Leaving Toronto

So now that we're here in Australia, and I've had a chance to breathe, I can't help but look back a bit at what we've come from. Our departure from Toronto seemed like such a whirlwind. The University of Western Australia had arranged for a moving company to handle the packing and shipping of our things which meant that all we had to do was decide what we were taking with us, get it all sorted out for the movers, keep Eliot and Peter out of their way when they came to pack up, sell off the remaining items, and camp out in our empty apartment for a couple days until it was time to leave for the airport. Friends helped us haul things to Goodwill (we'd sold our car during an earlier visit to Milwaukee), lent us an air mattress, helped clean the apartment, and drove us to the airport (a task that required two vehicles). Thank goodness for good friends!






Take that Atkins! We couldn't leave Toronto without enjoying a hot dog from one of the street vendors.







To say that I miss Toronto and the people I met there isn't to say that I'm not coming to love Australia and the people I'm meeting here, just as I've come to love other places and friends. We only lived in Toronto for 12 months. We experienced each season just once. But I really think it was one of my favorite places to live. Perhaps it was because we lived in a sleepy neighbourhood that was nestled in the heart of the city so we were a few minutes away from bustling urban activity but could hear the crickets at night. I'm certain it was the fantastic people we met and the good friendships we formed. And of course, the city itself had such a fun energy. Something was always going on--very unlike Perth where everything closes at 6pm. Don't get me wrong, Perth is lovely and has a lot to offer, but those late-night gelato runs are at an end. Possibly for best ;)







Eliot was eager to be of use.





Peter secured his nomination for Easy-Going Baby of the Year by drifting to sleep, quietly and unassisted, right in the midst of all the commotion.













Peter is ready for the flight to Edmonton. Eliot seemed to think he was going straight to Australia.
















I'm glad that we had that year in Toronto. Looking back at it makes me smile, and you can't ask much more than that from a city.