Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Over the past 5 years I've acclimatized to living in small quarters with my partner-in-crime and the little criminals. Our place is a well-designed 692 square feet -- spacious by the current condo standards, but sometimes a little crowded, even with the minimalist approach we [try] to take. It's one of those things you simply deal with and get used to if you want to live downtown. To counteract the smallness of the space, and to give myself much-needed loner time, I took up meandering.

It's not completely aimless - I usually set myself an end goal - but the way in which I travel is chance-driven, as I play the Stoplight Game. The rules are simple; whenever I get to a street crossing, I take the first available cross signal. This keeps me moving and gives me a chance to explore areas I normally would not go into. Over the past few years I've watched the careful restoration of some of the heritage homes on Mole Hill, been delighted by the street-side gardening efforts of some of the folks in the older buildings on Jervis and Barclay, and met countless dog-walkers, park-goers & gardeners, as well as photographers and artists of every ilk.

I highly recommend it, especially if you haven't walked around your home city lately. You'll get a chance to appreciate things you normally wouldn't register if you were zipping past in your car.