I was listening to Nikki (the ‘I Believe’ girl) Yanofsky’s new album this morning on my way to work.
The songs are beautiful jazz, with a little bit of pop and soul, and she has an amazing voice.
I’m almost tempted to go see her during the jazz festival but I’m afraid my fascination is because she’s young and so talented.
Maybe my admiration is the kind reserved for child prodigies.

Someone suggested I listen to the album – because it’s ‘music to inspire travel’ as I’ve been a little obsessed with traveling lately.

It’s just a few months till September.
I spent the last week planning my vacation.
I usually take my vacation in September.

September is not a (very) high travel season, it’s also not blazing hot and I get to spend the summer in Vancouver which is the only time our weather is awesome.

When planning, I started off wanting to go to the same places I’d always gone, doing the same things I’d done.

But then I decided I wanted to try something different this year.
I’m going to rent a tiny apartment in Paris, and for a few weeks live out my Parisian fantasy.
I already have my days planned out; my days will be filled visiting open markets, boulangeries, little neighbourhood cafés, museums, sightseeing, brocantes and puces.
I’ll take a long scenic train ride to London one weekend to visit with friends and family.
It’s all I’ve been working on for the past while and it’s very exciting, I think waiting is going to be the hardest.
And when I finally return home, I want to have changed a little – because for a few weeks I lived a different life.

Bowen Island is what welcomed me when I got off the boat.
The small picturesque island town that makes my heart swoon.

Bowen Island is one of those super relaxed places where everyone is laid-back and looks happy.
It looks like the kind place where you live happily ever-after, and where perfectly well-adjusted adults come from.
I imagine I could be one of those people too if I lived there.

Bowen Island is for relaxing, and that’s exactly what I do when I’m there.
I linger and savour, I sit at the park and watch the boats at the marina.
I have a picnic, read, nap and try to do everything slowly.
I take nice long leisurely hikes and explore little shops and galleries.

Finally I make my way up to the Artisan Square, where more awesome little shops and galleries abound.

On this trip, I had delicious hot chocolate from Cocoa West; some of the best I’ve ever had
- if you’re here, try the poblano hot chocolate for a sweet spicy kick.
And if you needed a place to stay on the island, a special or romantic getaway try the ‘chocolate suite’, their ‘bed and chocolate’ inn
(p.s. they are not paying me to say this… I wholly think it’s awesome)

I had lunch at Artisan Eats, portobello mushroom burger with yam fries and a soda.
Nice views looking down and I thought the food pretty was good, or maybe I was just hungry -  It’s an uphill trek to the square.

Bowen Island is full of artists, it’s quite inspiring; everyone is an artist in some capacity.
I saw the MAMA exhibition at the gallery in the Square.
It’s an interesting undertaking – a travelling exhibition by a Bowen Island local, the project celebrates motherhood.
It’s very cool to see, it’s beautiful with a sense of calm and familiarity about it.

A woman came up to me at the square smiling and said “Please tell me you live on Bowen”
She explained that she was putting on a production that required ‘a young woman of colour’
For a second I felt that maybe, I too, could move here and become an artist.

While I was leaving Bowen Island later on in the evening, it dawned on me that this was the place people came to live their passion.
And for us just visiting, maybe it was the place to reignite our passions.

Here are a few more pictures, hope you likey…

And soon, we were ferried back to our realities.

The END.

I love nature! And anyone who doesn’t needs a long tight hug.

Sometimes I get delusions of giving it all up to go be one with nature.
For as long as I can remember I’ve always had this urge to move out into the wilderness and live out my life there.

When this urge gets stronger, I normally try to find nature in my urban setting.
Parks are the next best thing when you can’t get out into the wild.
I am often reminded that except for the occasional wayward pooch urban parks are much safer too.

I love innovative parks, which is why I absolutely had to go to the High Line.
I’d heard so much about, it felt like I’d already been there.

The High Line is a park in New York’s Meatpacking District built on an abandoned elevated railway track.
It opened last year, I visited the park back in April, and I must say I was impressed.
I’d seen pictures, though they never seemed as impressive as the concept.

If you ever been to, or seen pictures of Promenade Plantée (it was featured in Before Sunset)
The High Line was modeled after it.
Getting to the park also marked the first time I used the Subway in New York, which didn’t turn out to be the ordeal I’d always imagined.

We met a guy who coincidentally works for the NYC Parks & Rec., he was extremely kind and helpful.
He gave us all sorts of info and tidbits about the High Line and other NYC parks.

The High Line is so much more than I’d envisioned.
It’s welcoming, authentic and charming, and the views surrounding it are just spectacular.
I could have stayed forever it they’d let me, those recliner chairs are so comfortable.

As you would expect with most public spaces in New York, the park was quite crowded.
The atmosphere was still laid back and relaxing, you could forget you were in one of the busiest and bustling cities in the world.
The High Line is a favourite hangout for tourists and locals alike.
It fits right among the restaurants and shops in the Meatpacking district.
The park runs underneath the fabulous Standard Hotel and Chelsea Market.

The brilliance of the High Line is its novelty, that they took an abandoned and decrepit railroad and turned into a stylish urban public space is genius.
This website has some amazing ‘before’ pictures for perspective, if you’re interested.

High Line staff & stylish benches

Tracks

The view towards the river.

Looking down; yellow cabs and seats outside the Standard Hotel.

Wicked!

The only thing I hate about going on vacation is the fact that I have to pack.

Packing has never been fun for me; I almost never know what to take.

I aspire to be the type of woman who without much effort can make six complete outfits from the two sets of clothes I’ve packed.

Packing for New York was a bit of a headache, I wanted to bring as little as possible yet I wanted to wear all clothes in my closet.

Here’s what I wore in New York;

I wasn’t sure what the weather was going to be, so I packed a scarf and brought boots to wear during the trip.

I had some light jackets too just in case it got chilly or cold.

The weather turned out to be amazing, it wasn’t exactly summer weather but it was cool and nice.

It was gorgeous and sunny on the Sunday we were on the High Line.

I remember thinking I hadn’t felt the sun like that on my face in a long time.

In the end, I was pleased with my choices.
My clothes were comfortable enough for hours of walking and exploring the city.

I love Sundays.
Aren’t Sundays the best of all days?
Here are a few things I’d like to do on Sundays.
I just wish Sundays didn’t go by so fast…

Central Park, NYC