Atiliay noun, a play off the French word “atelier”; a workshop/studio, esp of an artist or designer; my creative space

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Thank you for being our home for over 2 months, I almost can't believe we are finally back in the states--the land of Target, Trader Joe's, and Petco lol. Below are some highlights, recommendations, dislikes, practical travel things, and what's next --feel free to use the headers to navigate and skip around if you'd like and don't forget to click on “view entire message” to see this entire newsletter :)

FAVORITES 💗

From strangers to my temporary neighbors to people I have only known virtually--so many heartwarming conversations and laughs. I wanted to share some of my friends' info in case you're interested in what they do! I also loved the diversity here. ln my neighborhood there were people from different parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, all over the world. I never felt out of place or that race was an issue.

NOT SO MUCH 😅

This applies to random people / strangers, not people I actually know :) I've always heard the stereotype of how nice Canadians are so I was expecting everyone to be, well, very nice! lol My first impression was from the border agent who was kinda rude then as I started driving through Sarnia the drivers were very aggressive! The first week I was there (in Hamilton & Etobicoke) nobody I encountered said thank you or you're welcome (store clerks, the first vet I went to…but he was pretty cold overall, etc.). I was so confused lol. 

 

However as my trip went on, I did meet some nicer people! I think I was also equating nice to being friendly which might be where I went wrong because you can be nice but not be saying hi to randos on the street. In my experience Americans are way more likely to say hi and offer a smile, hold the door, say thank you--even if you're a complete stranger and especially if you have Valentine lol. (People in Canada did like Val too :))  I also realized Canada is such a melting pot and a lot of the people I encountered weren't actually born and raised in Canada. My Canadian friend also said that Toronto specifically isn't as nice because city life can be stressful! I'll have to visit other areas of Canada and see if I change my mind!

There was always traffic no matter what day / time! It was also chaotic driving downtown--lots of cars, buses on cables, people just walking in the middle of the street, bikes zooming by, and sometimes rain! 

 

Parking was also rough--I spent more on parking here than anywhere else. I also don't like that it's not meters where others can benefit if you accidentally put too much money in / I wish I could subtract if I overestimated! (Getting the app does make things very convenient!) I also found some of the signs to be confusing / too small but this could just be me lol. Drivers were aggressive or slow and lollygagging / not sure what they wanted to do.

 

I didn't realize I wouldn't have access to certain sites like my vet's online pharmacy and Peacock TV, (both of which I tried to access using VPN but it still didn't work!) and I had to stock up on Valentine's wet food and certain brands that aren't carried in Canada.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL THINGS 🗺️

WHAT'S NEXT? 🚘

Val and I have begun our journey back to the west coast! Our final destination is going to be Washington! I've always said I'd continue on this road trip for as long as it was OK for Val. With her eye situation (see end of email if you need an update on this) and being so sensitive to sunlight, sightseeing and traveling is no longer ideal.

 

Why WA? A few have come close but Washington has been my #1 state ever since we went! I think the generally cooler and cloudier weather will be good for Val, some of my favorite people are there, there's so much wildlife and nature, and it just feels right. I've also found an eye specialist and regular vet there that I can take Val to.

 

If I've learned anything on this journey, it's that plans can easily and unexpectedly change. But this is what I'm thinking for now and where I'd like to settle with Val. I would've loved to go to more places with her but we've seen so much and there is still a lot to explore in WA! 

 

I am currently writing you from Davenport, IA and tomorrow we begin the next leg of our drive that will take us through South Dakota, Montana (very excited for the scenery there!), and Idaho. Iowa is my 28th state and Valentine's 26th! Here's the latest map:

Even though we had quite a rough time with Valentine's health, I don't feel like my time in Canada was bad or that I'd never go back! The more I think about it, the more I feel like it needed to happen there so I could find the right vets to help her. And recovering there gave me more time to check things out, meet more people, and appreciate Toronto more--honestly if I had left earlier I might not have liked it as much! I'm grateful for my time there and thank you for reading about this part of our journey :)

Enjoy the rest of your summer (fall is finally almost here--even if the temps don't feel like it) whether you're also traveling around or enjoying being close to home. Take good care and talk to you soon!

 

*Val's eye situation: In July she was diagnosed with pannus. Her eyes had UV damage and her own immune system started attacking her eyes because of that :( It made them even cloudier and she lost what was left of her eyesight. It also turned her eyes a pink / red color. After being treated with eyedrops, she is now stable and comfortable. Although she can't see, her eyes don't cause her any discomfort and she will continue to get eyedrops to maintain them.  If you are ever concerned about your dog's eyes--take them to an eye specialist immediately! The regular vets won't be able to help as much as they can. If your dog starts squinting because of the sun, get them eye protection to help prevent this from happening to them and get them checked out by the specialist.

 

PS: I'm currently ¼ of the way to my fundraising goal for Food4Africa! If you'd like to learn more and donate, please click here. 1 meal = just 5 cents so every dollar really does go a long way! (If you're comfortable you can also donate via Venmo or PayPal to avoid fees and have more of the funds go directly to the cause.)

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