Staying at Disney’s Coronado Springs

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In all the excitement of going through my photos and blogging about each day at the different parks, I completely forgot to talk about staying on Disney property during this past Disney World vacation! I had some friends ask about the differences between staying on property at Disney versus staying at a hotel or other condominium/resort, so it inspired me to touch on it in a post. Now, when I booked my trip originally, the plan was not to stay at a Disney Resort; quite honestly, I never imagined being able to stay on one because I always thought about it being out of my price range. However, my wonderful travel agent from Pure Magic Vacations came to the rescue when our flights got cancelled a few weeks out from our trip and was able to find us an awesome deal to stay on Disney property at Coronado Springs.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, before my last trip, I had the privilege of visiting Disney World twice before. Both of those trips I was staying on a hotel/resort that was approximately 15 minutes from Epcot. This resort offered shuttles to the parks, but only 4 times a day, and pick up from the park only 4 times a day as well. The resort itself had good amenities, several pools, a gym, fun activities and a gaming centre, as well as grocery shuttles to the local shops (all the rooms in this resort were suite style so there was a full kitchen in our suite as well as a living room, and separate bedrooms.) As I mentioned, we were intending to stay at a resort similar to the ones we had already stayed at prior, so we knew we would be well situated and familiar with the nearby shops and things in the area. Heading into this next trip, we were planning to rent a car, so we were going to have the option to hit up Disney Springs but also go to and leave the parks whenever we wanted to versus having to catch the limited shuttles that were available. However, once we found out we were now going to stay on Disney property, there were changes afoot.

What some people don’t know about staying on Disney property, though I am sure they can assume, is that there are many perks. For starters, your shuttle from/to the airport is included; this is called Disney’s Magical Express. When you arrive you have the option to check your bags and enjoy the resort (if arriving before your check-in time and your room is not yet ready), or if your room is ready you are given your complimentary magic band, park button, and if you haven’t done so already, you can talk to a cast member about adding some dining reservations or fast passes to your stay. Your magic band is loaded with benefits: it is your park tickets, room key, photopass scan, and if you wish, you can even have your credit card information saved on it so you can tap it to make purchases while at the park so you don’t have to carry your wallet. When you book your stay at a Disney resort, you also get to book your Fast Passes 60 days in advance instead of 30 (though this did not apply to us as we already had ours booked). To our surprise, one of the Disney cast members granted us an additional 3 Fast Passes for each of the 4 days we were at the parks; these fast passes didn’t have to be ride specific and could be used whenever we wanted throughout the day; an phenomenal special addition to our trip, which was just getting started!

Disney’s Coronado Springs is a Spanish influenced resort, celebrating “the daring spirit of great Spanish explorers, artists, writers and architects.” There are three main restaurants, as well as a poolside grill and bar, snack bar, giftshop, and three pools (one of them with a waterslide). There are also 4 bus stations around the resort, each one located no more than a 2 minute walk from rooms in that section of the property. Remember when I said earlier about the other resort’s shuttles to Disney being four times a day? When you stay on Disney property, the shuttles come every few minutes to and from the parks, and about every 10 minutes to Disney Springs. You never are stuck waiting for a ride, and honestly, after walking over 20,000 steps at the park, you’ll be relieved when you aren’t waiting around for long to get back to your room.

Speaking of rooms, the resort rooms were quite nice. There were two queen size beds with plenty of pillows and blankets. Our room had a lot of storage as well. The bathroom had a large vanity with two sinks, and the shower/toilet were separated from the vanity area so it made getting ready a breeze. Disney Resorts also have special shampoo, conditioner, and soaps, so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own. Also, there is aloe gel as well as moisturizer, a small first aid kit (a few bandaids), and travel size tissues. The little details made you feel right at home. If you were spending any time in the room, you wouldn’t be cramped or crowded doing so!

The resort itself offered a lot of fun activities. Each night between 5:30-7pm there was a campfire where guests could roast complimentary marshmallows. You could also purchase a smores kit for only $3 or $5. Most nights, there were also movie nights under the stars with free popcorn. Two of the nights also featured karaoke. During the day, there were games by the pool like BINGO and Name that Tune. Also, there was an arcade area as well as a games area (ping pong, connect four and bocce) and beach volleyball. Needless to say, there was not a shortage of activities to keep you entertained while you were away from the parks.

Another great perk about staying on Disney property is about shopping. When you buy merchandise while at any of the parks, instead of carrying the items around with you for the day, you can have your purchases sent back to your resort room. This is especially convenient if you don’t plan on bringing much with you to the park, or if you end up buying a lot of things and don’t want to lug them around all day. Sometimes, I save my purchases for the end of the day when I am leaving the park, but I didn’t have to worry about it this time, and honestly it was a great option to have this trip. Just another thing to keep in mind!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed staying at Disney’s Coronado Resort. Despite the resort undergoing some refurbishments, they were of no disruption to us whatsoever and when completed, I am sure will add greatly to the overall atmosphere and entertainment factor of the property. If you are planning to take a Disney vacation, I highly recommend speaking with a Pure Magic Vacations travel agent, or any agent who specializes in Disney Vacations to make your trip as magical as possible and to ensure you get the most for your money. With each Disney Resort offering something different, there are many great options to consider when planning a Disney vacation.

Thanks for reading my blog! I would love to hear about any of your own Disney experiences.

My Journey of Homeownership

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March 6th is a special day for my husband and I; a day that will forever be an important reminder of becoming responsible adults. On this day in 2014, my husband and I received the keys to our very first home! No more living in school residences, no more renting apartments, no more living with our parents! It’s true, on March 6th 2014 we officially became homeowners. What a magical, scary, exciting, and fascinating leap into such a common yet new journey. Let’s climb aboard the memory train and revisit the fascinating process that is buying a home…

In 2013 when my Dad suddenly passed away, there were many emotions that I was trying to process on a daily basis. Not even 6 months prior, I had just moved back home from Kingston after completing my Masters degree and was looking to start my career in the field of education. The plan was to stay at home for a bit, but my boyfriend (now husband) was going to move in with us, as we were planning to do some renovations which included finishing the basement and making a livable space down there. Picking out flooring, paint colours and planning out how to makeover some of the spaces in the house was an intriguing and exciting process. In the short time between August 2012 and February 2013, we had made considerable progress; brand new laminate flooring throughout the entire house (wow, ripping up carpet is NOT fun), updated fresh paint colours in every room, and some new furniture for the living room, dining room and kitchen. The short time we had to experience these homeownership-like tasks was preparing us for real homeownership, we just didn’t know it at the time.

Looking back at those 6 months now, it is evident to me how vital that time was in getting my husband and I ready for owning our own home. Since it was our idea to do the renovations, we had paid for all of them ourselves; scary yet necessary. We were fully prepared to stay in that house for a few years and live alongside my Dad, but still contribute to the home in the form of paying some bills, part of the mortgage etc. It really was going to be a trial period of homeownership. However, as the saying goes, life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans…

My Dad’s passing in February of 2013 was complicated, and it’s still hard to find the right words to describe just what I was feeling. There are a lot of details that need to be worked out when someone passes away, and while most of that responsibility was left to my eldest brother, there was still a lot of things to figure out and decisions to be made. One of the most pressing decisions was of course, what we were going to do with the house. I won’t go into the legal matters, but basically there was a choice to be made about staying in the house or moving out. For many reasons, not just financial ones, we had decided that the best thing to do was to sell my Dad’s house and proceed with the next steps… getting pre-approved for a mortgage!

We’ve all had those moments when we’ve thought about our spending habits and have had that self-talk about needing to buckle down and put more money away for your future. All these conversations come back in one giant wave when you’re about to meet with the bank to discuss your mortgage options. Yeah, I never imagined at 25 that I would need to be sitting down to discuss a mortgage, especially since I just graduated post-secondary again and yeah, I had a lot of debt. The funny thing about going to the bank to talk about your finances is that you take yourself on a rollercoaster of emotions; at least I did. I always thought I had a good handle on my savings, spending, and was on the right track with my responsibilities — and I was and STILL am — but WOW do you ever doubt yourself when you have to talk about signing you name to an agreement with the bank for hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you finally do sit down and get the green light to spend “x” amount of dollars on your new home, the nerves simmer down a bit and the fun part can truly begin.

It didn’t take us long to determine what we really wanted in our first home, and we knew that a fixer-upper or older home wasn’t it, at least not right now. Within about a week, we had narrowed our choice down to two different new-build subdivisions: one in Innisfil and one in Alliston. Even as it was happening, the decision seemed very simple and it just felt right. On March 23rd, 2013 we officially gave our deposit and signed our papers, oh, and we also got to put that symbolic dot on the builder map; that means that lot belongs to you! Wahoo!!

For the next several months, there were many decisions to be made and while they were overwhelming at times, they were all quite exhilarating. Choosing everything from flooring to cupboards, to fixtures, to where to put those cable outlets and how high you want your breakfast bar, nothing can really prepare you for making the right decisions other than experience (coupled with some valuable and truthful advice from people who have done this before). It is fascinating to think that when all is said and done, my husband and I had a lot of choice in shaping how our house was going to turn out. Piecing together the look of your home, your very first home, was such an unforgettable experience. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was nervous how it would all turn out, would that countertop really look good with those cupboards? This was a huge deal, and we were pouring a lot of money into this, we didn’t want to mess it up. Pride of ownership is a very real thing, and I always have high expectations for myself, so this process was no different. There were definitely times where we questioned if we made the right choices, but at the same time, when you go to a showroom and stare at tile for 3 hours they begin to all look alike; at some point you go home and a few days pass and you forget what the tile even looked like altogether. Now is not the time to panic… bahahah!

Months go by and you continue to give deposit and after deposit, and the odd time you try to drive to the subdivision to check on the progress of your home (and perhaps sneak inside-even though you’re absolutely not supposed to do this). One time (very close to my Dad’s birthday in December), we drove to go see the progress of our house. At this point, our neighbours house on the corner lot was non existent, so we pulled up and immediately our jaws dropped to the floor. All that brick and all those windows, even those doors, those were OUR bricks, OUR windows and OUR doors! I remember looking at my husband in the driver’s seat and a tear or two started to fall from my eyes. I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and that in a few months, we were going to be homeowners! All those deposits and all that money was REALLY being put towards something, and so far that something was INCREDIBLE.

The months continued to pass and the closer we got to March 6th, the more heightened the hype became. We were able to do a complete walkthrough of our home to ensure that all the appropriate items we had requested (and paid extra for in some cases) were included. We also had to do a thorough check to make sure that nothing was forgotten (like a waterline for the refrigerator, for example). Before we knew it, it was days before we were set to get the keys. Anyone who has ever bought a home from a builder before can tell you that sometimes your home won’t close on time. Sometimes there are delays with materials or the work in finalizing everything for your home. Luckily, when March 6th arrived and we received a call from our lawyer, the keys were ready to be retrieved and we could officially step through the doors of our very first home!

When I reflect on all the steps it took getting to that day, I cannot help but feel immense appreciation and humility. My husband and I always understood that not everyone has the privilege of being able to buy a home, yet alone a brand new build; especially in their mid-20s and in today’s society. We are very lucky and blessed. With that being said, there is also a part of us that knows we worked very hard to get to where we are today, and due to some unfortunate circumstances, had to make some big decisions in such little time; all of these factor into how our life takes its shape. Since moving into our home in 2014 we have had the opportunity to celebrate many of life’s milestones and special moments here: our engagement, getting ready the morning of our wedding, birthdays, anniversaries, halloween parties, gatherings with friends and family, introducing new furry family members and so much more!

As we sat at the dinner table this evening, my husband and I discussed some of our first memories of walking into our home for the very first time. It is remarkable how quickly 5 years can go by, yet so much has happened. Not a day goes by where we don’t take a moment and think about how much we value being homeowners, no matter how stressful or uncertain it can be sometimes. We continue to take pride in our ownership and make our house a home built for us. Whether it’s what decor sits in each room, the paint colours, the backsplash for the kitchen, or completely finishing our basement into a pretty wicked hangout space, we’ve really enjoyed every part of the journey. Oh, and so much learning along the way…

Since 2017, I have been working alongside my brother and sister-in-law in Real Estate and have learned so much more about home ownership, housing, buying vs renting, and many other real estate topics. While there is still always things to learn, I am even more thankful for having the opportunity to work alongside them because it has allowed me to be more critical in my thinking and decisions about my own home and potential homes in the future. In addition, having people you love and trust who are also super knowledgeable makes everything much better. I can say with confidence that my understanding of owning a home (and all it’s steps/processes) is on the rise with each passing month and experience, and for this I am ever appreciative.

“A House is Made of Walls & Beams, A Home is Made of Love & Dreams”

Experiencing Blue Mountain’s Scandinave Spa

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Earlier this week I had the privilege of taking a day off work in the middle of the week to experience a day of tranquillity and ultimate relaxation with my husband, as we ventured to the Scandinave Spa at Blue Mountain.

Back in June of 2018, I turned 30 and was generously gifted with a gift card to experience the Scandinave Spa. It was very exciting to not only receive such a gift but also to be able to find out what all the hype was regarding the Scandinave Spa. I have never before experienced a massage, honestly, the thought of one sounded lovely but in many ways, I was also a tad nervous. Anyone who knows me knows that I rarely am nervous, but I am incredibly ticklish and jumpy so the thought of a massage sometimes made me feel uncomfortable; yes, the total opposite of how a massage is supposed to make you feel. Nevertheless, it was always something I wanted to try, and now I had all the more reason to give it a shot.

For those of you who do not know, the Scandinave Spa in Blue Mountain is a unique hydrotherapy experience offering guests a variety of massage therapy options as well as outdoor spas, hot springs, saunas, etc. As their website explains,

“Hydrotherapy as an effective way of releasing tensions in both the mind and the body is an ancient practice that dates back thousands of years. The cycle of hot-cold-relax is proven to both energize and rest the body, improving blood circulation and activating the lymphatic system to help detoxification. It also actively promotes the release of endorphins, also known as the “well-being hormones”. Revived. Body & Mind.”

With it being -20 degrees Celcius, what better time to try out an outdoor spa than in February? Oh, Canada! Well, truth be told, as I mentioned before, I was gifted with the certificate to the spa in June, and the goal was for my husband and me to go in August (around our wedding anniversary), but to no surprise, the spa books up months and months in advance. Finding a weekend timeslot is next to impossible unless you book months ahead or there is a cancellation. However, everyone told us that the spa was really enjoyable in the winter, but I am sure is amazing year round, so we were not discouraged about not going in the warmer months, we really just wanted to go!

After having to change our spa day about 2 or 3 times due to scheduling conflicts, illness etc. we finally were able to go this past Tuesday. A few days leading up to the spa day, my husband caught a really nasty flu (from me) and he had a lingering cough that didn’t seem to want to go away. Worried that we might have to cancel AGAIN, we tried our best to make sure he was well rested and taking the appropriate medications to kiss that cough bye-bye. He was getting better and better the closer we got to Tuesday, so we were once again hopeful that we finally were going to the Spa. Monday morning rolled around and Simcoe County (and surrounding area) was hit with a nasty snow storm. Yeah, nasty is putting it lightly… the major highways were closed, schools even closed, and wind gusts up to 80km/hr with 15cm of snowfall. Did I mention the Spa is in Blue Mountain (Collingwood, Ontario) That’s an important detail…

We live just over an hour away from Collingwood, and the only way to get there was to travel through this snowmageddon that was happening. I was confident that the driving conditions would improve overnight and come Tuesday morning, the drive would be a lot less messy and we wouldn’t be risking our lives all in the name of a day at the spa. When Tuesday morning arrived, we took our time and gave ourselves plenty of extra time to arrive. Our massages were not until 11:30 anyway, so we did have ample time to get there. After travelling through mild drifting snow, we pulled up to the spa ready for a day of quiet and relaxation.

Upon checking in, we were each given a set of towels as well as a robe, and we made our way down the steps into the changerooms. Each changeroom is equipped with showers, a coatroom, lockers and ample changing space with vanities. The spa does not allow cellphone use, so you have to lock up your phone with your clothes; which makes for the ultimate unplugging and relaxation experience. Honestly, it was really great to unwind and not worry about checking emails, Facebook, or Instagram. After changing for our massage, we met on the other end of the changerooms and headed toward the Massage Rooms.

To my surprise, I survived the massage with little to no ticklish moments. The therapist explained that he would be applying medium intensity and would work any problem areas at my request. To no surprise, I found my shoulders to have the most tension and this section was the most painful, but it was a good pain! The only really ticklish part was my feet, but that was expected considering I can’t make it through a pedicure without laughing! I noticed a difference immediately after the massage was over, and I definitely need to treat myself to one more often.

After our 60 minute massage, we changed into our swimsuits and headed outside. First, we went to the sauna, followed by hot baths and we even ventured into the cold plunge baths as part of the hot-cold-relax circuit. One of the best parts of the day was being in a serene, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere for most of the day; you don’t realize how much you really need the quiet and calm until the day is done.

While the day at the spa is pricey, it definitely is worthwhile to treat yourself and have a beautiful, relaxing day with your partner. My husband and I were very appreciative to have that experience together, as we have been together for 14 years and still love finding new things to do together. I’d love to revisit the spa, perhaps next time for a girls day? Whose coming with me?

Thanks for reading my blog. For more information on the Scandinave Spa check out their website:
https://www.scandinave.com/blue-mountain/en/experience-blue-mountain/

The Wilderness Must be Explored! A Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Alas, our final day at the parks arrived and we were off to find adventure in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Much like Epcot, one cannot help but feel as though the Animal Kingdom does not get the love and appreciation that it deserves. Often coined as merely a “half-day” park visit, it is often said that apart from seeing the wildlife, there isn’t much fun to be had. Again, I disagree because the Animal Kingdom provides you with the perfect opportunity to do what you should be doing at all the parks, soak in every detail and moment, and enjoy your time!

We arrived at the park around 9 am and immediately made our way towards Pandora: The World of Avatar. The newest addition to the park, and arguably the hottest attraction at Disney (alongside Toy Story Land), Pandora captivates your senses and invites you to step foot into a stunning land of remarkable flora and landscapes. Our first attraction was Avatar: Flight of Passage – an unbelievable 3D experience allowing you to feel what it would be like to ride on the back of a banshee and navigate through the stunning landscapes of Pandora through the Valley of Mo’ara. Yes, this ride has been open for two years and the wait time is still about three hours. With all things Disney World, pack your patience. However, there is much to look at while waiting in line; once again Disney does not skip the details. There are so many beautiful trees and plants to admire, and the higher up you get in the line, the more beautiful the views you see of the park. Our wait was about 2 and a half hours, and honestly, it was worth it. The ride is mindblowing; you truly feel the wind on your face and the dips and dives of riding the banshee; it lasts about 5 minutes and there are about 16 riders allowed in each section, so it’s understandable why the wait is so long. It definitely is something you’ll want to experience, even if you never watched Avatar back in 2009.

When we exited the ride, we decided to explore Pandora a little more. As we were exploring, a group of drummers and performers had started in the middle of Pandora; their crowd interaction and engagement was wicked and my friend even got to do some drumming. After having some fun with the drumming and dancing, it was time for lunch. Once we filled up on pizza, there was more fun to be had. It wasn’t quite time to use a Fast Pass, so we managed to find Pocahontas and snag a picture with her and discuss our spirit animals, alongside our appreciation for Meeko because who doesn’t love that little raccoon? It was then time for the Festival of the Lion King!

The Festival of the Lion King is a spectacular 30-minute production full of sing-along songs, dancing and incredible performers and acrobatics. All your favourites are there: Timon, Pumba and of course Simba; they also get the audience involved. I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but it really is amazing how engaged you are in all the experiences. We used a Fast Pass for this experience, usually, the wait is about 30-50 minutes, depending on when you get in line and when the last show started. It is a show I would recommend time and time again, and I truly think the more you see it, the more you enjoy it! I also am obsessed with the robotic Simba… don’t ask until you see him swaying his head to the beat. Bahaha…

The Festival of the Lion King was followed up by dancing in the streets of Africa; incredible live music and dancers always speak to us so we were happy to sway and dance alongside the performers in the crowd. Our next fast pass was Kilimanjaro Safaris; a 25-minute jeep ride throughout the safari within the park. We got to see some of the animals wandering about, and this trip we got quite close to some of the animals!

After the safari, we stopped to grab a snow cone and headed off to Expedition Everest; a thrilling rollercoaster ride. We were able to use a fast pass here and that allowed us to catch the last show of the day of Up! A Great Bird Adventure (a 20-minute live-action performance with Dug and Russell showcasing a variety of different bird species). This is a newer addition to the park, so it was a new experience for us alongside all the Avatar attractions. By this time, it was after 5:30pm and there were still a few things we wanted to do. Utilizing another fast pass, we were able to see It’s Tough Being a Bug (the A Bug’s Life attraction) and made our way back to Pandora to ride Na’vi River Boat Ride. Once again, this Avatar inspired ride was so visually stunning, it was worth the hour and twenty-minute wait.

The sun had set on another magical day at Walt Disney World and our vacation was coming to an end. We left the Na’vi River Ride and began to make our way toward the exit. We stopped at a few shops and stood to admire the Tree of Life one last time before catching the shuttle back to our resort. I really appreciated having the Animal Kingdom park close out our trip because it allowed us the time to slow down and enjoy everything around us. Weather-wise, it was a comfortable 20 degrees Celcius throughout most of the day, and we probably had the most consistent sunshine that we had seen throughout the entire trip. Leaving Disney World is always a bit sad, but I had such a phenomenal trip with my bestie that I couldn’t feel sad at all; we had the chance to try new things, reunite and relive some old favourites it was impossible to be sad.

Thank you to everyone who continues to read my blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed reliving some of my Disney adventures with me, it has been really fun to recap and revisit some of these moments. I can’t wait to start planning my next trip to Disney World, whenever that may be!

Discovering Disney Springs

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While on my most recent trip to Walt Disney World, my friend and I took a day off from the parks to visit the highly anticipated Disney Springs. For those who don’t know, Disney Springs, formally known as Downtown Disney is a massive outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment hub. While there are many Disney themed shops, there are also several other stores not affiliated with Disney whatsoever. There is so much to do and see here, and lots of money to be spent (if you’re not careful) and I will give you a rundown of just how our day was spent discovering Disney Springs.

After 3 long consecutive days at the parks, Saturday was a much-needed sleeping-in day and a day which we needed to simply go at a slower, less scheduled pace. While I mentioned before that I don’t pre-plan a ton of my trip when I go to the parks, with dining reservations and fast passes, you are bound by some sort of time keeping a schedule for part of the day; yet none of that was happening today! We were able to sleep in and get a good rest, and we didn’t head over to Disney Springs until about 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Our View at Lunch Time

Upon arrival, we headed to D-Luxe Burger restaurant for lunch. This is a coined as a family-friendly spot for burgers and fries in a rustic atmosphere (though there is plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the water and other shops). For about $30 you get two gourmet burgers loaded with toppings, a generously sized fries for sharing, and two beverages. Of course, my friend and I shared this combo. D-Luxe also offers this delicious garlic-mayo for dipping; it was so good! They will cook your burger to your liking whether that is medium rare or well done etc. It was a really gorgeous day, so we definitely took advantage of eating outside; probably the nicest weather of the whole trip, a high of about 24 degrees Celcius.

After lunch, we began to walk about the docks at Disney Springs and check out the shops. Of course, instant favourites of ours were: Market Place Co-Op, Star Wars Galactic Outpost, Disney Pin Traders, Candy Cauldron, World of Disney, Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop (yes we snagged some delicious ice cream and free chocolate samples!), Disney Style, and Ever After Jewelry Co. & Accessories. Unfortunately, Saturday was the day where I was feeling ill, and quite frankly, couldn’t really take advantage of all that Disney Springs had to offer because we had to leave a little earlier than we had planned. Nevertheless, we did have great success shopping! I was able to score a fantastic Star Wars sequence jacket & a Loungefly Star Wars bag; I had limited myself to only 2 items for the trip so I was really happy to find these.

There really is so much to do and see at Disney Springs; they have a movie theatre as well as live entertainment, mini golf, and so much more. When the weather is great, it is so easy to spend the whole day roaming the grounds and checking out all the shops and stops. I know that many people take 2 or 3 days out of their trip to explore Disney Springs, and it is easy to see why. Luckily, we were able to return to Disney Springs on the last day of our trip to do a few more things and indulge in Sprinkles Cupcakes! I would say that the shops at Springs offered some items you couldn’t find in the parks, which was nice to see. On that same note, if there was something you saw at the park you absolutely wanted but didn’t get, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to pick it up at Disney Springs. One way to check for sure is to ask a Castmember (Disney World employee) at the park if the item is available anywhere else; they have a handy app that tells them where the items are located. Also, on your My Disney Experience App, under the shopping section, you can look for items by name or franchise and the map will show you what other locations have it. For example, if you absolutely need that Mary Poppins bag, the app will tell you if you can get it at Epcot, Magic Kingdom or Disney Springs. Keep it in mind, next time you’re searching for something but remember that technology isn’t perfect. For example, the app didn’t say that my bag was available at Disney Springs, and it was! So sometimes you gotta roll the dice or take your chances; you may be in for a surprise.

Before you head to Disney Springs, check out their website for a list of all the shops and entertainment events going on. I recommend planning out at least a few of the things you want to see, and getting an idea of where they are located in relevance to each other. For dinner, almost every place requires reservations, so keep this in mind. You can call ahead, or use the Open Table website to look at some available timeslots (if any). Last, but certainly not least, have a budget! It’s so easy to get caught up in everything Disney Springs has to offer, but you don’t want to break the bank doing so!


Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for my next blog on our adventures in the Animal Kingdom.

My Magical Day in the Magic Kingdom

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Day 3 of our Disney World vacation landed us at one of the most magical of all Disney Parks; Magic Kingdom. Yes, you probably recognize it from all those glorious castle photos, but my post will share with you many of the wonderful sites and sounds (and smells) that come from spending the day at the Magic Kingdom!

There is so much to do and see at the Magic Kingdom, you want to ensure you get there as early as you can; this might not be rope drop, but getting there before 10 am is ideal. We arrived at 9 a.m, and our first Fast Pass wasn’t until later in the day, so we immediately headed over to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse! For those who don’t know, Mickey turned 90 recently, so he and Minnie are sporting special birthday outfits, and there are special things going on to celebrate his birthday. Ironically, my past few visits to Disney seldom included visiting Mickey Mouse, but this time we simply had to go do a character greeting. We were told from many people that this was the most anticipated character greeting in the kingdom so we would be waiting awhile; yep – the line was already an hour wait at 9 am. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that once inside, we only waited 35 minutes! What a fabulous way to start off a magical day.

Celebration Mickey and Minnie Character Greeting

After saying goodbye to Mickey and Minnie, we made our way up Main Street, ran into Mary Poppins while listening to the quartet welcome everyone to the park, getting a whiff of delicious candy and baked goods, oh and snapping a few pictures in front of the castle. We headed over to tour the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, rode Aladdin’s Magic Carpets, and finally got to ride Big Thunder Mountain (the ride was closed for refurbishments my last 2 visits!). I must say, Big Thunder Mountain is a wicked ride; we were able to use a Fast Pass here but I would have gladly waited in line for it – it was a lot of fun! Before our next Fast Pass at the Haunted Mansion, we zipped over to Gaston’s Tavern to indulge in a decadent cinnamon roll that we paired with LeFou’s Brew; frozen apple juice with hints of marshmallow, topped with a creamy passion-fruit froth. Honestly, I could have had 2 or 3 of these they were so crisp and refreshing; we even had a few people stop us as we were walking back towards the Haunted Mansion what it was we were sipping. After using our Fast Passes for the Haunted Mansion, it was time for lunch.

Landing a reservation at Be Our Guest restaurant used to be next to impossible; the restaurant is right inside the Beast’s castle and during dinner service, the Beast will actually come out to see guests. Recently, they changed Be Our Guest lunch service to a quick service, which means that dining here doesn’t have to take up a lot of time, but it also allows for more guests to be able to eat inside the castle. We were able to snag lunch reservations, and while there were no characters coming around during our meal, it was really neat to sit inside the castle and get to explore the iconic rooms from the film. For about $20, I had a carved turkey sandwich with a side and a beverage; my friend and I shared the Master’s Cupcake, you know, the one with the grey stuff; it was delicious! Everything about the meal was good, and after snagging some pictures inside the castle, it was off for more adventures.

Once we left Be Our Guest restaurant, we stumbled upon Anastasia and Drizella, the step-sisters from Cinderella. I was excited to see them, as in past visits they had only ever been in the parades. I would be lying if I said that this wasn’t one of the top 3 moments of the day, perhaps even the trip. These ladies were such a hoot. Interacting with them was so much fun, and they were all about taking photos, especially selfies, after all, the attention was finally on them and not Cinderella. These gals had everyone in line laughing and made you forget about ever considering them to be ugly, evil or nasty step-sisters; they were amazing!

  • Meeting Anastasia and Drizella

We said goodbye to the sisters and used our next Fast Pass to ride Seven Dwarves Mine Train ride; a favourite of mine for many reasons. Next, we headed over to the Winnie the Pooh and Tigger character greeting; my best friends’ most beloved characters. We left the Hundred Acre Woods and headed for the Mad Tea Party, where we took a spin on the teacups! After the teacups, we headed over to Storybook Circus and met our pals The Great Goofini and Donald Duck. It was a busy afternoon of character greetings, but we weren’t done yet! Next up was my favourite character greeting in all of the Magic Kingdom: Merida (from Brave)!

Apart from being one of my favourite characters ever, Merida is one of the best character greetings in all of Disney World for many reasons. As adults, we know that there are several actors who portray these characters, and sometimes you can really point out the great ones from those who are mediocre. Each time I have been to Disney, the characters portraying Merida have been spot on. Everything from the accent (which is a hard one), down to the details in conversation and interactions with the guests, Merida always knocks it out of the park. She is my favourite Disney princess because she is brave, bold, daring, courageous, loyal, stubborn, rebellious and headstrong, but also kind, compassionate and loving; and who doesn’t love that hair! Thus, meeting Merida always brings me great joy.

Selfies with Merida 🙂

By this point, it was already after 4pm and there were still a few things we had to do. The rest of our day consisted of riding Space Mountain, grabbing a snack in Liberty Square (I made it my mission to ensure I got to have that Churro Ice Cream Sandwich), taking a few more castle pictures, meeting Rapunzel and Tiana, defeating Zurg at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, riding those Mad Tea Party teacups again, and hitting up some of the shops. Before long, the sun had set on another day at Disney.

The next two days of our trip were spent out of Disney Parks, as we finally got to visit Disney Springs. I’ll recap that in my next blog. Thanks for reading. Have a magical day!

My Adventure in Epcot at Walt Disney World

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The second day of my vacation to Disney World was spent at Epcot. The common belief amongst many avid Disney World vacationers is that Epcot is not a park which requires an all-day visit, but I strongly disagree. My favourite thing about visiting Epcot is that you can really take your time exploring all the different pavilions at the world showcase, and honestly, because of all the vast cultural experiences that are available, the amount of delicious food you can eat is unmatched! Let me tell you more about my day at Epcot.

Firstly, for anyone who is unfamiliar with Epcot, it is one of the four parks that make up Walt Disney World. The core of Epcot is the World Showcase; a section of the park dedicated to immersing you in the culture of other countries around the world. While touring the showcase, you feel as though you’ve stepped into Mexico, Italy, France, Morocco, China, England, and more. Each section of the showcase provides not only delicacies from these countries, but you’ll find buildings and streets similar to those you’d see there, as well as music and other performers based off of that culture. You really feel as though you’ve stepped into the streets of those places all over the world. The showcase offers shops where you can buy authentic merchandise and items from these countries as well; England has the most dope tea and biscuits collection, while China offers an amazing selection of artwork, jewelry, and collectables. There is more to Epcot than the world showcase, but this is definitely a section of the park you’ll want to dedicate much of your time!

Another interesting thing to mention about Epcot is that it constantly has special events going on. For example, in the fall, it offers the International Food and Wine Festival, and while we were there recently, the Festival of the Arts was happening. The Festival of the Arts provides not only different foods and special performers to Epcot, but it allows artists to showcase their work and visitors of the park to purchase all sorts of art pieces. Sometimes, the artists were even there to talk about their work or sign a piece for you when you purchased it. As you journey through the park, you could stop and look at some amazing variations of artwork both Disney and non-Disney related.

Alas, we arrived at Epcot around 10 am on Thursday morning; allowing ourselves to sleep in a little after such a busy day at Hollywood Studios. We had some time to spare before our first Fast Pass at Mission Space, so we decided to stop and say hello to Pluto who was the first character greeting only steps away from the park’s main entrance. After this, we decided to grab a quick snack for breakfast and roam around the park for a bit to check out those art exhibits I was mentioning previously. We stumbled upon some cool real-life statues that symbolized the elements and snagged some pictures with them; one of the statues kept tickling my friend and it was pretty hilarious. After some other quick browsing, we headed over to Mission Space for our first Fast Pass. We selected the Green mission over Orange; we weren’t ready for such intense astronaut training before lunch.

After a successful Space mission, we stopped quickly at one of the gift shops, then headed over to San Fransokyo to meet Baymax. With a less than 20 minute wait, we were satisfied with our care and headed over to say hello to Joy and Sadness. These two are always fun to interact with, especially since they are polarizing emotions of one another, but Sadness always tries her best to be a trooper and never says no to a picture or two. After these character greetings, we made our way to Spaceship Earth for our second Fast Pass of the day. Once our trip around the earth was complete, it was time to head to Italy for lunch!

Selfie with Sadness & Joy

I had heard so many amazing things about Via Napoli restaurant in Italy within Epcot’s world showcase, so I was looking forward to trying the traditional woodfire Italian pizza. My friend and I were able to share the individual size pepperoni, and it was everything great pizza should be! An interesting fact about the world showcase is that every employee who works at the different countries is actually from there; all of the staff at Via Napoli were from Italy and our waitress even spoke some Italian to us. Again, another way that Disney will immerse you in the experiences! After lunch, we had some time to spare before our next Fast Pass, so we took the opportunity to walk around some of the countries and take some pictures as well as browse the shops and artists’ booths.

Before long, we found ourselves travelling past China and Morocco and in Norway; it was time to ride Frozen Ever After (yay for a fast pass), and upon exiting we stumbled upon some Vikings! Just a note, Vikings don’t like hugs or photographs, but they are very entertaining! We fled from the Vikings with roaring laughter and walked right into the Sommerhus to meet Elsa and Anna; literally, there was no wait or line at all. Elsa and Anna were a delight. After meeting these gals, we were feeling like having a snack, so it was time to grab a bite to eat from Mexico!

Mexico is one of my favourite spots in all of Epcot’s World Showcase, so I am always sure to stop here and grab a snack. This time we indulged in empanadas and margaritas, and of course my favourite, churros! I love Mexico because the entertainment and artwork and collectables are most fascinating to me; I always have such a wonderful time looking through all that the Mexican Pavillion has to offer. Of course, we made sure to say hello to our friend Donald Duck while in Mexico too!

With churros in hand, we left World Showcase to go utilize some more of our Fast Passes. We were able to ride Soarin’ and The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Ralph and Vanelope were also doing character greetings, so we waited for a short time to snag some photos with them. By this time, the sun was setting but we had more of the World Showcase to see! We headed over to France, England and the UK, and a few other spots. By sunset, you get to hear some amazing bands and watch some wicked displays; not to mention roaming the “streets” of France at nighttime is magical!

Our day at Epcot was coming to an end; it was almost 9 pm. Our stomachs were full of incredible food and our feet were sore from an epic day of adventure. There was sunshine for most of our day, and the temperature was steady around the 16-18 degree mark, an improvement from the previous day. It was off to get some much-needed rest for tomorrow’s voyage to the Magic Kingdom!

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my next blog…

My Adventure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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Hello Everyone! It’s been a while since my last post, and for that, I apologize. Between getting ready for my vacation to Disney, and travelling out of town for my friends’ wedding, plus trying to make sure all my work was taken care of before it was time to go- things kinda got a little crazy there! Alas, I am back and ready to blog about my travels to Disney World, and I am going to start with the first park we visited; Hollywood Studios!

Our first full day at Disney was a balmy 11 degrees Celcius, rising as high as 14 once the sun came out, which didn’t happen until much later in the afternoon. This wasn’t going to stop us from having a magical time, as we came prepared with the appropriate layers and sweaters etc. The park opened at 9am, and we were basically there right for rope drop. Due to the popularity of Hollywood Studios’ latest edition of Toy Story Land, we recognized and understood that it was going to be a long day of waiting in lines and taking in all the sights. We were quite excited to start our adventure.

Apart from snagging a photo or two in front of the signs, my friend and I headed straight for Toy Story Land; an entire section of the park which is staged to look just like Andy’s backyard full of all the beloved toys and characters from Toy Story. The rush of excitement flooded our bodies and instant smiles ran across our faces; the impeccable detail Disney showcases from everything big to small is unmatched. You truly felt like you were immersed in the land of Toy Story! We rushed over to Slinky Dog Dash, the rollercoaster you’ll find immediately as soon as you enter that section of the park. To our surprise, the wait was only about 85 minutes or so. Some of you might read this thinking that’s a long time, but when it’s a new Disney attraction, that’s actually pretty quick! Wait until I blog about the Animal Kingdom and the Avatar Flight of Passage Ride… The rollercoaster was a great thrill ride, it had good speed as well as a decent amount of hills and turns – nothing too scary or anything that would make you ill!

Next, we headed over to the Alien’s Swirling Saucers for another moderate wait of about 45 minutes. While in line, we were able to watch some of the Green Army Men do some tricks and their march; it was pretty cool! After making ourselves a bit dizzy, we headed over to go meet Woody and Jesse. Character greetings are one of the coolest things about Walt Disney World! It sounds silly, but you’re never too old to do a character greeting at Disney; many of the characters can be really fun to talk with and do an excellent job interacting with you. This time, my friend and I planned our outfits to be similar to the characters of Woody and Buzz from our “Mickey Ears Headbands” down to our shirts, pants and shoes! Many people commented how much they loved our “Mickey Ears” and the details we put into our whole look from head to toe.

Meeting Woody & Jesse in Toy Story Land

After meeting Woody and Jesse we headed over to our next attraction, Toy Story Mania; a fun interactive shooter-style arcade game. For this ride, we snagged a Fast Pass which allowed us to by-pass the long line up and we only waited about 3 minutes to get on the ride. For those who don’t know, everyone is entitled to 3 Fast Passes per day that can be scheduled anywhere from 30-60 days away from your trip; the fast pass gives you a dedicated one hour window to arrive at that ride or attraction. Fast Passes allow you to go into the faster line, where your wait time won’t be any longer than 5 minutes. These must be booked ahead of time if you want to take advantage of it, you can’t just jump on a ride and use them. After scoring approximately 90,000 points in Toy Story Mania, I had worked up an appetite, so we headed to Woody’s Lunch Box for lunch.

One of the neat things about Disney is that much of the food is based on characters or themes from their movies; the food will often be shaped like or look like the character or movie it is based on. Again, they really immerse you in the whole experience. My friend and I were able to share the BBQ Brisket Melt and Totchos with the Alien Mystic Portal Punch. The portion sizes were great, and we were able to get all this food for $25, and we were more than satisfied with the quality and portions!

If you’re on Instagram, you may have come across some pretty awesome photos people take in front of various walls, corners and spots throughout the Disney Parks. Remember when I talked about how immersing the atmosphere is at Disney? They seriously never cut corners or slack anywhere! There is always a fun spot to take photos around the park. Whether you’re on Instagram or not, you’ll find some really cool places to snag some pictures! My friend and I definitely enjoyed finding these cool spots and striking a pose or two. We made sure to take some time out of our busy day to capture some great photos.

After spending about 5 hours in Toy Story Land, it was time to venture off to galaxies far far away; well okay, not that far just off to the other end of the park. We rode Star Tours, got to meet Chewbacca, BB-8, and Kylo Ren! Also, we were able to catch Muppets 3D, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Aerosmith’s Rock n Roller Coaster, and did some shopping. Just when we were feeling a bit tired, The Incredibles Dance Party was there to perk us up! Here we got to dance along with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, while also pitching to the broadcasters about how amazing Jack Jack’s Num-Num Cookie was (yes, of course, you could buy this giant novelty cookie to eat and enjoy!) We also met Edna Mode, who wanted us to remove our hoodies immediately (too close to capes she says!) but was willing to strike a pose with us; she absolutely loved my Incredibles bag.

Jack Jack’s Num-Num Cookie

My favourite character greeting of the day was Mike and Sully from Monster’s Inc. I am totally biased here because Monster’s Inc is my favourite movie, with Mike Wazowski being my most beloved character ever, yes it’s true, come at me! So while they don’t talk, they do their best to interact with you through gestures, and Sully gives the softest and best hugs (sorry not sorry Olaf!) I was really glad that we got to see them this trip because I hadn’t seen them since 2014!

The sun was beginning to set, it was just about 6:30 pm, but there was still fun to be had. We made our way back over to Toy Story Land so we could snag our photo with Buzz Lightyear and ride Alien’s Swirling Saucers one more time, before heading out to catch For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-a-Long Celebration (oh and sing-along we did!) After that performance we ran quickly to grab warm hugs from Olaf then made our way to the main stage to catch the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular nighttime show. If there is anything that Disney does bigger than anything else, it is their fireworks shows! While it was quite cold, once the show started, being chilly was the furthest thing from our minds. Our day at Hollywood Studios was coming to an end, but we couldn’t complain; we had so much fun and made so many great memories.

The last time I was at Disney World was September 2016, but more specifically, I had not been to Hollywood Studios since 2014, and Toy Story Land was a new addition to Hollywood Studios in June 2018. Needless to say, there was a ton of hype and expectations about the changes to the park and the rides. Overall, I was blown away with how detailed Toy Story Land was and how every other section of the park offered something for everyone. What I appreciated about Hollywood Studios was that there was a lot to do and see, but you never felt like you were rushed or had to rush before missing out on anything. Hollywood Studios offers rides and attractions with different intensity levels. Between the Star Wars march and the Green Army Men, it was difficult to miss either of these troops walking around the park while you were walking by, waiting in line, or taking a break for food or drink. With many character greetings, there is sure to be someone for everyone to meet; if the Disney princesses aren’t really your scene, I highly recommend Hollywood Studios.

Stay tuned for my next Disney blog where I will review our day at Epcot! Thanks for reading.

The Power of Music

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We’ve all had those moments in the car or at home, or even at a party or event where we hear that song and right away we are overcome with memories and emotions; usually about a particular event, time in our life, or perhaps a particular person. More often than not in my own experience, these moments are happy ones that make me smile, laugh, reminisce and even think fondly of the people who are part of those memories. For me (and I am sure most people agree), music has the power to evoke emotion and change my mood, always for the better. The cliche is true in that music is therapy, and lately, I’ve had some artists on repeat (ad nauseam) because I have been thinking about certain people in my life lately and also some specific memories. Thus, I am dedicating this post to some of my favourite artists and will shed some light on what comes to mind when I hear any of their tracks.

Coldplay
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Coldplay, ever since Parachutes was released in 2000 and I was only 12 years old. Coldplay’s music ignites my soul in a way that no other artist can. When Coldplay is blasting through the speakers, more often than not, I am singing along; belting out the lyrics with passion and emotion. For me, Coldplay holds a special place in my heart for many reasons as their music is tied to many memories and moments in my life with the most important people in my life. Most prominently, I have the best Coldplay associated memories with my husband. Our first dance at our wedding was In My Place off of their A Rush of Blood to the Head album; a song that he also played for me on guitar on our prom night, and the night he proposed to me on my birthday. Our first concert together was Coldplay, and we always listened to Coldplay on our dates when we were hanging out. My husband and I have been together for 14 years, so many of the lines about love resonate with my love for him. I’ve also had some great memories associated with Coldplay’s music with my best friend and a few other close friends too. Some songs have gotten me through some trying times emotionally and life-changing events, other songs are instant joy-boosters for me. Some of my favourite tracks include Don’t Panic, Violet Hill, Fix You, Viva La Vida, The Scientist, The Hardest Part, Every Tear Drop is a Waterfall, Hymn for the Weekend, Everything’s Not Lost, Talk, Ink, and Charlie Brown. I could list so many more, but that’s just a start.

Linkin Park
As I mentioned in my Fashion post, I went through a stage as a teenager where I was very much a skater kid, and with that phase came my introduction to punk and (heavier) rock. Hybrid Theory was, and still is, one of my favourite albums (and in my opinion, the best LP album released- yep Jeffery that is directed to you!). I wasn’t emo (for those who don’t know, look it up) but listening to LP sure let me get out any anger or frustrations I may have been harbouring. I never considered myself to be sad, upset, misunderstood or even angry as a teenager, I have always been quite joyful and happy so I wasn’t listening to LP thinking about all my pain and suffering. In fact, I only have one sad memory associated with Linkin Park, and it has to do with when my cat, Tyson passed away. The day we had to rush him to the vet and put him to rest due to his cancer was the same day that I was going to see Linkin Park in concert. I picked up my friend from the bus station and I actually couldn’t find the words to tell him what had just happened earlier that day. Right away he could tell something was wrong, but I couldn’t talk about it. I contemplated not even going to the concert that night but I knew in my heart that going to the show would be very therapeutic for me and there were songs I absolutely need to hear to align with how I was feeling in that moment. Eventually, I was able to share the news about what had just happened, and hearing those LP songs alongside my best friend really helped. So apart from this one memory, I listen to Linkin Park when I am in the mood for a “happy rage;” a phrase actually coined by me and that same friend who I attended the concert with. When Chester took his life in 2017, it really saddened me. It was the same pain you feel when an important person in your life dies. I know that his death affected me so much because LP was such a part of my teenage life, that it was as though a piece of me was damaged and couldn’t ever be repaired. Some of my favourite tracks include Papercut, Points of Authority, With You, Somewhere I Belong, Faint, Bleed it Out, What I’ve Done, Burn it Down, Iridescent, and Guilty All the Same.

Hall & Oates/Huey Lewis and the News
For the last several years I have been obsessed with 80s music, and obsessed is putting it lightly. I’ve always had an appreciation for “oldies music” – music that came before my time- because growing up with older brothers will do that to you – but also because some of the music out there lately is crap. Oh did I really just say that? Bahaha. Anyway, two of my friends and I have been so into 80s music lately it has consumed our chats and playlists whenever we are together, and yes, we’ve started sending 45-second lip-syncing clips to each other; dare I say we are at the 140+ videos mark? Simply the best! Whenever I hear anything from these two artists, I am instantly in a great mood. These songs remind me of so many special times, like Hydra Wine nights, road tripping to Myrtle Beach, and my friend’s wedding day. I love how timeless these artists are, and I never tire of their songs! Some of my favourite tracks are You Make My Dreams, Kiss on my List, Out of Touch, Man Eater, Private Eyes, The Power of Love, Do You Believe in Love, Stuck with You and If This is It … and I could go on and on!

Before I let this post go on forever and ever, I have to touch on a few songs that hold a special place in my heart because they remind me of my Dad. Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll is one song that is flooded with memories of my Dad. I recall many truck rides where this song would come on and my Dad and I would be singing along together with the music blasting out the rolled-down truck windows. At every wedding we attended as a family, this song always got my Dad up out of his seat to dance and the dance floor became like a karaoke stage. Jumping Jack Flash and Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones always remind of my Dad for similar reasons to Seger’s hit. American Pie was a song that my Dad played on repeat and always reminded me that it would never lose meaning or get forgotten. One time when my Dad was driving me up to North Bay, we talked for almost two hours straight about what some of these songs meant to him growing up and how they made him feel. What was extra special about this conversation is that my Dad and I didn’t have these types of conversations often; my Dad didn’t open up much, and while we were close when he was still alive, we never had deep conversations like these. Thus, I always think of him whenever I hear these songs.

Because music is so universal, it can be quite fascinating to talk to others about the genres and artists that influence you and flood your heart and soul with memories. We all evolve with time, and sometimes our music tastes change too. Writing this blog and thinking about the music that moves me has been quite an enjoyable experience; it solidifies to me how important some moments are to my life and hearing the songs instantly takes me back to those places in time. What a fascinating experience!

What are some of your favourite musicians or groups? I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Engaging Next Level Friendship

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We’ve all experienced it, often without realizing. That pivotal, official moment when we realize that we have found a friend for keeps. Friendship is such a fascinating concept. Some people use the word “friend” more loosely than others. What does it mean to call someone a friend? Is it just someone you see at group get-togethers? Is it someone you call, text or keep in contact with often?

I have always believed in different levels and tiers of friendship. Sure, I have those people in my life that I only see a few times a year or those people whom I only hang out within a group setting, but I seldom call these people my friends. I have had the unfortunate experience, like I am sure everyone has at least once in their life, of believing that some people were my friends, and they turned out not to be for many reasons. I learned early on that you won’t always get the same effort, love, or attention that you give. We aren’t meant to be best friends or even good friends with everyone in our life. In fact, different relationships serve different purposes. Not every friend is going to be that go-to person we tell everything to, or that we know we can always have fun with regardless of what we are (or are not) doing. There are those friends that we are only going to see at group gatherings because that’s the only time that they show up, or they live far away and it’s hard to find time to hang out. Sometimes, and perhaps more often than we realize, our friendships are not equal. Friendships are not 50/50, nor can they be. We all need different things from our social interactions, engagements and our friendships. When I said above that I learned the hard way about believing people were my friends, when it turned out they weren’t, I wasn’t referring to something they might have done once that was unforgivable to me, I am talking about those friends that you really invest in emotionally, give your time to, are there for them when they are really down and out, and they repay you with unanswered calls, text messages, and never having any time for you. About 5 years ago, I really started eliminating these people from my life, and it was a really great feeling. I spent more time investing in those who were around often, checked up on me often, and really listened when I had something to say. I started thinking more deeply and paying attention to the little things they had done and realized that there was always one event, one act, one moment when that person really proved they care for you a lot; next level friendship mode was engaged…

Now, the real reason I got inspired for this blog post was that I was thinking about a friend of mine who has a birthday coming up soon. I have known this person for a long time and considered myself to be friends with him for many years (since the end of high school in fact, which was 2005/2006). We hung out frequently, had good conversations and laughs, and yes, I really became friends with him first off because he was best friends with my boyfriend (now husband) but I enjoyed his company, always. While we seemed to mostly hang out together in small or large groups, I never doubted that he was my friend. As I said, we had good conversations, had things in common, and it was never dull or awkward to hang out. We did have deep conversations with meaning and our friendship was evolving with time, as all friendships should. Our relationship was great. So when did I know for sure that he was truly a friend for keeps? After all, it’s not like he was going anywhere, he and my husband had been best friends since elementary school, so he was going to be in my life forever.

In 2018 this friend was getting married, and as mentioned in other posts, my husband was the Best Man and I was the Matron of Honour. When we were first asked to be in their wedding party, we accepted with joy, honour, excitement, pride and without any hesitation. When it came time for us to sit down and write out our speech for the wedding night, I had the chance to reflect on my relationship with both the bride and groom as separate individuals. As we sat and talked over the kinds of moments we would touch upon in our speech it became very evident to me, almost as though I was hit in the face with a brogue kick (wrestling reference). I knew that the groom was truly a friend for keeps because of an event that took place in the summer of 2011.

In June of 2011, I graduated from university for the first time. I completed my honours degree and my teaching degree but would embark on a new educational adventure in September when I was beginning my graduate program at Queens. Of course, there was much prep involved before starting school in a new city and it was a process. Being an organized person helped to keep me sane and made things a lot easier. There was an opportunity for me to retrieve my keys for my new apartment a month earlier than I was scheduled to move in, and being that I was working almost every day of the summer to save up for school, I had to take the first day off I could to try and get as many things moved up there as possible. It was very last minute and honestly, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be able to drop everything and help me so last minute; I just assumed I was going to take a carload of things to my new apartment all by myself and that was okay.

A few days before I was going to leave, this friend had texted us to see when we were free to hang out next. I expressed that I only had one day off and that I was going to be gone all day that day because I was moving up some stuff to Kingston. Without hesitation, my friend asked if I wanted some help or needed the company for the drive. I explained that I would be gone all day long so I wouldn’t want to take his whole day, as I didn’t have a planned end time to be home. He insisted on coming to help, and said he didn’t care how many pieces of Ikea furniture he had to assemble, he would be happy to come along. So we were set to go…

The drive to Kingston was the first time he and I had ever been alone together in the car, and while that makes some people uneasy, I was delighted to have that time to get to talk with him 1:1 and have his company. The drive was about 3.5 hours one way, and we bonded over car karaoke and various discussions about life, love and anything else you could think of! I really quite enjoyed the time in the car, and the whole day was filled with fond memories and moments. I was able to show him around Kingston, and we were able to get a lot of my stuff moved in and assembled for my new apartment. What I remember most was talking about the things we had never before; stories of growing up, past relationships and friendships, and future life goals. We talked for hours, not just because we had to, but the conversations kept flowing. He was such a tremendous help with moving, and I had learned so much about him that I never knew before. When we finally left to go home it was very late, but we continued to talk, laugh and crack jokes. It was a very special moment that I am tremendously thankful for. By offering his free time and day to me, he was really offering me so much more.

This experience was when our friendship levelled up and I knew that no matter the circumstance or situation, I could rely on him as a friend; not just because I was dating his best friend, but because we were friends too. Now we have been friends for about 14 years, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He and his wife are two of the closest friends my husband and I have, and we adore both of them so much. Thinking about that day in Kingston sparks great conversation and reflection on my relationships with those I adore and love: when was that moment when our friendship engaged to the next level?

If you’re reading this thinking about your own relationships and trying to pinpoint that pivotal moment in a friendship or relationship you have with someone, I encourage you to talk to that person about it. You might find that when they engaged “next level friendship” might be a different time, place and event than yours. It can lead to some really fascinating and meaningful conversation! Just like in video games, you unlock so many cool things when you level up.

So to my friend reading this, if you do, thank you for all your friendship (and for building that Ikea dresser with me; even if we assembled the drawer the wrong way!) Bahaha.