Carolina and I had all these plans to wake up extra early on Sunday morning and check out this cool brunch place before hitting the road. However, the previous night at the Drake left us a little tired out, so we traded the hour we would have spent at brunch for an extra hour of sleep. Once we woke up, checked out of the hotel, found our car, and paid for parking–we stopped at Starbucks–our last stop before getting on the Queen Elisabeth freeway and exiting Toronto.

Both of us were bummed that our awesome trip was over, and I surely was not looking too much forward to driving 8 hours to get back to Chicago. After ensuring that we had taken all the correct turns, merged onto the correct highways, it was smooth sailing. Music was played and discussions were had.

We stopped in West Lorne again to stretch, use the bathroom, and get something to eat. The next interesting part comes when we got to the Canada/U.S. Border. We were selected for a random inspection at immigration. How fun!

We sat in a waiting area while a man proceeded to open the hood and trunk of our car, looking through the vehicle for anything suspicious. This was my first experience at the border. We had to answer questions such as why were we in Toronto, where we live, how we know each other, etc.

After we were dismissed, we headed on our way through Michigan, down into Indiana, and back to Chicago. It felt good to be home, the drive behind me, and a ton of fun memories and experiences had.

I can’t actually pinpoint my favorite moment of the trip because it was truly so much fun. From incredible drinks and Lobster nachos at the Drake, to seeing Jay Park live in concert! From exploring Chinatown and Koreatown and more neighborhoods of a new city, to the cool coffee shops, to the architecture, to the cityscape–I don’t regret anything!

Driving was smooth, but long. While we may opt to fly if we ever go back when we go back, I have to say I am extremely proud of myself and Carolina for what we accomplished. (Warning-horn tooting and patting on the back ahead).

I think it’s kind of cool that we had the guts to take this trip. We so often talk about places we wish we could go and things to see, and this time we actually just did it. We made it happen–and for that I am so happy! I’m proud of myself for not just driving for so long but for doing so in a different country. Most of all I’m just proud that we did this.

I can’t wait for my next trip! I hope you’ll continue to follow my musings along the way!