the explorer's return

So... hi.

Did you miss me? Did you think I was dead? (Honestly, at some points, I thought I was dead. I have never been so tired as when I got off that plane... but here I go, already getting ahead of myself...) Well, I hope you did, and I'm not.

Things I learnt from Explore

• EDWARD SNOWDEN
• French grammar yo (had to stick it in somewhere) 
• Peanut butter peanut butter peanut butter (aka I am not alone in my obsession)
• There is such a thing as too many wraps
• Also too many sandwiches
• Running twice a day is advised
• It is not possible to sing a song too many times (Elle me dit, anyone?) 

• I'm not as smart as I think I am
• It is possible to be entirely consumed by mosquitoes
• I am not as socially awkward as I had always suspected (whattt)
• You need sweatpants
• No matter how sad you feel, mini doughnuts will help
• Sleep is overrated
• Dancing in the rain is not
• POURQUOI?
• I own way too many clothes
• Being pushed in a shopping cart is the way to travel
• You will never regret taking photos
• How to do the carwash (...our own special dance, too special to be explained)
• Tea is the addiction of our generation
• So is flax (go figure, people just got really excited)
• LOUIS RIEL
• Bowling= bonding
• Cold showers after long runs are the best things of life

And, most importantly: 

• it is totally possible to be in love after five weeks (or even much before)

I have never met a group of people I felt this strong a connection with. At the beginning, I felt so many misgivings... but it has been the best summer of my life. I haven't been blogging as much as I might have liked, but in exchange I've definitely been living! 

greetings from winnipeg

So... hi.

I'm alive.

Even well, if you don't count the fact that I'm melting- this is without a doubt the most humid city I have ever visited. I now know how the Wicked Witch must have felt, and pity her sincerely. Other than that, though, I'm having a lovely time!

Best of all... I don't feel lonely. I feel as though this is right where I'm supposed to be.

It's an odd feeling, and not one that I have often. I'm used to being on the outside, looking in- or perhaps on the inside, trapped inside myself, observing my own actions as through through a mirror. (Is that really me? I'm certain my hair didn't look like that this morning...) But, whatever the reason, I feel at home here.

(This may be because I'm exhausted and everything is happening in a dream-like state. Who knows, maybe I really am dreaming- maybe I've been trapped within the mysterious and not-always-functional wifi and this is my plea for help? You may also blame my slightly philosophical state on tiredness. It's the all-purpose excuse.)

off into the wild blue yonder

So, I'm off again. As I mentioned in my last post, I leave tomorrow for Winnipeg for five weeks! (On Canada Day. Really. Everyone else will be partying and I'll be sitting on the plane, probably beside some bizarre person who wants to discourse on about eggplants.)

How long is this for, you may ask?

Five weeks.

Do you know how much packing that involves?

This much.

(just assume that everything is stuffed to bursting, mainly with makeup and clothes)

My current life dilemna: why is it that socks always seem to disappear? It's not like I'm only wearing one at a time... The most plausible explanation right now is that our resident ghost wears them as hats and forgets to return them. (Or maybe it's my cat?)

My other problem: how many things am I likely to lose? I could make a list, but I just bought a new notebook and I don't want to contaminate its lovely interior just yet. (The first page is always the hardest. I never want to ruin it and yet I always end up disappointed.)

At least I have an epic soundtrack to comfort me.

I don't know how much time I'll have to blog while I'm over there- I'll try to fit some in and keep you all apprised of my adventures (or maybe misfortunes?)- but, as I don't know what the schedule is (or- the horror!- where I'll find Wifi) it might be difficult. (For some updates, follow me on Twitter!)If you don't see me around much, have a lovely summer anyway, blog ninjas!

anatomy of a prom

The moment that grade twelves wait for all year (or maybe that's just me?) has come and passed. Prom was sweet-bitter; bittersweet, but in reverse, and no less lovely for it. Here's how it all went down...(Warning: long post ahead. But at least I look gorgeous in the photos, so you have plenty of eye candy.)

2:00: wake up with last minute terrors: what if no one shows up? What if everyone else looks much better in their dress than I do?

3:30: convince self that fears are groundless and go back to sleep.

5:30: wake up. Read Georgette Heyer novel and do yoga in attempt to calm self down. This will be basically your entire day, because it doesn't quite work. (Aka: you are so stressed that you're not even hungry. This has never happened to you before, but you appreciate not needing to eat every fifteen minutes.)

2:00: buy Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuchino, because sugar + caffeine= good in every situation. (Especially when you've already been awake for almost 12 hours...)

2:30: arrive at friend's home to start getting ready.

3:30: actually start getting ready. This includes:

-redoing hair 17 times because the style that seemed so simple the first 10 times you practiced has suddenly acquired the complexity of open heart surgery

-acquiring a taste for country music

-texting other friends frantically

-worrying that makeup is too heavy and that you look clownlike

5:45: supposed time of arrival at school.

6:10: actual time of arrival at school. (Oops.) Wander around admiring everyone's dresses.

6:20: get photo taken by professional photographer and feel like model.

(too. much. glamour.) 

 6:30: be forced to put on cap and gown. Realise that the cap makes you look like you're bald, and that you now have to go up on stage wearing it in front of everyone there. (Of course this is also when your date will walk in and you will make a gorgeous first impression.)

6:40: nearly pass out or vomit from stress.

7:00: ceremony actually starts. Listen to long and boring speeches by people you don't even know.

8:00: things are perking up- you've received plenty of scholarships! (The advantages of a) being a nerd and b) going to a small school.)

8:30: realise that if you don't get out of the cap and gown soon you're going to die of excessive sweating before the fun part even starts.

9:00: ceremony finally ends. Sprint to take off your gown, then take lots and lots of photos with friends. They will all be attractive (even if you are as red as a tomato in many of them. And not just your dress. Sigh) despite the awkward school background.

(extra cupcakeness!)

(even though I'm not actually looking, I had to include this to a) show off my eye makeup and b) show off my date... aren't we cute?) 

9:10: admire corsage...

...bought by Bond Girl friends. (The ladies of mystery, dressed all in black.)

(this is honestly my favourite photo of the night. I have no idea why)

9:20: wander around (again) and try to figure out what's going on. (This is your life in a sentence.)

9:30: find the dance floor. Immediately start dancing like a maniac with friends... even if you're the only ones there. (Sad story.)

(we definitely had the most fun)

 9:45: slowdance with date. Dragons. (Like butterflies, but fire-breathing.)

9:50: continue dancing with friends. Forget to say goodbye to all your classmates as they begin to depart for the after-party. (...Whoops.)

10:20: slowdance last song with Kori. Be pleased you are not slowdancing with date because the two of you are so sweaty that it produces a bit of a Velcro attachment effect.

10:30: watch date leave. Realise that, yes, this is all actually happening, and that you won't see many of these people again, and start crying.

10:40: after a few final photos with friends, depart for McDonald's.

11:00: have mood slightly boosted by ice cream and listening in your friends' two separate conversations.

(McDonald's- where all the cool kids go on a Friday night.)

 11:40: leave McDonald's and drive friend home.

12:20: arrive at after-party.

12:22: get bored of after-party. Realise that being one of the only sober people is No Fun but have no desire to get drunk.

12:40: leave after-party with other sober friend.

1:20: arrive home. Jump on trampoline in effort to boost mood.

1:30: collapse on kitchen floor and cry so hard even your cat won't come near you.

2:00: go to bed, still teary but slightly more able to breathe.

...and there you have it: my graduation. Minus the hysterical sobbing (and the never-ending speeches), I enjoyed myself. (And if you really read every word of this, major brownie points to you- not quite enough yet for a home-baked pan, but close.) 

arrested who?

(If you watch any of these shows you will realise exactly how perfect this is. For you poor people who don't I'm letting you know: it is a perfect title.) 

Okay, so this post may have been spurred by withdrawal. This is the time (I'm supposed to be studying) I have lots of time to relax... and yet there is no TV! Am I the only one who thinks this is counterproductive? (However, at least it gives me something to blog about... pros and cons.)

1. Doctor Who. Aliens and time travellers and running, oh my! (Trust me. There is a lot of running. Like I've said before, the whole point of me exercising is so that, the day the Doctor comes to get me, I'm fit enough to keep up.)

(also David Tennant. Just... swoonnnn)

2. Arrested Development. "Now the story of an insane wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together because his insanity manifests through caring for all these freaks." (Official tagline, italics mine.)

(best part: when you rewatch it you find even more jokes.)

3. Sherlock. I can obviously relate to the 'no one knows better than me' of the main character. (Oh, and you think I'm an obsessed fangirl? Just look up Sherlock on Tumblr. You will not believe the things people write...)

(those. cheekbones.)

4. Broadchurch. I'm not much for crime shows (I say, writing about the second one on my list) but this one, since it focuses on only one murder the entire season, intrigued me, mainly because you really get to see into the psychological profiles of the characters. (Although there were some things that puzzled me: what happened to the cocaine?)

(also, again: David Tennant. Although he looks like he's going to die he has an amazing Scottish accent) 

So, what is it such different concepts have in common? (Other than that three out of four are by BBC... what can I say, I'm a sucker for British accents...) They're all mindblowing. They're all the kind of show that you stare at the TV and whisper... "what just happened..." and have to watch several times just in order to wrap your mind around it.

Like really. Sometimes I have no idea what's going on.

I love it.

My friends probably love this a bit less, because I frequently trap them in corners in order to explain exactly what is happening and why they need to care about it. And I cry about it too... this results in a lot of awkward hugs and arm-patting while they secretly wonder "what's going on?"

My friends also do not like the really lame jokes.

(this is from AD but also applies to DW and is, sadly enough, exactly the sort of thing I find hilarious)

Oh, and you know how I wrote Bad Wolf everywhere in hopes of freaking people out?

It worked.

Life= made.

What are your favourite shows, and why?

rollercoaster mania

My deep, dark confession for the week?

I'm secretly an addict.

A rollercoaster addict, that is. (Or a chocolate addict, but that's a whole other story that involves cupcakes baked at 8 am...)

This was such a well-guarded secret (or perhaps I was just in denial?) that I didn't discover it until last week, during my (last-ever!) end-of-year trip.

(this is some of us after we survived the biggest rollercoaster. Amazingly. I thought I was going to die)

Unfortunately, however, my group didn't even go on too many rollercoasters. As often happens when I am involved, we managed to get lost. (Although maybe that's the wrong term- let's call it 'disjointed wanderings' instead?) For this reason, instead of going on many different rides... we went on the swings three times.

But let's be honest here. Who doesn't love swings? (We definitely did- just watch us!)

With all this swinging, I didn't get a chance to take many photos- I was too busy trying not to pass out (and with that description, who wouldn't want to go on rollercoasters?)- but one of my friends did take a few while he was waiting for my other friend and I to go on this ride, as he had decided it was too 'childish'.

(I'm happy here because we hadn't yet started spinning. This soon changed)

He also had a conversation with himself between our phones. Really, I think coming on the ride with us would have been preferable... or maybe not, considering how sick and dizzy I felt afterwards. Spinny rides are officially Not For Me. (However, bumper cars are- a fact I also just discovered. My childhood was spent reading, not playing on these wonderful contraptions... how did I miss out?)

What do you think of amusement parks and rollercoasters? Any rides you'd never try?

weekend statistics

As you may know, over the weekend I was at "les Jeux Franco"... which are basically an excuse for a ton of students (all the cool people! and me) to go to workshops, be completely crazy, and hang out with a ton of students from all over the province! In order to explain my experience, I thought I'd use... statistics? (Math is totally important in my life okay.) 

As we arrived...

Number of people attending: about 650

(thumbs up for speaking French!)

Number of hours I spent in misery (aka on the bus): 2 1/2 (okay so I complain a lot. Basically the sole reason I'm happy my mother works at my school is because it means I can just get a ride from her...) 

During the weekend...

Number of lines I waited in: 15 (no exaggeration. There were A LOT of lines.) 

Number of super awkward conversations I had with people I had just met: 7 (considering I was there for 3 1/2 days, I consider this a low number and am accordingly proud) 

Number of Doctor Who fans I discovered: 5 (I found my people! Also, looking at my Facebook wall, I realised that almost everything there has to do with it. I am not subtle about my obsessions.) 

Number of times I drank tea: 0 (do you know how deprived I was?) 

(however, since I'd made a friend from the town, I did get an Ice Capp during the final show... a good reason to be social!)

Number of times I heard, "What? You're graduating? I thought you were in grade nine!": 12 (thanks world, love you too)

Number of times I fell over while practicing our dance routine (yes, I was in dance, don't laugh): 4 (thankfully none of these were during our big finale!)

(we won for best team spirit! we also didn't really have time to do makeup, so excuse the football stripes)

As we were leaving..

Percentage of people who were crying: 50 (not me) 

Number of random people I didn't know who hugged me: 5 (and no, this is not just people-I-did-not-recognise, these were literally people who I had never seen before...) 

Number of times a bus other than mine was called and I freaked out because I thought it was mine and they had left without me: 8 (there were a lot of buses)

And finally:

Number of times I laughed, made friends, and generally had fun: too many to count! 

How was your weekend? Did you ever do camps like this in highschool? 

off to the races

Finally! It's Friday! We are no longer lost in the maze of the week!

Seriously. This week has not been a good one for mental clarity. So far I have
a) started eating dates because I thought they were chocolate chips (...)
b) forgotten to bring coffee (yes this is a serious deal)
c) been too lazy to do anything but read most of the time (although admittedly that's fairly frequent)
d) nearly been blown away in all the wind
e) worn a bandana (I can't decide if this was a clever fashion move or if I should be singing country songs)

...okay so maybe it was a fairly typical week. STILL. I appreciate the upcoming long weekend! (Thank you, Queen Victoria. However, although I have done the requisite readings about you- requisited by myself, actually, when I was going through my princess phase- I still don't know why we have a day off dedicated to your birthday... but I am still grateful.)

This weekend also marks my visit to... well, I'm not quite sure what to call it in English. French party camp? With lots of weird ceremonies (seriously, all these people are getting awards that I have never heard of.Why don't they just give me an award for my amazing Great Gatsby shirt?) and clapping (I actually hate clapping so much. How is loud, annoying noise supposed to mean congratulations?) and lots of packing...

But all the crazy dancing more than makes up for it!

Last year I had tons of fun, so let's hope that it's just as wonderful this year! I like to think I'm a better dancer now, so that might help. (However, I suspect it's just that I am better at lying to myself.) I also know how to do a messy bun, which should help disguise the sweatiness of my hair... gross, but useful... and I own actual workout shorts, so I don't have to wear pajamas! (...no of course I didn't do that last year, who wears short pajama shorts and pretends they're a dance outfit? -shifty eyes-)

Happy weekend, ninjas! (Even if you're not lucky enough to live here and have three days, muahaha)

sunny days playlist

Exactly what the title says- a playlist of songs to listen to during a sunny day, to keep you in a happy mood! It's sad just how long it took me to make this... most of the songs I listen to are of the "dying-of-a-broken-heart" variety (no, I am not a country girl. None of them involve trucks) so compiling this one took quite a few scrolls through my iPod. (Yes. I still have an iPod with a click wheel, and I hope it never breaks. Am I the only one?) However, I didn't mind because doing this made me feel like Charlie, putting together a mixtape. (Yes. I do think too much about characters who don't actually exist.)

So, without further ado... here are some happy songs! (Links to Youtube provided, so you have no excuse not to listen!)

1- 22, by Taylor Swift. (Even if you're not a fan of hers, you've got to admit that this is a great song for dancing around and generally acting like an idiot.)

2- Crazy in Love, by Emeli Sandé. (I just had to include something from the Great Gatsby!... and yes, it did fulfill all my wildest hopes and dreams, thanks for asking)

3- How to be a Heartbreaker, by Marina & the Diamonds. (I'm not certain if this is altogether good advice... but it's fun, and that's all that matters!)

4- Spaghetti, by Darelle London. (Too. Cute. Eating spaghetti, watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, and hang-gliding- which I don't know how to spell- must mean true love.)

5- Home, by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. 
(This song is just so bouncy! It just makes me want 
to skip down the street... I wouldn't advise that.)

6- Stupid, by Brendan Maclean. (Let's face it, we all know people like this...)

7- I've Just Seen a Face, by Jim Sturgess- Beatles cover. (That accent. Swoon.) 

8- B.C. Orienteering, by Said the Whale. (Who doesn't love a song about hiking?)

9- First Dance, by Never Shout Never. (Another one that'll make you feel like dancing. 
Can't you just picture spinning round and round with a floaty skirt?...
or an otherwise nice outfit if you're a guy or don't like skirts, 
I don't want to discriminate) 

10- Skinny Genes, by Eliza Doolittle. (This is the one song that makes me wish I could 
whistle so I could sing it properly...)

11- Summer Nights, by Florrie. (Ending with a super-energizing song- go out for a run! 
Or tan, because it seems appropriately summery.) 

Have you heard any of these songs? Did you like them? 

what a wonderful world

Sometimes, it's important just to remember the little things that make you happy. (Wow. I am the last person who I ever thought would say that. Let's face it, most of the time I walk around thinking "I HATE YOU ALL STAY AWAYYY FROM ME MORTALS") It's just... nice. Relaxing. And while I certainly wouldn't advise doing this all the time (might be difficult to keep serious in a business meeting if you're thinking about rainbow cupcakes) it's definitely the perfect thing to do when you have nothing else to do! (Aka French class. Or, as I like to call it, that space of time wherein we have no work ever.) Here are some little things that make me smile.

(source)

...This song. 

Chills.

(not my photo, if anyone knows the link thank you!) 

Is this not adorable? I'm pretty sure whenever I drink coffee I look like a cross between the extra-shot illustration and the Energizer bunny! (except with better hair...)

(source)

Right now that's Dracula... so it's neither new to me nor to the world, but I still enjoy it! 

(credit Kaja Słojewska)

Oh my. Florence + The Machine... in The Great Gatsby... all this and heaven too. (And it's actually coming out in two weeks! I've never been this excited for a movie before...)

(source)

Let's face it... all of us here are probably guilty of this. But it's just so fun!

(credit Chocolate-Covered Katie)

Chocolate Mug Cake. I actually haven't eaten any in a while, but the mere thought of it sends me onto a chocolate high! (Go make it now. My recipe is the best.)

(source)

Especially when there's tea and a cuddly blanket involved. (Or a cuddly person!) 

What are some things that make you happy? 

Oh, and always remember...

(source)

Happy Thursday, blog ninjas!

hold on when you get love... you haven't had enough

By now, I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that I love music and anything that allows me to be loud and generally disruptive. For this reason, I love concerts- everyone else is even louder than I am! I mentioned here that I'd be attending some... and well, you already know how my Emilie Autumn one went (aka, it didn't)... but I never wrote about Stars. Or Marianas Trench.

Let's just say they went a lot better.

I'm calling this artistic blur

yes, it was in a church.  I don't think you can get any more special

I feel like this is a digeridoo... again, the coolness factor is through the roof

(Side note: The lead singer also wore hipster glasses. Be still my beating heart.)

we hid from the world inside a disco ball

...So that might have been the best night of my life. 

But the next one was almost as good. 

awkward selfies are mandatory

(This was taken during the first of the opening acts. I'll just say we ate chocolate the entire time and let you draw your own conclusions from that...) 

just so you know that yes, I really was there and this is not just my imagination

but seriously, I want these pants

and just as seriously omg he is so attractive, marry me plzzz

However, none of this compares to the fact that I put gas in the car for the first time alone yesterday. (BE IMPRESSED.) Why could this excitement not be spread out? Like peanut butter! OMG, it totally is like peanut butter- I always drain all the oil out, and then it doesn't spread at all... so it's like clumps of deliciousness... clumps of excitement? It might not be the most well-written metaphor, but it's accurate! 

...that might have been the most awkwardly written paragraph of my life. English teachers, feel free to disown me. 

On another note of awkwardness... the dancing. For once, I don't mean mine (even I can't ruin jumping up and down) but that of the main singers' of both bands... they might have been worse than me. (Except minus the falling down and bruises.) This was a great comfort- hey, if they're famous, I can't be that awful, right? 

...this is tired-person logic. It's after eight. Time for bed.

What amazing concerts have you attended?

my reincarnation as a unicorn princess

This can also be read as 'I dyed pink streaks in my hair' but really, where's the fun in that? 

I like it because it's both natural (well, as natural as pink can be... if I continue thinking in the unicorn-princess vein, it does indeed seem average!) and noticeable.

It's definitely not as adventurous as my last venture into hair colour... but I'm happy with it! I have yet to notice any magical powers revealed- since, the first thing I would do if I discovered some would be to summon spring.  Much as I love snow,  can't wait to be able to wear all my pretty dresses! (THEY'RE TAUNTING ME. Whoever said that clothes cannot speak has obviously never seen my malicious closet. If it's not saying 'haha, it's still under zero, you can't wear me! I'll just chill here and be happy without you' it's reprimanding me for not folding it. I can't win.) 

Now, all I need is a pair of wings...

random travel musings

So here we have it: the conclusion of this series. Did I actually learn anything in my travels, or am I still the same silly girl obsessed with perfectly painted nails?

...Yes to the latter half (my nails were bare the entire trip and it felt as though there was a Piece Missing from my Soul)... but I'd like to think that I'm a tiny bit more cultured. (Looking at the Mona Lisa must count for something, right?) Either way, here are some thoughts that occured to me along the way!

-I could not permanently live with roommates in the same room. Much as I love them, I do not have the patience to deal with anyone else's mess (let's face it, I can barely deal with my own)... yet another reason I have to get an apartment-style residence at university!

here we are, all cute and jet-lagged

-Food in Europe is much more expensive than food around here, as well as coffee being in tiny servings. (You know a small at Tim Hortons? Think half that amount, for three times the price.)

-...but the boys are really really cute #hormones
so it works out.

-The cars in Europe are just SO MUCH CUTER than anything you see around here. Really.

That is the most adorable thing I've ever seen, give it to me now and note also the cute little scooter

-However walking across crosswalks was terrifying... you basically had to put out a hand and hope that no one would hit you. (Rome earns a special mention for this... needless to say, my loving friends made me walk first every time.)

-What do Italians have against toilet seats? It's one little piece of porcelain, and it makes life so much easier. I lived in fear of falling into the toilet every day.

-We heard much about the "pique-poquets"...seriously. Every. Single. Day.

Say it in a French accent. You won't regret it.

-France had so. Many. Sephoras. (And MACs too!) There was even one in the train station! (Might as well look good while travelling... you never know when you'll meet the love of your life!... why yes, I watch a lot of movies, why do you ask?)

...and that's that. It's strange; the more I travel, the more I desire to travel. Once I see a tiny piece of the world- and really, in the grand scheme of things, I've visited no more than a sliver of the map- I can hardly wait to explore other exotic locales. (The places I want to go... that could be a post all on its own!) Unfortunately, I face that great dilemna; a lack of funds. (What kinds of discoveries could exist were money not an object?)

Oh well, I might be a broke student right now, but that won't last forever. Soon enough, I'll be a famous author (feel free to name-drop and say you know me), wearing gorgeous clothes (that is a definite requirement for any job I may hold in the future... and actually a primary reason I decided not to become a paleontologist) and free to jet-set all over the world and call it research! (Uh-oh. You now know my master plan. Don't tell!)

What's your current dream?

radical roman (italian) ramblings

...and radical they were indeed. At one point in Florence, we actually walked off the map! (Does that mean that the town ceases to exist? What a deep philosophical question... However, it more likely means simply that Mum and I continue to have an extremely bad sense of direction.)

As gorgeous as France was (you can see a small selection of photos here should you care to do so) I must confess that I preferred Italy. Why? Because... they had better food. (Surprise, surprise right? You should know by now that the way to my heart is through my stomach, for sure.)

really though just look at that. I don't think you can find a more gorgeous landscape

Our travels started in Pisa!

see how pretty this is? the town was unbelievably sketchy... not somewhere I want to be after dark

the basilica was unbelievably creepy... the place Weeping Angels go to die I swear

but really, is this not ridiculously crooked?

Then, onwards to Florence...

this was the best coffee of my life omg like really, it had ginseng and how cool is that? plus all the waiters were in fancy suits so love for that

we also went to the best restaurant. I can't even describe how good it was. plus it looked like we were in Versailles!

it seriously rained all day, I thought I was going to lose some appendages

and yet people still ate gelato, I feel my coffee was a far more sensible choice

I swear I'm moving here someday

After taking the bus yet again (I have so much more sympathy for those who take public transport all the time now) we arrived at Assise!

my new favourite (as are many things on this trip) church... really, can you beat three stories and gorgeous artwork filling every square inch? rhetorical all the way

adorably narrow streets, yes please! (as long as I don't have to drive... these people be crazy)

Finally, proving the saying "All roads lead to Rome" right by finishing our journey there. (Where does that saying come from anyway? I feel like it's somehow deep and mythological...)

so can anyone tell me what's on her chest? does she have a lot of extra breasts? are those melons?

crazy to think all maps looked like that at one time..

(Side note: these past two photos were taken in the Vatican, which is technically another city. I still can't believe that I stood under the Pope's window!)

I knew it was enormous and overwhelming and a world wonder, but I didn't know it would be quite that wonderful

and again. How is it possible that I walked around the place where Julius Caesar died? 

yet again. Rome by night, ancient and powerful and all too gorgeous. 

We also visited the Trevi Fountain (possibly my favourite stop on the trip... thankfully, because Mum and I got lost once more and had to hang out there for a while... I think the theme here is that Mum and I should not go places alone)- however, no photos remain (they somehow all disappeared, eaten by the faeries perhaps?) so... that's that. 

Also, how are there such random and gorgeous statues everywhere in all these cities? Send some to Canada for me, please! 

The nostalgia is growing... I think I'll go watch Roman Holiday!