the grass/bench and submerge yourself in this panoramic view? Can you simply block out all of the noise around you and get lost in the tall buildings in front of you? Did you ever close your eyes, took a deep breath into your chest, lungs, belly, every muscle fiber, opened your eyes and smiled with all your heart? You see, we can make all the excuses about being annoyed and stressed by our bosses, family, friends, lovers, burnt pastry, dog-chewed shoes and rude cashiers, but we simply cannot say that we can't relax. YOU CAN, but for some reason you are not allowing yourself to.
Allowing yourself to relax means that you accept the following statement: 'I cannot control the world at once, but I can teach myself how to react to life's trials and tribulations'(I just came up with this- feel free to quote me HAHAHA). What I would like you to realize is that things will happen to you, your friends, or anybody for that matter, and at times these things will make you feel powerless. The best way to 'live' through this is to simply accept the way you feel. Just acknowledge the emotions and - are you ready for this? - find a panoramic view! Starring at a city, a village, forest, mountains, or the ocean will give you the space that you need to clear your mind. It all relates to what I have mentioned earlier about putting things into perspective; all he heartache and pain you feel will start melting away, but YOU have to allow your soul to heal, YOU have to accept that you cannot control everything that moves on this planet, and YOU have to let it go.
The reason why I touched upon this saddening subject is because we all have some baggage that still hunts us from past. We either have been hurt by a loved one, been mistreated by friends and family, been called ugly or felt like we aren't good enough. If you still feel like your past ghosts have not left you, allow yourself to be alone, with your thoughts and the panorama.
Now, let's lighten up the mood, shall we? I have another great place for you to check out, and that is on Polson St., near the famous Docks, in a parking lot. Yep, it's a parking lot! Frankly, this is my favorite spot in Toronto! People come here to play cards, picnic, walk, or, like me, eat fries, watch the CN Tower and listen to Adele.
No matter what your purpose, you definitely have to, have to check out these great panoramic views. Or here is another idea: if you've already been here before, try going by yourself and 'feel the city' from afar, ask your date out and surprise them with a splendid view, a fruit and cheese platter, or... pick up our best friend, take the roof of the car off and blast the music!
Get excited about life and live in the present. Share this post on a friend's timeline and say:'Let's check out this place Saturday night!', and leave me a comment- let me know what you think about this post and the stupendous views! Or better yet, tell me when you are planning on visiting Toronto- I'll hook you up with all great places to see and enjoy, TO style!
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel ! My first video will air on November 20th, at 8 PM.
XO World,
Dina
I would like to start this post by saying THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! My first video and post was such a huge step for me, and I got nervous, excited, scared and euphoric all at the same time. But you made it so simple to enjoy each and every post, each and every comment, each and every like on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/andrina.stan)! I was smiling for 4 hours straight from the moment I hit that POST button, and I am so so happy that we will go on this journey together.
Now, if you live in Toronto, or if you are planning on coming to Toronto, there are a few places that you must have on your itinerary that might not necessarily be on a touristic map. Normally, when you vacation to a new country and visit cities, towns, villages, you go ahead and grab a touristic guide and plan according to what is offered as touristic attractions, historical sight seeing or popular restaurants. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with that! You should see all of these great monuments and buildings, and take pictures and get silly and feed the pigeons or whatever it is you want to do.
What I want to do is give you that cherry on top of the cake experience - at least for Toronto seeing, for now. You see, I find that I can stare at the CN Tower for hours while eating sweet potato fries in my car and listening to Adele. One could say 'what is so special about watching a huge piece of concrete change colours while greasing your fingers in oil and getting depressed on lonely and heartbreaking songs?' Well, it's the beauty of the moment! To start, the CN Tower reminds me that we are so so small in a world SO BIG, and that, in the same time, we small tiny little creatures have built all the tools necessary and have gathered all the skills required to build that monstrosity of a tower. This thought simply takes my breath away...
After walking the streets of a city, or hiking the paths of a forest in a forgotten part of the world, the cherry on top of the cake is finding a place which gives you a panoramic view of the parameter you've just experienced. A view where you can approximately point your finger and say 'I was around that area yesterday, and bought a danish from that bakery today; I left my initials in the bark of that tree 2 days ago, or we kissed on that funny shaped rock 1 hour ago'. The feeling you get from seeing that place you visited from afar is so important for appreciating the present. It's like looking at a live snapshot of your life- it brings everything into perspective. The moment your eyes start wondering on the view of the place you just visited, the memories and the emotions attached to them will come back. And you will feel alive!
"Every day is a good day to be alive, whether the sun is shinning or not" Marty Robbins.
So be alive, feel everything that happens around you, and put things into perspective. When you detach yourself from a place and look at it from afar, you will learn how to appreciate it more. When you are close to that monument, you will want to touch it, and take pictures of it and sing to it or dance around it because you will feel its vibrancy, its heavy presence, the sweat and tears of the people who have built it for you to enjoy. Instead of flashing a fake smile to the camera because you have to post some pictures on Facebook and show the rest of your friends that you are having a good time, HAVE A GOOD TIME and smile with all your heart! And once you detach yourself from that moment, once you are far from it, and look back upon it, all that joy and emotion will rush in again and you will feel alive.
So now that I have made my case with why I think seeing places from a far is so important for your living in the present, I would like to share with you a few spots of downtown Toronto that I consider relaxing and hope you will too. And the best part of this is that you don't have to pay anything to see it. These are great locations where you can simply take your dog for a walk, detour when on a date or enjoy Adele and eat fries in your car- like me. Heck, you can even get out of the house right now, grab a Chai Latte and go there and be with yourself, your thoughts, your emotions. It'll be only you and the city a.k.a. URBAN ROMANTICISM.
The first panoramic view I want to share with you is a bit of a hidden spot near Greek Town. What you want to do is get to Danforth Ave. and Broadview Ave., then go south on Broaview until you reach Riverdale Park. Somewhere in between the houses, condos and trees is the magnificent view of downtown Toronto.
Here is a Google Maps view.
Allowing yourself to relax means that you accept the following statement: 'I cannot control the world at once, but I can teach myself how to react to life's trials and tribulations'(I just came up with this- feel free to quote me HAHAHA). What I would like you to realize is that things will happen to you, your friends, or anybody for that matter, and at times these things will make you feel powerless. The best way to 'live' through this is to simply accept the way you feel. Just acknowledge the emotions and - are you ready for this? - find a panoramic view! Starring at a city, a village, forest, mountains, or the ocean will give you the space that you need to clear your mind. It all relates to what I have mentioned earlier about putting things into perspective; all he heartache and pain you feel will start melting away, but YOU have to allow your soul to heal, YOU have to accept that you cannot control everything that moves on this planet, and YOU have to let it go.
The reason why I touched upon this saddening subject is because we all have some baggage that still hunts us from past. We either have been hurt by a loved one, been mistreated by friends and family, been called ugly or felt like we aren't good enough. If you still feel like your past ghosts have not left you, allow yourself to be alone, with your thoughts and the panorama.
Now, let's lighten up the mood, shall we? I have another great place for you to check out, and that is on Polson St., near the famous Docks, in a parking lot. Yep, it's a parking lot! Frankly, this is my favorite spot in Toronto! People come here to play cards, picnic, walk, or, like me, eat fries, watch the CN Tower and listen to Adele.
Here is a Google Maps view.
No matter what your purpose, you definitely have to, have to check out these great panoramic views. Or here is another idea: if you've already been here before, try going by yourself and 'feel the city' from afar, ask your date out and surprise them with a splendid view, a fruit and cheese platter, or... pick up our best friend, take the roof of the car off and blast the music!
Get excited about life and live in the present. Share this post on a friend's timeline and say:'Let's check out this place Saturday night!', and leave me a comment- let me know what you think about this post and the stupendous views! Or better yet, tell me when you are planning on visiting Toronto- I'll hook you up with all great places to see and enjoy, TO style!
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel ! My first video will air on November 20th, at 8 PM.
XO World,
Dina
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