Trading city lights for starry nights

Yesterday I was once again on a plane, taking me away to Panama. I'm excited about this unexpected trip. I had it in my head that I was going to be back in Toronto for a long while, and it ended up just a trip long enough to spend quality time with my family and a few close friends.

It wasn't quite enough time to get back in touch with everyone that I had intended to see. It was very nice to not feel too rushed and cram everyone it all at once though. I do feel really bad though, about not getting to connect with more people.

The thing I missed most, was doing nothing with people. Having coffee and going on errands with my step-mom, having dinner and hanging out with my dad, babysitting and playing with my aunt and uncle's kids, movies and drives with my grandfather, etc. All the day to day things that you're just happy to do with the people you love. Obviously all the moments are made sweeter because there's a close expiration date.

The weather wasn't unbearable, probably also due to the leave date. I still love snow, and will fall in fresh snow anytime, to make snow-angels, when no ones around. After seeing the snow, slush, and ice, I was ready for a place I could enjoy outdoors, and walk around barefoot. I'm not very connected to outdoor winter sports in Toronto, by that I mean it's hard to just walk out your front door and stay outside. You have to drive far to get to a good ski hill, shuttle downtown to go skating, venture up north to go cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing.

Whenever I was outside, Toronto felt bare. It's become too expensive, and NetFlicks all to alluring. Never before have I seen 12 cabs huddled together at a red light, all empty, on a Friday night. During regular office hours there seems to be a big flow of people, pedestrian traffic handled in a organized fashion by the TTC, so people are in the city, but everyone is just hibernating. Or maybe everyone's just watching hockey because the leafs are actually playing well and winning games!!

So, I will miss hockey, the snow, Canadian's, family and friends, but the islands of the archipelago of Bocas del Toro, give me a certain happiness that I can't pin on one thing, just the whole rainforest experience.