Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

 Expedition #1: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. We hopped in a taxi van and ventured through the city to check out this gorgeous structure. Its meticulous detail can only be truly appreciated in person.

Road Trip: Cabot Trail

Doris and I finished our road trip by exploring the Cabot Trail. Now the Trail, as the cool kids call it, comes in at just under 300 km, according to my old reliable friend, Wikipedia, so we knew going in that we wouldn't be able to take in all of her majestic beauty in a day and a half, but we did our best.

We actually didn't get to Cheticamp, our first of two campsites, until the early evening because of Sand Dollar Beach and the Ovens Natural Park. Once there, though, we wasted no time in setting up the tent and getting settled in.

Road Trip: Halifax

I've been wanting to visit Halifax for ages now. Still, though I knew I'd like it, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It's the perfect combination of hip city, scenic country, and beautiful water.

Roadtrip: Charlottetown

We were only in Charlottetown for a night, so we made the most of the day the following morning before driving to my beloved Halifax.

Road Trip: Fredericton and Stuff

Roadtrip: QC and Stuff

Not gonna lie, I'm not entirely sure if I have these pictures in the right order, but let's just hope for the best and assume they are.

Roadtrip: Montreal

After visiting Nanny, we started our first day of exploring the city. It was time for round 2 of our Urban Quest missions. This one didn't go nearly as well as the first one, though. Between trying to find parking in Old Quebec City, almost breaking the emergency breaks, and almost eating the paper out of frustration at the confusion caused by the terrible directions in the quest, this made for a long day.

Road Trip: Ottawa

Chicarrgo Day 6

Chicarrgo Day 5

Chicarrgo Day 4

Chicargo Day 3

Chicarrgo Day 2

Chicarrgo Day 1

That Facebook Thing

I'm back!

Mickey, Magic, and My Niece

I ended 2014 and started 2015 in style. Not only did I get to ride the Hogwarts freakin' Express AND meet Mickey Mouse, but I got to meet my adorable six year old niece, Enjolin, for the very first time. Turns out turning 30 ain't so bad after all.

Let it Be!

What with everybody working different shifts during the day, this night was a very rare treat. It was a family night out--downtown, no less! We caught a great performance of the Beatles' Let It Be album.

A Painful Goodbye

Once upon a time, I made my away across Canada, staying with local musicians in each city I visited along the way. Regina, of all places, turned out to be home to two of my favouritest people in the world. Mike (the guy on the right looking rather unimpressed with the camera) and Allysia (the lovely lady behind the camera) happened to be in the process of moving to Toronto when our paths crossed in Regina. We immediately connected, and they became fixtures in my life. 

Sadly, their time in Toronto was a bit short-lived, as a great home-buying opportunity soon drew them back to Saskatchewan. This photo captures our last night in Toronto, playing a rousing game of Settlers of Catan, which Mike eventually won, much to the chagrin of poor Allysia.  

I like chips. A lot.

Nica

In April, the family went to Nicaragua for Doris' quinceanera. We saw family, hit up many of the regular spots, had some fun in the sun, and partied it up at a hostel on Ometepe Island owned by some family friends. It was an exciting trip, not only because so many of us were going, but also because it was the first trip to Nica for a couple of my cousins. Two other cousins also hadn't gone back to Nica since moving to Canada as children 20+ years ago.

Despite some setbacks, including my mom dislocating her shoulder and my cousin twisting his ankle pretty badly, it was possibly the most fun I've ever had in Nica.

Memphis Beale Street Festival

In April, my buddy, Perry, and I headed off on a three-week trek through Memphis, Atlanta, and Gulf Shores in order to attend the Memphis Beale Street Festival, Shaky Knees Festival, and Hangout Festival respectively. We couch surfed the whole way through, and met some really awesome people. Memphis was stop #1. The Rock 'n' Roll Museum, Gibson Guitar Factory, Sun Recording Studios were some of the city highlights.

Atlanta Shaky Knees Festival

Stop #2: After Memphis, we hopped on a Greyhound (at our own risk) and headed to Atlanta. One of the things I love about Couch Surfing is that your host always knows the best places to go eat, and Atlanta was no exception. We went to a Mexican joint where the servings were so large I actually left food on the plate. I never thought I'd see the day.

Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores

Another ride on the sketchtastic Greyhound took us to our third and final stop: Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Of the three US festivals, Hangout may have been my favourite. I learned about a slew of great new bands, including the Suffers, Elliot Root, and Lake Street Dive, and finally got to see some all time favourites, including Talib Kweli and Spooooooon! Plus, y'know, the Foo Fighters. And how many festivals take place right on the beach?!

At the very end of the festival, after Beck walked off stage, the fireworks went off, Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" came on the speakers, and drunkards danced all along the beach. It was the most patriotic American sight I've ever seen. It was something else.

Throughout the whole trip, Perry handled everything like a champ. I can be a difficult person to travel with at times. There were at times less than ideal sleeping conditions, tremendous amounts of walking in the southern sun, long bus rides, loud music that may or may not have even interested him (e.g., Mastadon, Social Distortion). And yet he endured it all with a smile. I couldn't have asked for a better travel buddy.

CBC Radio Music Festival @ Echo Beach

Though my trip to the US with Perry was finished, the festival season was just beginning! After we got back, I took Doris out to two festivals right in our own backyard: CBC Radio Music Festival at Echo Beach and Field Trip at Fort York. God, I love festival season. It was my first time at Echo Beach. Makes for a nice relaxing afternoon. Plus, the view of the CN Tower is great.

Field Trip Festival @ Fort York

Five festivals in 6 weeks! Not too bad, if I do say so myself. Doris and I participated in a corn on the cob eating contest. The objective was to eat your cob as fast as possible. Doris took her sweet time savouring hers, but I came in close second. Personally, I think I was robbed, but whatever. Jerks. I hope the guy was constipated afterwards.

Take That, Bucket List!

After years and years of putting it off, it finally happened. I jumped out of a burning airplane. (Well, that sentence is only partly true.) My cousin, Eduardo, and I jumped out of a plane in early June with the help of the lovely people at Skydive Toronto.