Yesterday I arrived in Toronto after only an hour’s flight from New York. The plane was empty towards the back (where I was sitting) so I was able to spread out across two seats. I curled up and tried to get comfortable but didn’t have anything to support my back, which was digging into the chair arm. I wished I was smaller, like one of the kids I’d seen on the flight from London who could fit comfortably (and sleep fitfully) on one seat. I must have made a pretty sight. Anyway, the flight was over quickly.

I headed to reclaim my baggage and unfortunately one of the Pimm’s bottles in my backpack (which I’d checked) had smashed. Luckily I’d left them in a plastic bag so the glass didn’t scatter throughout my bag. I’d also taken everything out of it except a jumper and a pair of shorts. I should have wrapped them individually but hadn’t been awake enough to think of that in New York. My bag smelled of Pimm’s and was damp. Sigh.

I then hung around the American Airlines baggage desk to talk to someone about my other bag which was someone in the world. No one was there, then someone appeared for a different airline and I asked her and she said the AA person should be back soon. Another five minutes and she arrived. I handed over my baggage ticket (so glad I didn’t lose it) and she told me it was at JFK and would arrive in the morning and would then be delivered to me. Long story short, it didn’t arrive until Friday morning. But at least they knew where it was and it would come back to me eventually.

Customs was quick and then I caught the bus to the station then the train to home, smelling of Pimm’s and swaying in my seat from being so tired. I was very glad to arrive home and see Glen. The king size bed had arrived while I was away and Glen had put it together. It’s huge. I decompressed and debriefed. Glen then went to work for a meeting or something while I climbed into the enormous bed and sought sleep. After being awake for 30 hours, it was glorious.

We woke up at about 3pm as I was expecting a call about some editing work at 4pm, which I had and it’s looking promising. Glen then went to work until about 10:30 while I pottered around the house, caught up on emails and then went to bed at 9:30, unable to stay up any longer.

Just another gush about the size of the bed, there’s just so much room! Though Glen said when he got home and saw me in bed, I was hugging the edge of the mattress, like I did back home. That habit will take a while to break.

This morning I woke up at 6:30am with the sun (might have to do something about the light coming into the room and landing right on my face) and felt pretty good. We got up shortly after, ate breakfast, then Glen went to work while I went to the gym. The trainer with the maniacal laugh was there again today and his laugh is getting louder and longer and scarier. It felt good to be back in the gym. It’s going to take a while to get my fitness back after letting it lapse for a while.

After my luggage arrived at 11:30, I went down the road to Freshii to meet Pauline for lunch and to go shopping for a gift she needed to buy. Despite it being about 34 today, the wind was picking up so it didn’t feel too awful, and it was nice to be outside walking about. There was a big queue of people outside the Magnum icecream store, which I found really baffling. It’s processed, pre-packaged ice-cream, and ok, it’s hot outside, but icecream won’t help that much…and there’s better icecream out there. Maybe I’m missing something. Luckily there was such a queue or else I’d have been forced to find out what the fuss was all about.

I caught the subway to Mount Sinai hospital to meet Glen after work and we went with Anna, a radiology fellow from Sydney, to The Queen and Beaver pub. We sat down outside on the roof terrace but then felt a few drops of rain so quickly ran inside to grab one of the few remaining tables. About ten minutes later the heavens opened. But not for as long as expected. There’ve been big notices about storms and stuff. It passed quickly and we didn’t need an umbrella on the way home.

Glen and I had Pimm’s and then we all had fish and chips (though I swapped chips for salad. Points for me!). Got some tips from Anna on where to go. For example, we can go dog sledding in the Algonquins which is pretty close to Toronto compared to heading to the Yukon or something. Anna’s also off to walk a bit of Gros Morne on Newfoundland, which is what I want to do. I’m waiting for a report back.

Home by 9pm and I’m fighting to stay awake. Busy day tomorrow; we’re off to Niagara.

And at the moment, I’m listening to (on repeat):

• Bleeding Love by The Baseballs
• Wake Me Up by Avicii
• This is What it Feels Like by Armin van Buuren