Getting ready to go away is always a bit of a crazy mad rush. The last two weeks have been a blitz of doing personal taxes, closing year end for one of the businesses, and getting a jump on content for FBC before heading off on a two week working road trip of Toronto and Montreal. It’s meant the blog has been a little quiet.
Having a portable business is great, in theory, but it takes a ton of planning! You always have great plans of updating your website and social media while traveling but the reality is, when you’re on your feet all day, reading google maps, rushing from meeting to meeting, navigating a strange city’s public transit and adjusting to a different time zone… well… when your body gets five minutes of downtime on the subway, the only thing it wants to do is close it’s eyes or let it’s mind go completely blank for a few seconds. It does not want to update social media!
We’ve (as in me an my FBC Partner in Crime, Ethan) been in Toronto for almost a week now and it feels like it’s only been two days!
And so, because we have been on the go for the entire week, my studio has been truly portable! Which made me think that it might be fun to share a few sights and sounds from my Toronto studio!
Because I committed to doing #the100days project it meant figuring out what art stuff to take with me. Normally, I’d just take a small sketchbook and a handful of markers. But I started my project in one of my really big 9×12 hardcover sketchbooks that’s kinda heavy and awkward. So I have that and two mini soft covered sketchbooks that I did some watercolour washes on so I’d have some fun backgrounds done without taking paints. Then I popped my markers, a few black liners, a pencil and an eraser into a couple of ziplock bags and I’m good to go!
We have worked out of a lot of Toronto cafes this week but my favourite was this cute little place on Spadina called Le Gourmand. We have cafes down to a science. The first thing we do when we hit up a new one is look for electrical outlets so we can charge up our devices and work!
This trip we checked out Le Gourmand, Dark Horse Roasters, Merchants of Green Coffee (excellent chocolate almond tea latte) a very cool space in the Centre for Social Innovation and, of course, Starbucks (Starbucks always excels with the outlets).
I also took Ethan on his first tour of Graffiti Alley. We just did a very small piece of it but I got a few pics that I really liked.
I also managed to cross two spots off of my Toronto dining list (and a post on some of my favourite spots to eat in Toronto over the last few year is coming soon!). First up was Dailo with our good friend Heather, from Heather in Heels, where we tried deep fried watermelon (among many other tasty things!)
We also hit up Banh Mi Boys, which I have been meaning to try for ages. It was worth the wait:
I wrapped up a long work week with some old Toronto friends and beer and wings. It was kind of cool to see Central Brewing’s Red Racer IPA on tap in Beer Bistro.
And we rounded off the week with an FBC blogger meet up in Kensington Market – always a fun place to stop and browse and take some photos and… well… eat! I loved this display of dried chiles and peppers in a Latin American shop!
Tomorrow my studio will be a train for 5 hours as we head to Montreal for the second half of our trip. I already have a long list of things to get done while we’re in transit. I love that the train has wi-fi. But the best part is, when I look up from my work for a few minutes, the view will be different every time!
Do you work while on the road? I’d love to hear what your tips and tricks are to be as productive as possible!
It looks like you’re having a great — and colourful trip — and I’m impressed that you’re also getting so much work done! I’m afraid my good intentions to work on the road usually end up with me reading a novel on the train or plane, although I have worked on my laptop or roughed out blog posts in a notebook.
it was so great to see you!! hope the rest of your trip is as tasty and action-packed:)!