The other day we had a break in the weather here in Toronto. February I usually grey and bleak, the worst month in the entire year. I am still struggling with the lack of sun even through I’ve lived here for almost ten years.

But the sunny day happened to be a day where I had some time to kill and I absolutely needed to 1) go outside and 2) be in nature. One of the worst parts about a grey winter is that the dampness kills any desire I have to go outside. Like, just zaps it. Which is terrible because I know that going outside, feeling the wind on my face is just so good for my mental health.

So, I headed over to High Park in Toronto. This park is one of the best parks in Toronto and one of the City’s largest. It boasts a beautiful lakefront, playgrounds, ad even a zoo! It’s big too, about 400 acres in all. Unfortunately, one of the best times to visit is when the cherry blossoms bloom, which occurs around late April or early May.

While I was there, I met this incredible birth and postpartum doula Vera. What makes this meeting even more interesting is that she was on her bike! In the end of February! Turns out her and her sisters make bike riding their main schtick. They are doulas on bikes, riding around are working with pregnant people. Talk about a serendipitous meeting!

I thought it was so cool how they integrated concerns about the environment into their business structure. And it turns out they have been living and working in the West End, around High Park for over ten years. Vera has been to hundreds of births. Her sister, Mira is a postpartum doula and helps new parents specifically with breastfeeding. It was so fitting to meet a business owner and outdoor enthusiast who has successfully merge these two concepts.

I really enjoyed my time in High Park, I had not been there in forever. Thankfully my visit occurred in between two big dumps of snow, so the trails weren’t too bad for walking. But even if there’s a lot of snow, you could walk around the paved road just as easily. I would definitely recommend to come during the early spring, High Park’s cherry blossoms are the talk of the town whenever they start to bloom. Till next time!