a WICKED kinda weekend!

ever since gregory maguire's wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the west was published, it single-handedly changed my life and the way i thought of every literary character moving forward! :) i quickly fell in love with the story and everything about it... from its darker greener (not rosier) lens and its radical new evaluation of one of the most hated characters in all of literature - it was brilliantly inventive!

named after the main character in the beloved classic "the wizard of oz," i've always felt a parallel with dorothy gale growing up. but that was all quickly BS after maquire showed us that maybe the much maligned wicked witch of the west really wasn't as wicked as we were made to believe! #teamELPHABA haha.

the book is the basis to the tony award-winning broadway production... and when they were going to be in chicago, i couldn't pass up the opportunity and not go! so when my girlfriends were looking for a reason to getaway to the windy city anyways, we decided to get together and make a weekend out of it - and i'm so glad we did! it was amazing!

a road trip to toronto!

one of my favorite cities i've ever had the pleasure to take in; toronto, canada. a couple girlfriends and i made the northeast trek to ontario... and needless to say, it was an absolutely great adventure!

i've come to learn about myself, in recent years, that i thoroughly enjoy roadtrips and the introspective nature it allows for me to just drive on the open road and, well, think. not to mention, how much fun it is with pleasant company + conversation!

and since i also volunteered to drive for long stretches of the trip, good tunes were a guarantee because i was my own favorite dj and you can bet i went prepared! hah.

all in all, it was absolutely great! definitely didn't hurt that we were met with even better times upon arrival... meeting new people and making new friends!

aside from the obligatory downtown toronto club scene... secondhand thrifting and boutiquing on queen street were among my favorite things we did. my fondest memory, though, was probably falling asleep on the balcony of our hotel just outside of the city with nothing but a bottle of wine, gifted canadian smokes and an oversized down comforter to cuddle up with - against the backdrop to toronto's oh-mazing skyline that seemed to encompass my being. definitely a sight for sore eyes! i absolutely loved it.

i just wish i would've taken more pictures, however, these mere memories alone are invaluable and will last me forever! dig it.

san diego zoo!