travel

Just Some Thoughts🤔: How Did She Do It Alone? 👩🏽🚸🏙️👶🏽🚉🚕💖

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

It was nice to take a different route, I love looking out of the window, seeing areas that I grew up, and haven’t seen in the longest time, until an important task or errand takes me out there. Bringing me a feeling of comfort, safety, curiosity, slight confusion, and beautiful nostalgia. I’ve felt at times as though I tripped back in time, and I’m trying to makes sense of where, what and how, I ended up in a particular place. I continue trying to piece together, pieces of my childhood that I feel as though are missing, or fragmented. I strive to figure out where they fit, like trying to complete a puzzle. I was telling my Auntie this, as we drove down the Gardiner Expressway, and I was taking in the the “Grass Art”, and the advertisement logos, that have been there from back in the day. I explained to her that every time I see them, I flash back to sitting in the back of a taxi cab, at night, gazing out of the window as cars speed by, capturing the night scene, the waterfront, the grass art, the vibe of the city. And, although, I do not know where we are going, I do not ask, and sit quiet with the rest in the back, fighting heavy eyelids, trying to stay awake, until we arrive at our destination, because waking up in an unknown place can be a tad traumatizing. Do you remember those days, as child? Falling asleep during a loooong car ride, and being woke up to a different place, space and time? As your Mom gently touches your shoulder, and rocks you to wake you up, your eyes slowly open and you felt as though you were sleeping for centuries, like a sleeping giant from from the children’s story book…

Moments and memories embedded in my soul, the city awakens in me, regardless of the occasion. We touched down many diverse spaces, due to circumstances that were beyond my control. I was innocent and not old enough to grasp the magnitude of how much we endured, along with Mom, alone, and how it must have been from Mom’s point of view. She modestly navigated areas of the city, diverse spaces, with us gathered around her, while she pushed a stroller with a small baby and a toddler, walking beside her, walking in front of her, holding her hand if she had one free to hold. Watching her carry bags, along with a baby bag, just to run a simple errand…Damn…It can be challenging doing it alone, car-less, on a tight budget, moving quickly through rush hour, on guard for personal safety, and terrible drivers! So, how did she do it everyday, all alone??

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

~ Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts🤔:🚶🏽‍♀️❄️ My Daily Walk…

~ dawnlovely ~ 2 Comments

February came quick, and we’re almost near the end as the months roll by. Now we received a much anticipated extremely HEAVY snowfall, which has put a dent in our pre-spring dreams, as daylight savings time is around the corner. Now the streets look almost unreal, like a winter wonderland, but with extra, EXTRA snow!! It’s been years since we’ve experienced this level of snow fall, I don’t remember it being this extreme, AND for days in a row. So the streets and roads don’t have time to recover. The snow continues to pile up, layering on top of large mini hills, that almost resemble mini avalanches on people’s front lawns. This winter, our below zero weather has hit down to approx -17 with the windshield, which we accepted graciously, because the lack of snow made it a lot easier to tolerate. It was only before so long that we would receive a true dose of snow that would interrupt our days, and becoming an obstacle course to navigate. I love to walking for exercise, and my daily walk is important, and imperative for my health, both mental and physical. So although the snow is a nuisance, I treat it as an add-on to a workout. I enthusiastically layer up, and leave for an hour plus walk, keeping up a brisk speed, as I listen to my favourite playlist from the 90’s, as I whisk through, and step over the mushy, unleveled, higher than ankle, snow. My destination will take me approx 2 hours, at least to go and return, hopefully safely, and I factor in the time it may take to get around the unpredictable snow accumulation in other areas. I brace myself for the bottom of my pants to get wet with snow, and my hands, gloved up, for premature frost bite, dangerous ICY patches, AND extra pressure on my legs, and knees which are not as “youthful” as they used to be! lol So, I am careful and cautious not to twist them in the unforgiving snow.

This photo was taken on the way to run errands, AFTER a few days of snow removal, and it was -7 which was tolerable enough to stop, take off my gloves, fumble with my phone, and take a decent pic.

So, I successfully made it to my destination, completed my errands really quickly, and started trekking back, on the opposite side of the street, thinking it may be a better choice. Moving strategically, to avoid slipping in the mounds of under-knee level snow. Boy, was I wrong! It was just as bad! Possibly worse, and there was no way to tell until you start walking, and turning back is NOT an option, borderline dangerous, however, you just gotta keep it moving! So, it may take me an hour to get home, but it’ll give my legs some more workout, how I can I complain?!

I restarted my playlist on one of my favourite, beautiful, inspirational and calming tunes by BabyFace, “Exceptional”, as a wisky, light, snow began to fall and winds picked up, making it difficult to see. As winds picked up, I couldn’t help but notice the elevated level of politeness and comradery between people who walking by. I made sure to stop, and give others space to get by, and they did the same, and said Thanks as they walked past me. They even made eye contact, or gave a nod, or even a smile. It was endearing, as I love good manners, and basic human regard in weather disaster times. The gracious level of patience, that we do not usually exercise on a regular day, seems to be available from the majority it matters the most! Imagine if we did this on the road while driving, regardless of the weather?!

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

~ Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

While We Continue To Keep Our Distance, Behind The Mask 😷….

~ dawnlovely ~ 4 Comments

I was in a restaurant waiting in line with a lady and two children that I assumed were her sons. The boys jumped around, bouncing on the “social distance-floor-markers”. She glanced at me, and apologized for their rowdiness. I don’t at all consider children playing in that manner to be “rowdy”. I thought it was cool and cute that they created a fun game while waiting. If I was a kid, I think I’d do same thing. Can you imagine growing up in this type of environment? As tumultuous as my childhood was at times, I still can not imagine it. This was early in the year, when schools were not open, and lock down rules were strict. As I waited for my order, I asked the lady if the boys were twins, because they had a twin vibe. I love seeing twins, as I’m one, and I’m usually able to spot twins on the spot, regardless of what type. She responded, yes they are! I told her that I could tell, simply by their twin energy. She said that they actually look, absolutely nothing alike if I saw them without the masks, and she was surprised that I was able to sense they were twins. They didn’t look the same regardless, they even had different hair colors, but I still knew they were twins. I could sense their twin energy and bond, especially by the way the were playing together. I was proud that my “twindar” was still on point, and I’m not losing my instincts considering we’ve been masked for two years.

It’s interesting to watch the world as we continue to keep our distance. I still feel as though I’m observing from afar, recording what I see. I continue to count my blessings, and try to reduce my stress levels any where I can. I still find myself smiling behind my mask with folks who speak to me in public, or pay me a compliment, and forget that the person can not see it. They may catch the smile in my eyes, I hope.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

~Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

My Quest For Closure:My Battle 🥊 With⏳ Time, PT 2 ⌚…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the weather was close to perfect. I decided to hop on the streetcar and do a long walk, to a shop that I’d been meaning to go to pre-shutdown. I hadn’t visited this intersection in a year, and the last time I’d been round the corner I was a child. There was a restaurant that I wanted to go to, I was craving a bean burrito. I decided to walk down the people filled street, with restrictions lifted, it looked chaotic.

As I walked down the street, I was shocked at how busy it was! There were three times as many people, as the vacant street that I had walked down. There were pockets of homeless people, on both sides of the streets. I was taken aback, because I don’t remember this street being this way. My first instinct was to turn right back around and hop on the first bus back towards home. I felt overwhelmed, for a few seconds, very uneasy, uncomfortable, and I wasn’t sure why. I took a breath, and shook it off. I realized that I was allowing myself to let fear take over me. I was afraid to face the confusion of my childhood trauma, the feeling unsettled from constantly moving around. The places I had faint but yet strangely familiar memories of, walking with my Mother and all of us kids. I had no reason to let fear guide me now, and I wanted to see this strangely familiar street. This street resonated with my soul, as many streets in Toronto do. I decided to continue walking, and walk strong, as my mother always said to me.

I started to feel a sense of nostalgia, as I approached the local Toronto public library. I immediately wanted to pull out my phone to take a pic, but somebody was sitting on the grass in front, taking selfies. I didn’t want to disturb them, by pointing my phone towards them, as that may make them uncomfortable. I try to exercise good phone photo etiquette while in public, so I decided not to take the pic. I told myself that while the weather is good, I will be sure to return and take a photo.

As I waited for my food at a chill classic authentic Mexican restaurant, I felt a sense of relief. I was happy that I continued walking and exploring the block. I felt a sense of pride, and closure. I walked to the bus stop with the heaviest burrito I had ever bought in my life, and headed home.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

~ Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts 🤔:Our New Norm 🚉🚌 ….

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

The new norm has been bittersweet for me from the start, but it’s come with many blessings in disguise. For one, I was able to take a break from long commutes to work, and work from home again. I was over and done with commuting in packed subway stations. I was relieved, and ecstatic about the government enforced “social distancing” rule applied to the GTA transit system. It was the perfect rule to enforce, for many reasons. For one, some subway stations are over crowded to a point where it’s not safe, when walking through. Secondly, when buses are over crowded, drivers continue taking more people in, or they drive right past you. You may be waiting for a bus for thirty minutes, and it passes you by. Without before warning, you may be late for work or an appointment. On top it, your fare may expire and you’ll have to pay again, so annoying!

The first time I took the TTC after almost a year, and hopped on a bus, I felt as though I was in a dream. The yellow social distance signs all over the seats…. Folks are literally NOT ALLOWED to sit directly beside you??!!Wow! You mean, I don’t have to deal with a stranger falling asleep on my shoulder? Sounds good to me! I don’t have to anticipate, how to politely ask a stranger, for some “space” to squeeze by them from the window seat. My personal space feels protected, the way that it should in public. I feel much more relaxed and enjoy the ride.The seat beside me will be free for my bags, and I have all the space that I need. Traveling on the TTC has been a pleasure, since these rules have been enforced. It’s one change for our new norm that I did not need to adapt to. I’m definitely used to it!

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

~Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W