Happy Day, Happy Year

A year ago today, I arrived in Toronto. No place to live, no job, no clue where anything was. I didn't know anyone, and really only had one friend (who I could count on). It was an intimidating position to be in, but definitely an exciting one too.

Three hundred and sixty five days later, I've got my little basement apartment, a job as Assistant Publisher at a great little company, I know the city well enough to take my Vancouver friends around, and I have TWO friends (who I can count on, I mean, though I have lots of pals who I can hang out with... !)

So to celebrate my anniversary today... I skipped work!! That is totally UNlike me, isn't it? I mean, I've only skipped work one other time in my entire life and that was when I was living in Japan, and D decided to skip her work day and then convinced me to go fishing with her and Nami instead. I caught two fish that day and it was pretty fun and an awesome memory... But I digress...

I didn't wake up this morning intending to skip. In fact, when I woke up this morning, I was freaking out because I had accidentally slept in! It was 8:40am--the time that my boss usually picks me up at to drive me to work. So just as I was sitting in bed freaking out, he called. And when I answered the phone with my voice all scratchy because of that "just woke up" croakiness, he observed, "Oh Gloria, you sound sick!" to which I answered, "Yes, yes I am!"

And thus my second year in Toronto began with a dirty lie... so to work off my guilt, I did some productive work around the house. I did laundry, and vacuumed and tidied up. Then I went into downtown and met a friend for lunch, had great conversation, and then, to reward myself, got a facial at my favourite spa!! So all in all, a very lovely day and definitely a fine way of celebrating my life, my year, and my day "off" from work.