Canada: Ottawa

Back in early July one of my best friends invited me to go to Canada with her, her mother, grandmother, and her aunt. It was an adventure to say the least. I had been to Toronto but I've never been to Ottawa, so we all crammed into a tiny rental car and hopped the border for the day.

Ottawa, Ontario is the capital of Canada and home to the Canadian Parliament. The day we decided to go it literally poured the entire day. But, that didn't stop us from exploring the lovely city. I thought Parliament (pictured above) resembled Mr. Big Ben across the pond in England.

The grounds of the Parliament had stellar views across the river into Quebec and it did not disappoint. 

So, we decided to cross the river and see the views from the other side:

not too bad aye?

Buffalo Riverwalk

On one of the recent visits before I actually moved to the new apartment, the beau and I went down to the Buffalo Riverwalk. More specifically, it's where the Niagara River meets Lake Erie. 

You have to drive to the end of W. Ferry St., cross a bridge onto an island in the middle of the Niagara River, and then enjoy a nice leisurely walk (that just so happens to go underneath the Peace Bridge that leads to Canada).

Oh and at the end of the Riverwalk someone duct taped an American flag :)

Wearing: Aeropostale cropped top & American Eagle overall shorts

About Time

So when I took this initial picture (above), I was visiting Buffalo and it was probably the worst winter I have ever lived through; coming from Central New York that's saying a lot. Little did I know that by summer I would be living a block right from this very spot. 

AND, I have come to the conclusion that summer in Buffalo makes up for the god awful winters that you have to endure. It's warm all the time with a slight breeze coming from Lake Erie + the occasional summer thunderstorm. It has taken my significant other and I four years to get to this point. This point meaning, actually living together, as in just us, and this wait has been totally worth it. 

Warped Tour 2014 + Summer Playlist

A couple weeks ago, I went to Warped Tour in Buffalo for the second time. Most of it was to see nostalgic bands that I haven't listened to since 2005-2006 + to catch up on some current favorites. It was myself and 3 other guys, including the beau, & even though it felt like we were caught in a hurricane, we made the most of the day. 

Warped Tour kinda kicked off my hunt for some good summer tunes and in turn I have compiled a playlist of sorts for the rest of the summer. Hope you enjoy!

Cool Kids - Echosmith

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

All The Way - Timeflies

And We Danced (feat. Ziggy Stardust) - Macklemore

Stay With Me - Sam Smith

Buzzcut Season - Lorde

Light Me Up - Birdy

Maps - Maroon 5

A Sky Full Of Stars - Coldplay

Ain't It Fun - Paramore

When You Were Young - The Killers

California (Tchad Blake Mix) - Phantom Planet