canada

OOTD/PHOTO DIARY: NIAGARA FALLS

June 15, 2015

Toronto was soooo last week. This week hails Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls, to me, is the Las Vegas of Canada. This is my second time visiting the Falls. However, it's totally different this time. This time, I'm legal! I can drink and gamble. It's a bit different of an experience for a seven year old than for a nineteen year old.

It's also different this time because I just came from a purely Canadian city, Toronto, and now I'm in a tourist trap just over the border. So, things are very americanized here. Rolling out of the bar or casino and wolfing down a Denny's grand slam apparently isn't just an American tradition.

There are two main attractions: The Falls and Clifton Hill. Clifton Hill is a hilly street filled with attractions - arcades, haunted houses, wax museums, mini golfs, and more.

Day 1

We stopped at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto before we drove to Niagara Falls. I was itching to check out this hub of food and culture while we there. However, it was closed on Sundays and Mondays, the only days we were there. I was so happy to catch it Tuesday morning. There was an array of food - coffee, pastries, crepes, fresh produce, Greek food, shawarma, etc.

Cardigan: American Eagle
Crop Top: Forever 21
Shorts: Forever 21
Shoes: TopShop



A fresh breakfast - a ham and pineapple crepe, a latte, and macarons.


The first thing I did when I got to Niagara Falls was by 2 for $20 shoes. I've really been wanting a pair of these leather slip-ons.



Shoes: Siren


I changed my outfit... and perused around Clifton Hill.

Shirt: Target
Pants: Charlotte Russe
Shoes: Siren



Look.. a rainbow! This picture captivates all of the charms of the falls, a rainbow, the Maid of the Mist, and rainbow bridge. Those are the American falls with Niagara Falls, NY behind it.

Day 2


Crop Top: Forever 21
Shorts: American Eagle
Necklaces: handmade, Forever 21
Sandals: Target


THE Clifton Hill!


The view from atop the "Skylon Tower". One of the most acclaimed ways to get a 360 degree view of the falls.


Winds were 40 km/h, we had to take a windy selfie.




Not Katy Perry, but a wax figure of her!


Wax figures of The Simpsons at the Movieland Wax Museum in Clifton Hill.



Day 3

You'll never guess how this outfit came together. I may have displayed this colorful paisley romper on this blog before. It's great as a romper, however, it's also proven to be very versatile. It can double as a colorful pair of fun shorts. I've paired sweaters over it, now I've paired this scalloped blue crop top from TopShop.

Crop Top: TopShop
Romper: Forever 21



We took the "Maid of the Mist" boat today. This was my second time on it. However, as mentioned before, I'm a lot older and can retain more memories this time.


Whoever tells you you don't get that wet is wrong! However, the views are so worth it.




Day 4


The day ended with me scoring a little over $80 on a slot machine, not this one. Although American original is my machine of choice.


We spent most of the day over the border on Goat Island in Niagara Falls, NY. This picture was taken in one country, but you can see another country in the background (US and Canada). How crazy!


Just putting my selfie stick to good use here.


We ate at an Italian restaurant that had a bakery attached, called Como. I hadn't had gnocci in a while!


The view of the top of the falls from the "three sisters islands" on Goat Island. It's one of the most scenic places in Niagra Falls State Park in NY.



Most of these pictures were taken on top of the Canadian Falls. What I don't get is that the strait of land is on the American side, however they're called the Canadian falls. Who owns them?

Top: Marshalls
Joggers: Kohls
Sandals: Payless
Sunglasses: Boohoo



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career

WOULD YOU RATHER: TRAVEL EDITION

June 11, 2015


TRAVEL OR FOCUS ON YOUR CAREER AT THE AGE OF 25?

At THIS point in my life, I'd definitely focus more on traveling. My mindset over the past year has turned from a rigid four-year plan to a plan of going wherever the hell life takes me. I went from planning on staying a Boston girl tried to true to thinking about moving out to LA, Miami, Chicago, or maybe even another country after graduation. My new answer to "what do you want to do after graduation" has become "wherever it takes me." I know what I want to do in the long run, however I'm going to let the journey take me there. What is the journey? That's the mystery.
As for me at 25, I would have to re-evaluate where I am in my career goals and if I'm happy with it, then I'd focus on a family. If I'm not, I'd keep hustling. It may sound insensitive to some, but I'm very career-oriented. My first tattoo I plan on getting the inverted pyramid with a quote in it, which will be a sign of my career orientation. The inverted pyramid is a useful tool in the field I'm pursuing.
HAVE A $10,000 BUDGET FOR A HOLIDAY AND FLY FIRST CLASS FOR $5,000 AND STAY IN MEDIOCRE ACCOMMODATION, OR SPEND $1,000 ON ECONOMY AND STAY IN LUXURY ACCOMMODATION?
To me, it's not really about the accommodation. As long as I have a comfy bed to sleep in and a shower to use, I'm all set. During my holidays, it's all about where I go - the sights seen, the food eaten, the amount of times I've gotten lost, and the things I've stumbled upon. Note my past: I've shared a college dorm bathroom with eighty other girls, I've stayed in a hotel room with no windows in London and shared my fair share of European hotel rooms the size of walk-in closets wit two or more other people.

NEVER TAKE THE TRAIN OR NEVER TAKE AN AIRPLANE AGAIN?

As much as I love taking the T into Boston from Revere, and zipping around the city in it, I can't give up the luxury of being able to jet around the world. I actually enjoy traveling on a train more than in a plane, because there's more leg room, less duration, and less security. It's also cheaper. However, I'd rather rely on cars, taxis, and Ubers than not be able to travel around the world.
STAY IN A PALM HUT ALONG THE SEASHORE FOR SEVEN DAYS OR STAY IN A LOG CABIN IN THE WOODS FOR ONE MONTH?
Definitely the beach hut. I'm more of a beachy gal. I dig them beachy vibes, so to speak. In such a fast-paced world, I love a good, peaceful getaway now and then. 

WAKE UP WITHOUT YOUR WALLET OR WAKE UP WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT AND PHONE?

If I didn't have my phone, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I wouldn't be able to phone home for money, navigate to a bank, or call to cancel my debit and order a new license. Also, I'm not about getting a new passport. Don't wanna lose all of those stamps!

BE LEFT BEHIND IN THE BUSH ON AN AFRICAN SAFARI OR BE LEFT BEHIND IN THE WATER ON A SCUBA TRIP?

I'd like to think my wet suite could save me from a poisonous sting in the water. I don't know where I'd be in the middle of an African desert. I know in the scuba situation, if I can at least find my way to land, I'm golden. So, the scuba option.

LOSE YOUR LUGGAGE BUT LAND ON TIME BUT LAND 12 HOURS LATE WITH YOUR LUGGAGE IN TACT?

Definitely having my luggage intact but arriving twelve hours late. Not having my things would NOT be a thing I'd be comfortable with. However, whatever is supposed to happen when I land can wait.

HAVE AN AWESOME JOB IN A MEDIOCRE CITY OR A MEDIOCRE JOB IN AN AWESOME CITY?

Definitely have an awesome job in a mediocre city. I feed off of the energy of the place where I live, however I'd rather be happy with my occupation. Why spend all of this time working on my education and internships just to be unhappy in the future.

BE ABLE TO TELEPORT TO PLACES YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN OR ONLY BE ABLE TO TELEPORT TO PLACES YOU’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE?

Being able to teleport places I've never been before. I don't mind driving, I like listening to my music during my commute. If I could snap my fingers and be in a place I've always wanted to - Prague, Costa Rica, Costa Del Sol, etc, I'd be down.

BE STUCK ON A SEVEN-HOUR DELAY, OR TURN UP AT THE AIRPORT AND REALIZE YOUR FLIGHT IS TOMORROW?

Realize my flight is tomorrow. I can always just shoot back home and relax for another day.

BE ABLE TO PLAY EVERY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT THAT YOU TOUCH OR SPEAK EVERY LANGUAGE THAT YOU HEAR?
This is difficult because  I've always dabbled in both of these and have been meaning to fully learn at least one of them. I can play guitar, know a small amount of piano, and know limited French and Spanish. Music would be more of a hobby for me, but language would be more useful. 

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO MEET YOUR ANCESTORS OR FORWARD TO MEET YOUR DESCENDANTS?

The future to see my descendants! Not only to see what comes from this beauty, but to see what the future looks like.

HAVE IN-FLIGHT WIFI BUT NO LEGROOM (LIKE, ZERO INCHES) OR IN-FLIGHT LEGROOM BUT NO WIFI?

I SHOULD say wifi so I can be productive, but as an athlete, I have to say legroom. During flights I like to nap, read a good book, watch a movie, and dry draft a blog post (no graphics, links, tags, etc).

BE ABLE TO EAT ANYTHING AND ANY QUANTITY OF FOOD WITH NO NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS OR BE REFRESHED AND WELL RESTED AFTER ONLY THREE HOURS OF SLEEP?

This being a health blog at times, I would say I'm pretty confident in my healthy eating habits. I know when to go totally health-friendly, I know when to make healthy substitutions, and I know when to teach. Also, training for a health marathon leaves me some eating wiggle room. I would KILL for a few more hours in the day, so I choose the sleep option.

WOULD YOU RATHER TRAVEL ALONG THE OCEAN FLOOR OR TAKE A TRIP TO OUTER SPACE?

After seeing Interstellar, I never want to go through the emotional roller coaster of messing with the space-time continuum, lightyears, or other planets. THANKS MATT DAMON.

DIE HAPPY IN FIVE YEARS OR DIE UNHAPPY IN SIXTY YEARS?

Die happy in five years. Live fast die young bad girls do it well, as MIA would say.
Feel free to do this tag as well! Comment or tweet me if you do! @n_vergak.


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allan gardens

TORONTO OOTD/PHOTO DIARY

June 08, 2015

Oh, Toronto, for a city I know nothing about I sure learned a lot about you quick. Maybe its your rich history and the fact that you're a huge Canadian metropolis, maybe I'm a quick learner, or maybe it's a combination of all three. Whichever way, my three-day trip to Toronto has left me with a LOT to spill on the blog. Whatever I don't include in this post, I will put in my "_ Things You Didn't Know About Toronto" post, where I will put random tidbits I've learned about Toronto that you won't hear from a tour guide or the history books. The best part? My vacation isn't even halfway over! The rest of the week, my family and I will be spending time in Niagra Falls.

Day 1

The first day was a day of travel. However, it wasn't as bad as other trips I've flown - Greece, Hawaii, Key West - you can imagine. It was a short flight from BOS to BUF (Boston to Buffalo in airport language), just an hour. Then, it was a two hour drive from Buffalo, NY to Toronto, ON. Still not sure if we're allowed to take our rental car over country borders, but ayyyy let's just roll with it. We basically just got settled, ate dinner, then, I had an unexpected adventure I will explain later


Jumpsuit (previously premiered in my Athens OOTD) - Urban Outfitters
Cardigan - Americal Eagle
Bag - Old Navy
Shoes - Payless


My unexpected adventure was meeting up with my old Internet friend, Mackenzie! We met on da Yootoobz and skyped for hours on end in high school. I posted a picture o the CN tower on instagram, and she was like HEY I LIVE HERE. COME OVER, NOW. It was really great meeting her awesome friends and roommates.

Day 2


Day 2 was for being a busy city bee. It included brunch, garden gazing, market hopping, free ice cream, and a sightseeing tour.


Kimono: Forever 21
Crop Top: Forever 21
Joggers: Marshalls 
Shoes: Target
Necklace: Forever 21


Brunch was care of "The Scullery". It's a little coffee shop that serves brunch on Sundays at the corner of Carlton and Ontario st. I like to call this blessed day "Sunday Brunch-day", and this place did not disappoint. I got the "brunch special" which was a poached egg, heriloom tomatoes, and bacon over a spring mix salad. On the side, I got a fruity and nutty carrot-apple muffin. I also got the tiniest macchiato I've ever come across.


After brunch, we visited Allan Botanical Gardens.


A place to sit and think.


The "monkey head" cactus is quite funky.



This double-decker bus was imported from London. When it lets you out, it lets you out on the street because they're used to driving on the other side.


The Toronto waterfront. To me, visiting a city that's main water source is a LAKE is out of this world. Mind you, I live near and work in Boston, and I've never been to Chicago. However, I think it's so cool that its one of the great lakes (Lake Ontario). I've traveled to all these crazy cities across Europe, however I've never seen a great lake until now.


I just really like dogs, okay? I hope Jackie doesn't get jealous.


Day 3


Necklace: Bloomingdales
Sweater: Croft & Barrow (thrifted)
Short: Zara
Shoes: Target


Toronto is a tricky city weather-wise. It's like my beloved New England. As Samuel Morse once said, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute. I thought it was going to be cold and rainy all day, however it was rainy on and off and not that cold. I planned out this outfit to be the necklace and sweater paired with black jeans and black creepers. However, I changed to the shorts and sandals because of the weather.


The hockey hall of fame! Thankfully, there was plenty of Bruins memorabilia.


My mother is very passionate about hockey.


I switched out of the journalism major but a girl can still dream, right?


To end our sporty day, we saw our first Toronto BlueJays game at Rogers Center! It was SO weird being in a domed baseball park...

Thanks for tuning into part 1 of my Canadian travels! We leave for Niagra Falls tomorrow, so stay tuned for that OOTD and photo diary!




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