Au Naturelle

So I decided to commune with nature and the cold winter air yesterday and took a trip out to Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, and Mahone Bay. Now I'm not your outdoorsie kinda girl but it was definitely nice to get out of the city and see the natural world in all its glory. When we first got to Peggy's Cove I'm telling you, the same feeling of awe that I felt when I visited (dare I say it?) the Grand Canyon rushed right through me...the amazing grandness and immensity of the landscape is more than enough to put you in your place. In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives it's easy to get lost in it all and forget that there are things much bigger than ourselves. Being right smack dab in the middle of the vast expanse definitely helps to put things into perspective. Cliché? Maybe. But it was my moment of zen.

Before getting there I was a little worried about it being off season and beyond freezing but I'm actually really happy I went there this time of the year instead of the summer time. I can just imagine how packed the place would be with all the tourists and though I'm sure I would've enjoyed it nonetheless, there's something different about seeing a place when it's empty. There's a certain je ne sais quoi about it...a kind of romance of solitude. It's like I had the entire ocean all to myself as I was walking along the rocks...

...But now I'm back in Toronto and back to the daily grind. Loved getting away even if it was just for the weekend. Loved spending time with my mom just hanging out, chatting, chowing down on seafood, and sippin' on lattés like nobody's business! It was refreshing. The pace of life in Halifax is definitely different from here in the city and as much as I enjoyed my quiet time for self-reflection...can't deny that I'm glad to be home. There's nothing quite like the feeling of interconnectedness, of knowing that there's always something exciting happening somewhere, and of being right in the centre of it all! What can I say? I'm just a big city girl and Toronto...I love you.

Hello from Halifax!

At the Harbourfront. And why yes I do wear awesome hats! Thank you!

Brrrrrrr...it's bloody freezing over here in Atlantic Canada! Let me tell you, the second I walked out of the airport I was greeted instanteously by a frigid gust of wind that's been accompanying me everywhere I go. Funny thing is that according to everyone around here, the extreme cold only started since Thursday. How lucky I arrived just in time for what feels like -50 degree weather. Lovely! Ahhh, I've let my inner scrooge come out!

But seriously. With the exception of the frigid cold, it's nice out here...I've been exploring the downtown area and checking out some historical sites. It's cute and quaint and for those of you who have been or live around the Markham area, I liken it to an enlarged Unionville Main Street. And if you know me, you know I love that area...especially the adorable little boutiques with the adorable home-made merchandise and there are just tons of shops like those around here! Yesterday I found a really unique store selling all kinds of exotic jewellery, fabrics, and decor from all over Africa, India, Nepal, etc...and so um, that kind of made my day (but not so much my mum's credit card!). Oh and also found the greatest candy shop called Freak Lunchbox and have been stocking up on some goodies!!

So aside from shopping, I've also been eating to my heart's content! Been going nuts over the seafood over here. Lobster, scallops, shrimp, calamari, haddock, you name it! I could honestly get used to eating like this...Everywhere you turn there's a restaurant and I've decided that there are simply too little meals in a day to try them all out! Such a shame...I think I'm going to try squeezing in a mid-afternoon and midnight meal for the remainder of my stay here :) Heheh...

Anywho, I'm off to Peggy's Cove today and ready to face the cold once again! Check in with you all later!

Online Outreach on a Budget

This month IssueLab hosted the Non-profit Blog Carnival, compiling a great collection of resources on how nonprofits can effectively reach out to their existing and potential supporters on a budget. It includes some insightful pieces from a wide and diverse range of nonprofit communicators. And I'm just thrilled that my piece made it on to that list! There's still lots to learn and this compilation is truly contributing to the complex conversation that seems to be taking place more and more these days...

Check out the list here Online Outreach on a Budget: January Non-profit Blog Carnival.

WTF is "Social Media"?

It's an exciting time over at Journalists for Human Rights with new projects and new hires flying left and right. But excitement is often a sign of hectic schedules and that was definitely the case yesterday with the office buzzing with our new batch of interns. It was a full day of training and introductions trying to get our fantastic new team ready to take on the craziness that's in store for the next few months. Anyway, just thought I'd fill you in on what I've been up to and share a presentation I had to deliver yesterday afternoon...enjoy :)

WTF is Social Media?

View more presentations from Justine Yu.