Ever since moving off campus, I’ve felt more connected to the city around me. Living on residence, everything I needed was all around me—my Toronto was just a few blocks wide. With school and extracurriculars filling my days, I rarely took the time to explore the streets and neighbourhoods that make this city so dynamic and vibrant.

This year, I’ve grown to appreciate my surroundings much more just by living a few blocks further away from class. Some days, on my way to and from school, I walk through Chinatown, Kensington Market, or Harbord Village and see the most fascinating things: a Dia de los Muertos parade, complete with costumes, music, and fire dancers; three men dressed in inflatable pig suits headed into Sneaky Dee’s; street art and old gas stations; rows of mannequin heads. I don’t always bring my camera along with me, but here are some of my favourite things I’ve captured from the few days I did. While these walks felt like an inconvenience at the beginning of the year, over the months they’ve grown to become a beautiful way to pause and connect with the city on even my busiest days.