It's almost mid-July as I'm writing this and the summer has flown by, like always. I've been meaning to do a little monthly diary with my phone photos since I always take an excess amount of them, and I've finally gotten around to compiling some into this post. These are some photos from May, perhaps the best of the summer months (despite chilly weather)--from the excitement of escaping from school and the tiresome exam season, to seeing old friends, to settling back in the comforts of home.
My memory is a little fuzzy since it's been well over two months since May, but I'll try to wire my horrible brain and provide some context when necessary. It's going to be something nice to look back at when I wish it was summer again once December rolls around.
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| Karen & I. |
This is from the last day of April, me freshly home from exams, at Steph's house for a small gathering with some girls from Church. We ate wings and salad and walked to chatime from Steph's condo. The light was gorgeous on her balcony so we snapped a few pictures. I remember it was still quite cold, hence the blanket and the hot tea.
Kelly, Clara, & I continued our summer rendezvous from last year, exploring Toronto one coffee shop/vintage store at a time.
We had brunch at Eggspectation, a spot we go to when we're too lazy to explore anywhere else. We then walked around city hall for a bit, soaking in the warm sun.
We later wandered around Yorkville and Bloor (I believe we wanted to try Sorry Coffee, though I didn't get anything because it was quite pricey) and window-shopped, admiring the beautiful decor of the luxury stores.
We also strolled around UofT because it was within proximity. It was Clara and Kelly's first time there, and they were in awe of its beauty (as was I when I first visited a few years back). We stumbled into beautiful buildings and courtyards, full of history and character. I especially loved the spacious chapel we happened into.
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I dragged Aliciya to a free Cage the Elephant show at the Edge. They only played two songs which kinda sucked, but it was better than nothing.
We went to Neo Coffee Bar after. It was not cheap but we enjoyed a hot drink despite being in the month of May. Aliciya caught me up on all her life struggles, which closely resembles a high school drama (sorry leece).
We later walked on King East and explored trendy furniture stores with employees that won't give us the time of day. We also decided it was a "spontaneous" day and went into the George Brown building. It had a nice patio and was perfect for people watching.
I showed one of my favourite places, Richmond 401, to Aliciya. Its courtyard and plants are to die for.
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Leftover pizza from the day before, and yummy salad/watermelon from home.
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| Home. |
Left: I had Moji with Karen for the first time; it was a cute place. // Right: Ice cream on main street with Karen & Julia. I hung out with Karen quite a bit in May (and for the rest of summer basically).
I went to Smash Kitchen with Angela and Marc near the end of the month, the first time we've met up since first year. I'm happy we kept up with the relationship because man, high school friendships are hard to maintain.
Look at that pizzaaaaa (was a little too salty though, to be honest).
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I haven't taken many personal photos this summer and it makes me so, so sad. I still love photography but perhaps it's a different kind of love now. I used to wonder why photographers don't pick up their cameras everyday and shoot, as did I when I was passionately in love with it. I don't quite understand it completely yet, but it feels now like a comfort zone, therapeutic and present but not always needed. Anywayyy I'm rambling and this is a conversation for another time. These are photos from a gorgeous day with myself.
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I went camping Victoria Day weekend with ACF, my university fellowship. It was so so so cold at night that I couldn't sleep for more than 6 hours over the three days. I also fell as a dock sank due to over-capcity and got a nasty bruise, which I show off too much and probably shouldn't. It was fun though, and I got to know a lot of people.
Below: at a hong kong cafe pre-arrival with Andrew and Tommy. We were a few hours late and drove in creepy dark country roads.//With Serina.
Made it to sunrise only once.
We stopped by an antique shop driven past many times and finally went in before we headed back home. I love roadside stops in rural areas; it's always weird and unexpected.
I have a whole post on camping. See it here.
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Left: desserts post-dinner with Kathleen, Karen, and Clara (Kelly joined us for a movie after. Neighbours 2 I believe). Right: brunch with Vron at Starving Artist.
This is from a day with Vron, the first time we hung out after school ended. We ate and walked around Ossington and Dundas West, a perfect summer day. There was a book vending machine from Monkey's Paw and I got a strange book...which I haven't opened yet.
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| Coffee from Sam James. |
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Met up with Tanya for a Sofar Sounds event near the end of the month. We caught up at Green Beanery before heading to Central Technical School to catch our bus.
The secret location was Woodbine Racetrack, which got a lot of people excited. Tan & I lied on the grass between acts and contemplated about ditching the group to go to the casino.
The ride back was during golden hour, my favourite light.
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-Tracy