Took a really short road trip to Toronto last month. The ride was courtesy of Cadillac and in case you don’t know this about me, I absolutely love to drive. I got my license the moment I was of age and never looked back. I find the open road very therapeutic. While in Toronto, I was able to support a friend, meet dope YouTube creators, eat delicious vegan food and stay at an Airbnb with a balcony looking on to the CN Tower. The view was amazing!
I am writing today’s blog post with gratitude in my heart. Gratitude for new experiences and spontaneity. I believe there is a time for everything under the sun. A time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to plan and a time to be spontaneous. Here are 5 reasons why you should make embracing the unplanned a priority in your life.
1. Life will surprise you
Some of you will have a small heart attack reading this next sentence. We hit the road to Toronto without previously booking a hotel or Airbnb. That’s right, we booked our accommodations on the way. and weren’t even stressed about it. We opted for an Airbnb in the heart of Little Italy in downtown Toronto. A prime location, close to all the restaurants we wanted to try and the Now Creative Group space where the YouTube Panel: Getting Started & Creator Money Myths we were there to attend was.
The first few homes we tried to book were unsuccessful and although the place we settled on wasn’t our first choice per se based on the description and the photos, it was the best place for us. We had no idea at the time how blessed we were about to be. The townhouse we booked was amazing. It had four floors, three bathroom and a balcony with an unobstructed view of the CN Tower. It was modern, clean, comfortable and came with all the necessary amenities including a garage. Even our Cadillac CT6 Twin Turbo had a room. What more could we ask for?
2. You will meet new people
I am an extrovert and I welcome settings where I can meet new people and connect. The event we attended in support of our friend Steve was a great space for just that. Picture a room full of creatives coming together for a panel discussion on all things YouTube. It is a guaranteed good time in my book. Amongst the panelists and all around cool people were Jesse Driftwood, Steven Van, Naomi Leanage, Steve Daniel, Vanessa Giorgio, Rachel Minicucci from Pretty Polishes and Chris Lawrence. We also made time to grab coffee with my new friend Joelle aka La Petite Noob and a quick tour of a food public relations agency. It was a people-person’s dream.
3. You will discover interesting places
Going with the flow is a great way to discover new places. When you position yourself to travel with new people and approach your destination with no preconceived notions you will be pleasantly surprised. Thanks to this trip, I saw sides of Toronto I hadn’t seen before even though it wasn’t my first time there. As I previously mentioned, we stayed in Little Italy not too far from Kensington Market. This location was ideal for eating out, shopping and exploring. We took long walks on more than one occasion. Thanks to the walks we discovered a cute pie shop and Drake’s clothing store OVO.
4. It teaches open-mindedness
When you are doing something spontaneous that is not the time to be a control freak. Being uptight and too hands-on is the surest way to have a miserable time. Not only do you ruin the experience for yourself but you also ruin it for everyone else. It’s ok not to get your way all the time. Embrace other people’s preferences and tastes. Thanks to open-mindedness we discovered delicious food (vegan and not vegan), went to one of my favorite thrift store where I scored to leather jacket for $10 each and took a trip down memory lane at a fun arcade which was only a few steps from our home for the week.
5. It teaches you to prepare for what you can and leave the rest
As a plant-based eater on a vegan diet traveling with four omnivores, I knew that I would have to compromise in the food department at some point. To avoid getting hangry, I packed a lot of vegan snacks as well as breakfast options for the duration of my stay. I knew that if I had my breakfasts and cravings covered, it would be a great trip. Thankfully, they were as openminded as I was and we ate at two vegan restaurants, Planta and Fresh on Crawford. My travel crew was awesome and even made sure I had non-dairy milk for my coffee. We also ate at Drake’s restaurant Fring’s on our last night there. It is not a vegan restaurant but the chef was very accommodating and the service was impeccable.
I am a spontaneous person at heart and my spur of the moment experiences have yet to disappoint me. I highly recommend you make spontaneity a habit this summer and live a little!
