This morning I landed in Toronto, first impression is that this city is a lot more packed than I expected. And a bit dirtier than I anticipated. In a city of 2.93million people, I guess it makes sense. People live in such close proximity to each other, the horizon line is filled with skyscrapers with thousands of apartments, people living out their daily life in probably anonymity. I have been to Canada over 50 times, and this is the first time I have visited a city this large here. So, how did I spend my morning?

Well I am glad you asked!

First let me say, the flight in was delightful. From Minneapolis, it took two hours to get here. Flying in over the city, I was struck by the vast concrete nature of Toronto. You see, the 49 other times that I have been to Canada, I went to areas of the country that boast beautiful canola fields and wide open spaces. I am not sure why I expected more green space here, but I just did. I think coming from a city like Minneapolis too make me think that you can find green spaces in any concrete jungle.

My first day of vacation always varies depending on my mood. I was tired today, sad about leaving my boys home with a cat sitter, and burnt out from work. I had every intention of hiking and taking in the sights, but opted instead to go get snacks and then stop by Tim Hortons.

What kind of snacks did I get?

From left to right:

Smarties. These are similar to M&M’s but the candy shell is a bit harder, and the chocolate is significantly better. The first time I had these I was 15 years old and a camp counselor somewhere in Manitoba. I remember the lightness of the chocolate, and the first time I cracked open the shell, the chocolate isn’t as sweet, and it is creamier.

Loacker Hazelnut Wafers. These are little blocks of happiness, similar to most things in Canada, the flavor is subtle and not overly sweet.

All Dressed Ruffles. All dressed ruffles makes me think of growing up in Philly and ordering a cheesesteak with errthang. All dressed is a mix of ketchup, barbecue sauce and salt & vinegar. They are so good, complex, and something that can only be found easily in Canada.

Ketchup Ruffles. These are exactly what they say. now, I am not a huge fan of ketchup, but when in Canada you need to get these chips.

I went to Tim Hortons for lunch. Fun fact. The iced coffee still has ice in it right now at 6:10pm. I’m not sure how this cup has been able to insulate this ice for so long but I am impressed. I’m sure you are wondering, why spend so much time complementing such an arbitrary thing about Tim Hortons… Well, that is the only compliment I have. I feel like I don’t understand the craze. I imagine that TH is supposed to be the Dunkin or Starbucks of Canada, but both of those stores have good food. This meal was a jalapeno chicken bowl. It was, as Gen Z says, mid. The iced coffee was good, because honestly that is really hard to do poorly. Though somehow Dunn Bros has figured out how to.

Tomorrow will be filled with a couple of different adventures. Thanks for following the adventures of a lonely bookish black girl.