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 |  A blog for all things personal, informational, educational, and fun. |
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Here at my personal blog Thoughts & Things, I share a wide variety of, you guessed it, thoughts and things. Anything that sparks my interest is up for discussion. For those who are uncertain of what that might cover, I'll generally talk about reading, writing, books, movies, music, games, history, current events, and feminism. I talk about my personal emotional and health struggles from time to time. I'm also a big fan of lists. This is the place here at WDC where you can get to know me best, as I talk about the things that interest me, impact me, and amuse me. |
| I've gotten rather sick and tired of being sick and tired. I think anyone would eventually. I can't sleep when I want to, I can't stay awake when I want to, and I feel exhausted whether I got 14 hours of sleep or four hours of sleep. Everything hurts, and I don't even fully know what's wrong with me. I have all sorts of referrals and tests coming up, and I am mentally processing how to handle them. I have an appointment on Tuesday to follow up on my abdominal ultrasound. I frankly don't know what she was checking for with that one. I have an EEG later this month to see if I have epilepsy. I have an appointment with ortho in November to deal with my dystrophic calcification (which she initially thought was gout due to it being in my toe, and I was pretty worried I was turning into an old man). I have an appointment in December for an MRI, which relates back to the EEG. I have a very attractive neurologist who has ordered both the MRI and EEG to make sure I don't have anything going on in my head. My doctor has also ordered a sleep clinic referral, but I haven't even received the appointment for that one yet. Currently I am on sick leave. It is both restful and exhausting. It's nice in some ways. I write far more than I normally have time for, I am getting through my netflix backlog of TV shows to binge (so far I have finished both Stranger Things and Jessica Jones, highly recommend both), and I get extra time with my boyfriend (which is amazing). I sleep a lot. I am tired of sleeping through things I want to be up for, and not being able to sleep at half four in the morning. I don't feel very productive in life, so I write more to feel that sense of purpose. It helps some. I miss having money. I am not a big spender when it comes to myself, but I spoil my loved ones because they deserve it. Not working means I can't spoil them, and being sick makes me feel like I am burdening them on top of that. I have had health problems of various degrees for years, but this is different. I worry that I am dying, and I worry that I'm crazy. I don't know which one to hope for some days. I can hope for a chemical imbalance, or something along those lines. Something easy to fix. I just want to be healthy again. For myself mostly, but for the people I love too. |
| I am one of those people that tends to have an inappropriate reaction to things. I think it must run in the family, because I know far too many people I am related to who react similarly. I was thinking this recently as every time I talk to my grandmother about my health (which hasn't been too great), she laughs, and then she tells me I should donate my body to science. Just to be clear, I am not dying nor am I dead. I know she reacts this way because my health issues cause her to be stressed and upset. It got me thinking to times I had reacted inappropriately in various situations. I am the kind of person who laughs at funerals. I actually can't recall not laughing at a funeral. At my great-grandmother's funeral, I recall having a good laugh with my dad. It was sort of a disgusted laugh, because he advised me that he wanted to be buried naked from the waist down--after all, he was going to be stuck there for a long time, and he might as well be comfortable. I recall being at the funeral of a close friend of my mum's, a man who was like family to us, and a whole group of us were laughing. He had been quite the joker and we spent a good bit of time recalling some particularly funny moments with him. I can even remember an instance where my two year old cousin died when I was maybe roughly nine years old, and after spending about half an hour alone crying, I went back downstairs and watched an episode of the Simpsons. I chuckled the whole way through. I remember getting into a fight with my sister about it, because she is not typically the type to react inappropriately. I got to think about this as I was prepping for NaNoWriMo, and thinking about how my characters would react under certain circumstances. I was pondering how odd human reactions can truly be. We all have our own ways to cope. I always try to remember this on a personal level (especially every time my grandma tells me to donate my body to science), as well as on a writing level. |
| As a writer (and as a person), I feel like I am constantly growing. I think that constant growth is incredibly important, and I feel like it is also important that I do things to foster that growth. I take free online courses; I watch movies and television (fiction and non-fiction); read books, articles, comics, magazines (again, fiction and non-fiction); listen to music; and play games. I like feeling like my knowledge in general and my knowledge in the world of media is constantly expanding and growing. I like seeing different methods of storytelling, and analyzing why they do or do not work. I like getting different information, and seeing how I best absorb that information. I like to experience the lives o others through media. I like seeing what different people and places are like. I like enjoying a taste of other cultures through the media that those other cultures consume. It is also incredibly important to practice writing. What you know doesn't do you any good if you don't make use of it. It's part of why I have been practicing with more prompts lately, and why I have been more consistent with my blog writing. I won't get better if I don't practice. I fancy myself a passable writer. I don't think I am a bad writer at all, but I know that I have a lot of room for improvement. I have a hard time measuring this improvement, and recently I realised that I have a goal that is fairly measurable. I have a story idea. I have had this same idea for years, but every time I try to get it out, I get it completely wrong. Not being able to get this idea out honestly has had a big impact on my confidence as a writer. It makes me feel like I am a bad writer. It makes me feel like I have bad ideas, and that my stories aren't worth telling. What I have come to realise is that getting my grand idea out isn't impossible. It isn't that the idea is bad. It isn't that I am a bad writer. The problem is that the idea is good. It's very good, and it has a lot of potential. My writing skills are okay. My story idea making ability has surpassed my actual writing skills! This is not an insurmountable issue. This is something I can overcome. I just need more time. I need to practice. I need to work at things I have less experience with. I need to work on better writing habits. I need to work on completing longer pieces. I need to work on improving everything. Eventually I will be able to write my idea into a short novel. Basically, after a lot of reflection, I have determined that it isn't that I'm not good enough. It's that I am not good enough yet. I may not be good enough now, but if I work at it, some day I may be. I think I have really learned a lesson that can help me through a great many struggles. Practice makes perfect, and I have finally found a way to incorporate that expression into an area of my life that is practical and attainable. |
| As part of Banned Books Week, I would like to break down a few of the reasons books get banned or challenged. As I discuss these reasons, I will also go over why they are awful reasons. Religion Don't get me wrong, I think religion can be an incredibly important thing for some people, religion is valid, and it can drive some truly kind and good deeds. Sometimes, however, religion goes in the wrong direction. We have a huge problem with a vocal minority of religious folks who believe that their religious freedom matters more than the religious freedom of others, and that if something goes against their religion than no one should be allowed to have it. Books that involve topics like homosexuality and abortion are deemed anti-religious and anti-family. Even certain books that involve characters of a "different" religion will rile up those who believe that only their own religion should be represented. During the 2000s, the Harry Potter series constantly ranked among the most challenged and banned books in America because it promoted witchcraft and satanism. Besides that fact that that is blatantly false, what is wrong with a little satanism every now and then? Mostly the religious excuse comes down to "I don't agree with it, I don't understand it, therefore no one should else should be allowed to read this." Sexual and Gender Identity Sexual and gender identity is just that: a person's identity. This makes it especially infuriating when people challenge or ban books that depict and LGBT+ character. They are anti-religious, anti-family, and inaccurate. I have already addressed it being considered anti-religious and anti-family, but inaccurate? I don't think anyone who is pushing for these books to be banned is in any position to deem another person's identity as inaccurate. Books with LGBT+ characters can be so important for people to read, particularly young people. These books can help you be more understanding of your LGBT+ family and friends, can help you truly understand your own identity, or help you get through rough times with homophobia and transphobia knowing that you're not alone in that. Sexual Depictions Sexuality is a big part of the teenage years. Pretending otherwise would be sticking our heads in the sand. Isn't it better to arm our teens with knowledge than to let them go into things they aren't ready for without a clue? Isn't it better to give them experiences they relate to so they know they are not alone? Isn't it better to give them experiences they aren't familiar with so that they can better understand the diverse experiences and people that surround them. Keeping kids in the dark will only hurt them, not benefit them. Even worse, is books about rape and molestation being banned for reasons of being "pornographic." Rape is not pornography. Rape is not there in the book to pleasure lonely teenagers. Rape is there because it is something teenagers experience and need to relate to. Books like I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings have been banned for this reason, which is actually incredibly foul to me. Who is anyone to say that a real person's real experiences are not appropriate? Experiencing sexual violence can make a person feel confused and alone, especially when you're young, and being armed with the knowledge to know where to go in that situation is absolutely vital. Drugs and Alcohol Drugs and alcohol are also a part of the teen years. Whether it is a teen at a party, a teen with an addiction, or a teen that has a friend or relative with an addiction, drugs and alcohol will make an appearance in the lives of many teenagers. This is another case of kids needing to know they are not alone, kids who need education about what is going on in the world around them, and kids who would benefit from learning simply to gain more compassion. Is it hard to read about? Yes. But life is hard, and books are an incredibly important way for many people to get through that. Taking away books that deal with these topics, takes away books that educate and support the community of youth. Violence I can understand why depictions of violence in literature make a person balk at exposing a child or teenager to it. Violence is hard to deal with. This is another one of those things where I truly believe it is too vital an educational opportunity for us to pass up. To teach children how not to bully or how to stand up to a bully, we show them what it is. To show them why war is wrong and how vital it is to support war-torn communities, we show them what it is. To teach how sexual or gender based violence is harmful, we show them what it is. There are so many books that are deemed too violent, but are absolutely critical learning tools. This is yet another scenario where they may be dealing with some form of violence. Some children may not handle these depictions as well as others, which is why it's important to discuss something with your child if you think they might not benefit from the book, rather than depriving other children of that book too. Fiction or non-fiction, books can be used as a learning tool for so many big moments in a person's life, good and bad. It is far more important to give people (even kids) the freedom to choose what they want to read, and to leave the door open for discussion to make the learning opportunity a better one. |
| I love getting to explore, experiment, and expand my tastes when it comes to all forms of media. I try to broaden my horizons with reading, writing, music, TV, video games, and film. Before this year, I had tried at expanding my film tastes, and in some ways I had a lot of success. I started to feel like I got into a bit of a slump, so I created a film challenge to push myself harder. The premise of my film challenge was to watch two to three new films per month in areas that wouldn't necessarily catch my attention first. It had to be something I had never seen before, and it had to fit one of the categories. There were twenty-five main categories, and five categories for the bonus round, for a total of thirty films. Each film could only count for one category, so even if it qualified for more than one, you had to choose which one you preferred it to count for. You had to watch the full twenty-five to thirty. The categories were things like decades (one film from every decade from the 1910s to the 2010s), locations (Canadian, European, Asian, African, South American), documentaries (social/cultural, science, history), independent, animated, based on a true story, based on a book, by or about someone from the LGBT+ community, directed by a woman, from the year you were born, and so on. I set it up on facebook, and got friends, family, and co-workers to participate. There were discussion threads for every category. We talked about legal ways to obtain films for every category, different film suggestions, and reviewed the films we watched. As of right now, I am the only one to have finished the challenge. I actually finished my year long challenge at the beginning of July. I found it really got me looking at films I hadn't really considered before, and I absolutely fell in love with some of them. I ended up watching several silent films, and became incredibly interested in them as a whole. Where Are My Children and The Toll of the Sea were the ones that counted for the challenge officially. I made a full post about silent film in August. For my 1940s film, I watched The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. I am actually a big fan of 1930s-1950s romantic comedies or romantic dramas featuring ghosts. It's a very niche area of film, and people always look at me funny when I say it, but it's been true since I was a little girl. I am actually surprised I had never seen The Ghost and Mrs. Muir before this year, but I loved it. My female directed film was Austenland, which is one that was a great deal of fun and I really felt that connection to. My LGBT film was But I'm a Cheerleader which was funny and touching and colourful in every sense of the word. My African film was Moolade, which had a fascinating plot I hadn't even considered, and felt well written and enjoyable all through. Carandiru was my South American film, which was based on a true story as well, and it was fascinating and heartbreaking. I actually watched Schindler's List for the first time ever as part of this challenge for my 90s film, and thought it was excellent. My love convinced me to watch The Warriors for my 70s film, and I loved it and maybe felt the urge to join a gang for a time afterwards. I saw Up as my 00s film, and cried like a baby. Of course I did watch a few movies that were not quite as enjoyable. Crowsnest (my Canadian film) gave me a headache, and Ghost Team One (for a bonus round involving watching a movie that looked bad) was just awful. As a whole, I feel like I got a great deal of personal benefit from this challenge. I really explored areas I wouldn't have explored before, and I explored areas that I should have explored and had not. I am particularly fond of challenges that allow me to push my media interests to their fullest potential, and as long as I can get interest again, I plan on running another one with new categories for 2017. |
| Banned Books Week is the last week in September every year, and it is about celebrating our freedom to read and fighting against book bannings and challenges. Like most of us here at WDC, I am a huge proponent of literacy, as well as a lover of books and of knowledge. I fight to keep books in the hands of children. I donate money to charities that provide books to underfunded schools, as well as donations directly to the library. I volunteer at the library. I help run general children's programs, but also work in a more specific program. I meet one on one with a child for the entire school year on a weekly basis to have fun with reading and writing, so that the child enjoys the activity and develops skills. I assisted with the homeschooling of my younger brother so that I could help him improve things like his reading skills. Books are a vital part of learning, they are a vital part of sharing knowledge, and they are a vital part of entertainment. Books can make you feel like you are not alone in the world, like someone else has experienced what you have experienced. Books can tell you stories of people and places and events completely unlike anything you have experienced, and thereby give you a broader understanding and acceptance of the world around you. Books can make you laugh and cry and sigh. It is hard for me to understand why anyone would try to ban books other than to silence ideas that they don't agree with. I honestly could never support this. If you don't want to read it... don't? That said, it is harder for me to swallow the mentality of "if you don't like it, don't read it" when people feel that extends to their children. Children should be allowed to read whatever they want. If your kid wants to read, why are you stopping them? I completely agree with Judy Blume when she said, “Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.” My biggest problem with banning children's and young adult books in particular, is that they are generally books that kids truly need. Violence, rape, coming out, drinking and drugs, bullying... these are all hard things to deal with. They are also all things real teenagers deal with every day. Knowledge is the best armour and the best arms. How can we expect kids to deal with topics we won't let them understand? Fighting book bannings and supporting the freedom to read is probably a topic my friends are tired of me bringing up. This is something I won't stop bringing up until everyone has that same freedom to read that I had from my parents when I was growing up. |
| Yesterday, I went to my city's comic-con. Well, one of them, anyway. My city is nerd central, so we actually have two comic-cons. I couldn't be more thrilled by this, just to be clear. Comic-cons are genuinely something really special. The geekier side of the local community gets to bond together, and share the different things that make us all nerds. TV and film stars, voice actors, and comic artists and writers all make an appearance for the fans to meet. Artists and craftspeople get to sell their wares to the ideal set of customers, and the crowd of attendees can find something for every niche. Cosplayers get to show off the months of hard work they put into their costumes, and the only people who will judge them for it are the people who are judging for the cosplay contest. Independent comic artists and writers are able to sell their books to a rapt audience they may not always have the opportunity to reach. While I was there, I was able to pick up a stack of new comics, some of which I was even given for free. I got an incredible new piece of X-Files art, in poster format, autographed by the artist. I got to see incredible people and incredible products. I attended three panels. The first was hosted by a local independent publisher, about publishing comics. This panel actually encouraged me to work harder on my own comic work, and I am now working on creating something with my brother. The second panel was about the cultural significance of comics in the last hundred years of history, hosted by a professor from the media studies department of the local university. This was absolutely fascinating, and I intend to study more about comic history as a result. He also mentioned a number of comics I now need to read, including a Canadian comic series I was not sure I would be able to get my hands onto. Lucky for me someone was giving them away for free across the building from the panel. This was a complete fluke, but I am incredibly excited to have the chance to read it. The third panel is probably the one I as most excited for, a voice actors' panel, hosted by Voices.com. This featured Christian Potenza, the voice of Jude in 6teen and Chris in Total Drama, and Toby Proctor, the voice of Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon. I sat in the front row and tried not to blush and giggle too much. This was an absolute childhood throwback for me, and I loved every second. I ended up being a bit too starstruck to ask any questions, sadly. Overall, it was an amazing day. I really can't gush about comic-cons enough. As a fan of a ton of nerdy stuff, they are a blast. As someone who enjoys various creative outlets, it's one of those things that really pushes you into going home and being creative. |
| I actually can't recall the first time I played video games or saw someone else playing them. My parents played them when I was little, and my uncle was a big gamer when he lived with us for quite some time. I gamed very regularly as a source of entertainment, but I wasn't hardcore into games at the time. There were things I could play for hours on end, but I didn't realise there was something missing for me at the time. When I was about ten years old, my uncle had a copy of a game I thought seemed interesting. It had a fantasy setting, with a highly artistic design, and an incredibly large, fleshed out world. I had never seen a game that felt so real, that felt so open. It was like the fantasy books and movies I enjoyed so much, but something I could participate in. The game was Morrowind. It's a little bit dated now, but it's still my all time favourite game, and I still play it. As a reader and writing, this game speaks to me on so many levels. Artistically it has a beautiful design. The graphics may be dated, but the art style never could be. Many fantasy games and films tend to have that standard medieval type of setting, something you could imagine equally as well in a period drama. Morrowind has a diverse spread of regions, each with its own distinct style and feel. Swampy coasts, rolling hills, barren rocky land, large sand dunes, volcanoes, and cliffs count among the different geographic styles that cover the lands. Even the buildings look different, depending on what groups reside in the area. You might see a standard medieval fortress, a city built on canals, or mage towers built out of plant life. The flora and fauna can vary depending on which area you are in. The game has multiple methods of transportation. You can be teleported by the mages guild between guild locations, ride in the shell of a tall creature, cast your own spells to head to specific locations, or take a boat along the coast. You can affiliate yourself with multiple groups. You can actually affiliate yourself with multiple religions. The game has an incredibly rich, textured world. There are different races, different backgrounds, different religions. There is an entire political system within the province, and within the country. The game deals with political turmoil, religious differences, racism, slavery, and more. There are centuries of history built up, and the game has dozens, maybe hundreds, of books you can read on history, and even just fictional stories. It feels like every aspect of Morrowind has been thought through to provide a richly textured experience. As someone who enjoys writing fantasy, I think this game has a lot to teach. There are ways to create and introduce a world that feels believable and fantastical all at once. There are so many aspects to think of when it comes to world building, and I think this game taught me a lot about the things I need to consider when I write. Morrowind is actually the third game in the Elder Scrolls series, and more people are familiar with games four (Oblivion) and five (Skyrim). While I enjoy the entire series immensely, I think Morrowind has the most to teach. That said, I think that any game that is focused around a story can be an excellent learning tool for most writers. Being a good storyteller isn't just about reading a lot (although that certainly helps), it's about consuming stories in all of their wonderful formats. |
| Recently I wrote a blog about places I have had the privilege of traveling to during my life so far. I believe that travel can be an important part of education and creativity, if used in the right way. We can always learn from books, and our imaginations can take us anywhere, but truly going to a new place can be a whole different kind of inspiration and learning. I wish it were easier for more people to manage. I wish it were easier for me to manage, ha. Travel can be difficult physically, mentally, and especially financially. I have found it rewarding for myself despite struggling with those other aspects. This post contains a small list of the places I would like to go and why. I have contained it to a list of seven so that it doesn't get too long, as my imagination is significantly larger than my wallet, and more durable than my body. England I have always been a huge fan of English history, ever since I was a little girl. As a child, it was primarily the medieval history that caught my attention. The grand castles, the knights, the nobles, and even the simple, hardworking lives of the lower classes. I have always been a fan of the darker side of history, so I was also fascinated by the Black Death and methods of execution. As I have grown older, my tastes have expanded. Most of English history is incredibly fascinating to me. Much of my childhood was also spent reading fictional stories that took place in England that caused my desire to grow. I would love to tour the city of London, for the history and for the modern culture and all the sights that it holds. I would also love to see more than just London. If there is some sort of national castle tour that allows me to visit all of England's castles, I would be all for this. France I do have an interest in French history too, as well as fiction set there; however, my desire is less driven by a personal history of studying the nation's history. French culture and cuisine drives me here. I want to see the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe. I want to see the Eiffel Tower, at day and night, and go up it. Having grown up in Canada, France is definitely one of those places you start to idealise from a young age during French class. My dad went to France when I was a kid, and he came home saying that he barely tried any real food, and lived almost entirely off pastries while there. This has been a life goal of mine ever since. Egypt When I first started learning about Egypt, it had very little to do with recent and current realities of the nation. With the above nations on this list, I had an idea of what they are like today, and had read books and seen movies set in modern day England and France. Egypt was something I had no reference point to process a current image of. I wasn't even aware of any sort of recent history, although as an adult it is something I definitely have the desire to learn more about. I grew up with a fascination with the traditions and culture of ancient Egypt. I think it probably started with the film The Mummy. I saw it, I loved it, and I knew then that I needed to know more about ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphics were a thing of beauty, pyramids were real world magic, and real life mummies were about the coolest thing my little kid brain could think up. I would love to go just to tour the historical sights alone, although I am sure the more I learn in the meantime, the more I will be interested in seeing. Greece Yet another place that I have wanted to go to since childhood based purely on ancient history and mythology. I did have a sort of vague idea of what modern day Greece was like, though most of my thoughts were on images of long ago. I would love to see all of the ancient architecture that still stands, and soak in any of what it can offer me. I do feel that I need to learn more about history since ancient times before going. I am aware of some beautiful medieval castles still standing in Greece, and this will always be a draw for me. Italy Italy is a place I actually cared less about as a child than an adult. The reason? Roman mythology is a rip off of Greek mythology! These were my priorities growing up. I have since realised that Italy has its own amazing set of scenery, history, culture, and delicious food. I would like to eat Italian food in Italy until I bleed pasta sauce. Touring Venice is like something out of a fantasy novel. Places like Florence, Naples, and Milan seem absolutely lovely, and going would be wonderful. Rome is the real draw, and I won't pretend otherwise. Everything from ancient to medieval to renaissance architecture and art makes Rome worth a visit to any proper history nerd, even if Italian history is not your strong point. Lithuania This one started out as a rather silly thing, actually. I was fifteen years old and I read a fictional novel that had a character I imagined as hot who was from Lithuania. I had never heard of the country, and did some research. Vilnius is a breathtaking city, every major city has a jazz festival, and the entirety of the small nation is littered with castles. It was the last nation to convert to Christianity during the Crusades, and while it has a Catholic majority, many pagan routes still exist in the nation. At least according to what I have read. I found some pretty awesome music from Lithuania too. I don't much care one way or the other about that character anymore, but I still want to see Lithuania. It's one of those fascinations that time didn't allow to fizzle out. Iceland The Icelandic visit started out as a bit of a joke actually. I saw Iceland on a list of good countries to live in, and it became the thing to say when things went wrong: "That's it, I'm moving to Iceland!" Reykjavík never gets too hot by my current local standards, and actually doesn't drop too low either based on what I'm used to! I love the idea of a city settled by vikings, and the current cityscape seems like the kind of thing I will have to check out in real life. Outside Reykjavík, Iceland has mountains, volcanoes, and the Aurora Borealis. Iceland is a place of beauty and history, neither of which I can resist. As stated before, I've kept my list to a mere seven to avoid it getting too lengthy. I'm sure seven is more than lengthy enough! I hope you've enjoyed reading this post, and the previous one. I'll be doing my best to keep this blog up, so you should see another post coming soon! |
| I imagine having a bit of wanderlust is common for both readers and writers. You read and write about so many far away places, and you want to go to them. I mean, I would literally rather stay in my house than go out most days. But I also want to see the world. I have been privileged enough in my life to have made a fair few trips so far, and I thought it would be nice to share a bit about where I have been, and what I have done while there. Canada First off, I would like to note, I was born, raised, and live in Canada. I reside in Ontario, as I always have. Growing up, my parents would take us on trips out of town during the summer. I recall many fond weeks in the Georgian Bay area, which I highly recommend. Snorkeling in the water there is incredible, even if it is cold; the grotto is absolutely breathtaking; and the hiking trails are gorgeous and challenging. Niagara Falls is only a couple hours away. I have made several journeys to visit the falls, and to enjoy the tourist attractions in the city. We were even there one Victoria Day to see fireworks set off over the falls. I was also born in Ottawa, although I grew up much further south, so we took many trips to visit friends in Ottawa and western Quebec. I have visited many of the museums in Ottawa, and have toured our Parliament building, an absolutely stunning piece of architecture. There was an incredible summer where we were able to take a road trip across the eastern portion of the country. We drove through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. I had ice cream in every province--the best in Prince Edward Island, the worst in New Brunswick. I ate at a top end seafood place in PEI. I wandered the streets of Old Quebec. I visited Springhill, Nova Scotia, where my family lived two generations ago, and apparently still have distant cousins residing. We went to the Anne Murray Centre there, as well as an excellent tour of the mines there, infamous for two explosions. We visited the Bay of Fundy. I don't recall where, but I got to stand ankle deep in the Atlantic.The most significant thing for me was our visit to Green Gables. As in Anne of Green Gables. I set foot in literature. Michigan I have made a number of trips to Michigan. These are actually not particularly notable in terms of tourism and travel, but it always makes for a lovely day. Usually they are day or weekend shopping trips with my grandmother. We stop in at stores we don't have in Canada. We would sometimes stay in a hotel. I believe I had been on a similar trip to Ohio as a small child as well, but I am not positive. Massachusetts I was in my late teens when I visited Massachusetts. I was there seeing friends, so sadly I didn't get to visit any historical sights. I love history, and always wanted to go to MA for the history, so this does sadden me. I did get to do some pretty exciting things while there. I went to an NFL game; I saw the Patriots play the Chargers, and the Pats won. I went to Six Flags New England, and enjoyed all of the roller coasters they had. I saw Opeth play in Worcester. It was a fun trip, even if I didn't get any history out of it. New York I have made a number of trips to New York for visits in my late teens and early twenties, and I ended up doing much of the obligatory tourist stuff. I went to the top of the Empire State Building, the view was just as incredible as promised, and the elevator was unexpectedly fast. I took pictures of the art on the walls inside Penn Station. I took a brief tour of the New York Public Library, probably one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings I have ever been in, and even saw part of an original, handwritten copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I went to the Museum of Natural History. I had other places to be that day, so I sadly did not see nearly as much as I had hoped for, but being surrounded by that much history was magical. One of the things I still cherish the most was my trip to a Broadway show. I saw the 2014 revival of Les Miserables, and even met the cast outside afterwards to have them sign my playbill (which I still have). I love musical theatre, and I am particularly fond of Les Miserables, so this is something that was incredibly special for me. I also traveled through Pennsylvania and New Jersey to get there by bus. I don't have much experience with either, and didn't spend any time in either to justify there own places on my list. What I saw of NJ was incredibly beautiful though. Northern Ireland My very special significant other resides in Northern Ireland, so I have made multiple trips there, that last for a couple of weeks. I fly into Dublin when I go, and bus through the Irish countryside to get to the north, which is incredible and very film-like. I have spent time in Derry, Omagh, and Belfast. I saw many of the incredible local nature sights, spent time in local bars, ate top notch curry, and had the best soft serve ice cream I have ever had. I got to wander the streets of Belfast, and go in and out of shops. I spent a good bit of time at Derry's walls, which is an incredible bit of history I am thrilled to have seen in person. I also participated in a very tourist-oriented tour of the Antrim Coast. My boyfriend was less fond of this, as it got rather corny at times, but I ate it up. We crossed the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, this being one of the things he was less fond of due to fear of heights. We had lunch and samples at the Old Bushmills distillery, which was lovely. We spent a couple of hours touring the Giant's Causeway, an incredibly beautiful natural location, and it really brought me back to my childhood to climb around on the rock formations. During the bus ride, we drove past old man made caves, and past the real life film location for Castle Black and the wall from Game of Thrones. We also stopped for some incredible photo opportunities at Carrickfergus Castle and Dunluce Castle. As I am there to visit my boyfriend, tourist attractions are actually a very small part of my visits to him. They are a nice bonus, and I have loved getting to do them and to share them with him, but they are really only bonuses. Much of my time there is spent cuddling on the couch watching movies, and the like. I love him even more for his willingness to humour me in the odd tourist activity. That's all for now, but I would love to travel so much more. Probably more than I will ever actually manage. Coming soon, a post about where I would like to go. |
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I hate sad endings. They make the best stories though. I guess I'll make reading William Shakespeare my New Year Resolution for next year or something I'd write for Dear Me 2018.