Weekend Musings | Fresh Beginnings

Hi!

My time in Ontario is over, and I've brought home so many wonderful memories and hundreds of photos from my time with friends and family. I've also brought home a considerable tan, some lingering bug bites and a happy contentment that can only come from seeing and catching up with loved ones :)

I'll admit, I was a little nervous about going back to Canada so early on into my time here in London. I was worried I'd feel extra homesick, that all the groundwork of getting settled in UK would have been for nothing. And, while Canada is home and I miss all my family and friends dearly, I found myself looking forward to getting back to London. The buzz of the city, all the new friends I've made, my boyfriend, our flat, these were all the things drawing me back to UK happily.

It feels like a fresh beginning, Part 2 of my stint living here. If Part 1 was all about finding a flat, finding friends, finding work, finding my way around the city, then Part 2 is kicking off from a decidedly more relaxed and comfortable beginning.

I've started a new job (which I already love!), I'm exploring more of the UK (A weekend in Manchester next month!), and I feel wholly confident in my decision to live in London.

And what better time for a Part 2 kick off than the start of back to school season? The summer in London (or what little summer we had in the past few weeks) is starting to wind down, evenings are cooler, the air is fresher and crisp, and I'm getting caught up in the swell of excitement as everyone takes a collective re-calibration around back to school/back to reality.

On this start of a fresh beginning, I'm feeling so excited to get some more adventures under my belt and share them with you over the coming months!

xoxoxo

Weekday Inspiration | After Work Strolls

A couple weeks ago, the weather was absolutely STUNNING in London. Hot, sunny, and full on summer-y, with all the beauty of London highlighted with this balmy weather.

On one of these beautiful Monday afternoons, I opted to walk home from a meeting in Hammersmith, taking my sweet time strolling through Fulham, Putney and Battersea to get home. While I've mentioned London's green spaces earlier on this blog, the Thames River is also a stunner. Though not quite as lush and natural, it provides gorgeous scenery through central London and has some beautiful paths along it.

Here are some pictures from my 2 hour walk home:

Fun Things | Baking Cookies

So, I'm not really a big baker. I think it's fun, and am happy to do it now and then, but am certainly not the type of person who is scrolling through recipes, always on the lookout for an epic new cake to build, or icing design to try. 

But, baking is really fun! I sort of forgot how much I enjoy it - in small doses. When we offered to bring dessert to a friend's house for dinner, it presented the perfect opportunity to explore and experiment with baking.

We found this recipe for Blueberry Cream Cheese Cookies with Lemon Glaze, and went on a shopping trip for ingredients. We even picked up a hand mixer/egg beater...so perhaps more baking is in our future?

Read on for a review and some photos of our experiment:

London at Night

Over the past little while, I've had the opportunity to see London at night... well, I suppose that's obvious because I live here and spend both day and night here haha.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that London looks very beautiful at night. And it's always surprising to be drinking in the city centre, looking for a pub that's open past 11pm, and then finding yourself right in front of Big Ben, in all its lit up glory as it overlooks the Thames. Even though I live here, I can shake this feeling that I'm on vacation. The awe I'm struck with every time I see St. Paul's, Big Ben, Tower Bridge or the London Eye hasn't stopped yet. I love it!

Here are some pictures of London at night:

Weekend Musings | Green Space

One thing that really stands out to me about London is all the dedicated green spaces throughout the city. Coming from Toronto, I really appreciate a giant, tall tree in the leafy neighbourhoods like the Annex. But, here in London, every neighbourhood seems to be leafy and well developed. Maybe it's the rain? Maybe it's the age of the city? Maybe it's because there are so few buildings that stand higher than 6 stories that trees have much more opportunity to shine?

And, beyond the leafy, lovely tree situation, there is the large matter of commons, parks, and vast swaths of nature tucked in and pocketed everywhere throughout London. It is simply the best!

I'm lucky enough to live within 20 minute walking distance of three giant parks. but there are many more I come across in a typical day too.

Here are pictures of my favourites (and these don't even include my local parks!):

Moving to London | Banking & Phones

In this post a couple weeks ago, I shared some things I learned while flat hunting in London. Carrying on this theme, here is some information on banking and phones that I sent to a friend - at the risk of overwhelming her!

As always, keep in mind that this is what worked for me, and by no means will work for everyone. Just some extra information to help you along in your move, particularly before you leave Canada.

Fun Things | Afternoon Tea in London

A couple weekends ago, we took a stroll through Chelsea, by Buckingham Palace, to have afternoon tea in Soho with our friends. It felt like such a wonderfully British experience!

We went to Cinnamon Soho, a restaurant that offers a delicious Indian spin on the standard British tea. Our treats and snacks were presented on a 3 tier stand, and they had this amazing vegetarian 'pizza' type thing which was basically curry and cheese on naan - yum!

The journey there was almost as fun, as we strolled through beautiful neighbourhoods and enjoyed Green Park.

Here are some photos from our journey: