BFF reunion in Ottawa

In August my dear friend Mel (aka Melanie, or Melly as only I can refer to her as) packed up her bags and moved to Ottawa to do her Masters. We've been great at keeping in touch through iMessaging and regular Skype dates, but I was definitely missing her presence in my life. This past weekend I hopped on a Porter flight and headed to Ottawa for a visit! 

I'm so thankful for Porter and it's ridiculously often sales and hospitality. While my flight was a bit late, I was happy and cozy in the Porter lounge complete with tea, snacks and wifi.

When Mel picked me up at the airport, I couldn't help but be reminded of when she found me in an airport in Hannover, Germany during our European adventures. Finding Mel in the Ottawa airport was a heck of a lot easier thanks to its smaller size, affinity for the English language and the popularity of iPhones. I didn't cry when we found one another (like I did in Germany), but it was pretty amazing to give one of my best friends a huge hug after five months apart!

Melly and her boyfriend were amazing hosts and did a wonderful job at feeding me! Some of the highlights included "bachelor slop", incredible steel cut oats with carrot juice, walnuts & raisins and a delicious lentil dahl.

We also visited a couple of sweet Ashley-friendly restaurants in Mel's hood including The Table and Simply Raw. The Table is another pay-by-weight place similar to The Green Door that I visited during the summer. I think the gluten free vegan butter tart was my favourite part of the meal.

I was extra excited to go to Simply Raw, despite the chilly temperatures and neverending snowfall. Laura met Mel and I for lunchy and the three of us caught up over sweet potato ginger soup, yogi tea and raw chocolate cherry cheezecake.

I had a lovely conversation with Simply Raw's owner Natasha Kryssa about my favourite restaurants in Toronto and New York as well as the premise of raw food. She was incredibly kind and I loved the cafe. I can't wait to go back and try more and definitely have another slice of cheezecake. It was pretty divine.

We didn't have any crazy plans for the weekend outside of some exploration, catching up and seeing Les Miserables. I think we succeeded in our objectives with some good food, late night wine, a lot of laughter and reminiscing of the fun we've had together along with quite a few cat pictures thrown in for good measure...

Because Lego is pretty much the cutest thing I've seen in 2013. I couldn't get enough of him!

The snowy view from Mel's balcony

I felt calmer this weekend than I have in awhile, likely because it was the most vacation-esque thing I've experienced of late and aided by the presence of such a good friend. I'm so proud of Mel for kicking ass at school, but it's definitely been tough without her in my city. Thankfully Ottawa is only a short ways away and both of us are making a concerted effort to stay connected.

Love that girl.
And her sweet boyfriend.
And adorable cat.

I had a really lovely weekend with one of my very favourite people. Ottawa was good to me once again and I'm looking forward to returning again soon.

Off the Market, In the Market - Adventures in Ottawa

The last time I was in Ottawa, I was 15. We were on a school trip for the 9th grade and I have memories of going to a whole lot of museums, getting my ears pierced at the Rideau Centre, visiting the Hard Rock Cafe and having one of our teachers advising me to "not go to bed angry" after she found out my boyfriend and I were fighting. When I found out that my sweet friend Laura would be celebrating her upcoming wedding with a bachelorette in Ottawa, I knew I was bound to make new (and better) memories and give Ottawa another chance.

Laura is one of my oldest friends. We actually met when I lived in Belleville for a year and we attended the same school for the sixth grade. Through letters, then emails, then social media we have remained friends we I moved back to Toronto and I am so very thankful for that! I can't believe it's been almost 17 years since we met. 

I scored a great deal with one of the Porter sales and found myself in Ottawa in under an hour. Laura picked me up at the airport and we enjoyed a sweet afternoon of catching up over a delicious picnic lunch. 

Kale salad with falafels, cherry tomatoes & cherries

I took a bit of a nap before we spent some time getting ready for a night on the town. Laura had prepped a great playlist of Backstreet Boys, N SYNC and the Spice Girls. It was reminiscent of our teenage years and put us both in an exceptionally good mood.

I knew the details of the party, but it was all a big surprise for Laura. We arrived at The Upkeep Shoppe to get our nails done, enjoy some awesome treats, play silly games involving underwear and of course, sip pink champagne! 

the bride to be!

pretty pretty nails

Laura took the underwear guessing game very seriously. I brought these ones - pink & fruity!

Kristy with the cupcakes and Ashley-friendly brownies

The gals at the salon took amazing care of us and Laura's friend Kristy did an awesome job of organizing and hosting. Feeling pampered and giddy, we were off to "the market" for some dancing fun. It was a really great evening filled with silly dares, awesometown music, using our hashtag #offthemarketinthemarket and sightings of 8 other bachelor/bachelorette parties. It was fantastic to spend time with some of the other gals who will be at the wedding - we're definitely going to have a very fun night in September!

Kristy & Laura - we somehow managed to acquire feather boas

Laura and I spent the next day suitably recovering with movies (Lilo & Stitch and Love Actually) and snacks, only leaving the house to face the world for a yummy dinner at The Green Door restaurant. The website says they are Ottawa's oldest and best known vegetarian restaurant, and I was happily surprised by their gluten free and dairy free options.

Many veggies, tempeh, rice & various salads - so delicious!

My dessert plate! Berry goodness, rice pudding & pecan cookie - all gluten free & vegan

Laura's rockin' chocolate cake

It was an awesome meal and a great way to cap off a super fun weekend with Laura. We had a lot of fun talking about the wedding and the shenanigans of the prior evening. It was sad to say goodbye, but it will be amazing to see her again so soon at the wedding!

I had a lovely Monday wandering around Ottawa, checking out the Van Gogh exhibit at the National Gallery (and trying not to cause trouble) and having lunch with some awesome friends who were also in town. I spent a bit of time reading my book and tweeting in the Porter lounge before enjoying a glass of red on our 45 minute flight home.

Monday afternoon wine = win

It was such an honour to be a part of Laura's bachelorette - there's now less than a month until the wedding! Ottawa, it was fun. I look forward to the next time!