Before starting my first year of college, my hometown friends organized a camping trip to Sauble Beach ON, Canada. On the second day of this weekend trip, we decided to drive up to Tobermory to visit the Bruce Peninsula National Park and see the Grotto. I had travelled to this area of the province when I was about 5 or 6 years old, but had no memory of it. I was very excited to experience what I had seen in our family photo albums. When we arrived at the main entrance to the park, the parking lot was so full that only half of us could get in. The other half of us, in my car, had to drive to another nearby entrance to park and walk to the Grotto to meet up with our friends. Looking at the map, my friend Aaron said "Guys, it's only about 6km from Little Cove Beach to the Grotto - should only take us about an hour or two!" He could not have been more wrong.

We were in high spirits when we began our hike, talking, laughing and taking lots of photos. We stopped for a swim and a snack after about 45 minutes, thinking we were halfway there. The water was cool but crystal clear and bright blue; I could see everything under the water, including my toes on the rocks below. We also stopped many times to explore the views from the cliffs just off the paths. I am quite afraid of heights, but pushed myself to sit on the edge of the cliffs. It was thrilling. 

After another hour of hiking, a depletion of food and water, a twisted ankle and a loss of cell service, we realized this hike was going to be longer than we originally though. We seemed to have taken a wrong turn that extended the distance by a few kilometres. We finally came across another hiker coming from the direction of the Grotto who told us that we were "about halfway there, only about 8 more kilometres for you!"

We were tired, hot, thirsty and hungry, and my poor friend was so clumsy that she kept twisting the same ankle on the rocks. After about another 4 kilometres we had cell service again, and called our friends to meet us on the path to the Grotto. We continued hiking with low spirits and even some tears from my injured friend. After what seemed like several hours, we saw one of our other friends walking in the distance towards us. We were so excited to think that our hike was almost over and I was relieved to have more helping hands for my friend. About another hour later, we had made it to the Grotto.

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay long as we had been there most of the day with almost no food, and I only got to take one more picture before my camera died. 

We’ve all been there, don’t lie. You’ve decided to download Tinder, woe is you. After never-endlessly swiping left and right (maybe more left than right), you’ve finally matched with someone who you connect with on some sort of level. It’s the second date or maybe even the first. Instead of going out and eating at some pricey restaurant, you decide to have a night in. There’s nothing a girl likes more than a man that can cook. Guys, impress the heck out of her with this easy to make Spanish-Style Shrimp that you can add to any pasta dish or enjoy on it’s own. I personally love it with egg noodles in a stir fry. It also goes well with rice. Pair beautifully with the cheapest bottle of white wine you can find.

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ pounds medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined (make sure it’s pink)

Sea salt or kosher salt to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped or thinly sliced

1 bay leaf, broken in half

 Dried red chili, seeded and crumbled

2 tablespoons of freshly washed & minced parsley

PREPARATION

Sprinkle the shrimp with salt, toss and let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy nonstick frying pan, and add the garlic, bay leaf and chili. Cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to color, about one minute. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the shrimp. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, two to three minutes. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

I often find my self constantly gaining weight then losing it. But never losing enough to the point that I could fit in to a small. But with the tips and tricks i share many people will think you could be hitting the gym more then usual. 1. So for the first part your going to have to understand what looks good and doesn’t with your body type. Understanding what colours and fits bring out your curves and hide what you aren’t a fan of will be beneficial for your wallet. 2. Splurge on a couple of good pairs of Spandex. These nifty little things can be costly but are great for helping tuck and smooth anything out. 3. When it comes to buying jeans try to buy high waisted jeans or shorts. They are great for hiding a tummy and it creates the illusion of a smaller waist. Make sure they aren’t sagging and stop at your ankles. A firm fit help to keep legs looking fit and help keep your legs looking longer. 4. When looking for a top keep in mind fit is everything. Sometimes if a shirt is to tight it to lose, it creates a larger appearance. Tick to trying on shirts in a variety of sizes. It might just surprise you in what you might leave with. 5. Try findings stores that allow you to try things on. If you try it on a head of time and know how it fits you are less likely to go through buyers remorse. Plus it helps not having to com back for a return. Remember it all really comes down to how you feel about yourself. Be confident girl, if you end up making a fashion blunder its okay. Every step you take is a learning experience in how to make you look how you feel. So stay curvy and fabulous.

For many, it represents a broken relation that didn’t work out. Regardless if it was a friendship, relationship, just a broken relation between two people. But what does it mean to have these people whom we no longer have contact with on our social media? We usually keep these people “around” because we want to still know what they are up to. What they doing, who they’re new friends are, whats new, pretty much keeping up with what life is like without you in it. But what if keeping these ex’s around, are hindering your ability to move on. when there is a a ex within a relationship it never results to anything good for the future. There is not many couples who are okay with allowing their significant other their ex on social media. Why? Well if you are truly over that person why would you need to know how they are, what they are doing. Its almost like never being fully committed. So save yourself the pain and the anger, and just think “out of mind, out of sight” it’ll be helpful in the healing process, as well for future relationships.

It would seem like the more you want something, it seems like financially harder to purchase. But there are ways to being able to keep both your bank account and closet happy. (Warning: lots of patience required) 1. The first rule is to keep in mind that you are not willing to pay the hefty price right away. Sometimes just waiting for a couple weeks could allow for a sale price to come into effect. 2. Window shopping is your best friend. Sometimes not even going shopping to spend a dime can be helpful. Just looking at the different stores and prices will help for future comparisons. 3. Discounts and points. Sometimes stores will offer different discount coupons for different times of the year. Be sure to sign up for emails. Sometimes companies offer incentives for purchasing with them. Either points towards future products or discount codes. 4. Always start shopping in the clearance section first then move from there. 5. Keep in mind what your budget is and what your willing to pay. With these few tips you should be able to add a whole outfit to your closet at a inexpensive cost.

The Monkey King

My third tattoo but my first revealing piece. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for this one. A full wrap around sleeve is something I’ve always wanted since I was 16 and I couldn’t be happier with how its turned out so far. 

I’ve been following a certain tattoo studio ever since I was 18. Chronic Ink, is rated as one of the top parlours in Toronto. They are known for their Asian style, which they have won countless awards for. An appointment with them is generally about an 8 to 12 month wait, depending on the artist. After years of contemplating of what I could possibly get, I finally made up my mind in November of 2016. I called to book an appointment with a certain artist assuming that I would see him in a year, when I would be financially ready. Out of sheer luck, a client had cancelled his appointments and there was an immediate opening within the month. This was an opportunity that would likely never come around again - I couldn’t say no.

As aggressive as this piece looks, there is sentimental meaning behind it. Two particular reasons - one of my earliest memories with my Mother is watching The Monkey King show with her. It was our favourite show. The second reason is because she was born on the year of the fire monkey. 

15 hours of needle time have been used so far, only about 3 more to go. The pain level of this piece was a 5/10 for the most part, but in certain areas can be an 8 or 9. The high rating is for the inner arm as well as the tricep areas. The rest of the arm felt so nice that I fell asleep. Truly felt like my spa day. 

Artist: David Hoang (Instagram: @davidhoangtattoo)

Mondays are pretty blah aren’t they? We agree, we hate them too. As part of our newest segment, Rhythimia will now be publishing bi-monthly Top 5 lists on the  first and last Monday of the month. Why not make your Monday an exciting on? As the month is already halfway through it’s time, it is now time to reflect back on some of the most recently anticipated music.

5. BELIEVER - IMAGINE DRAGONS

Alt-rock band Imagine Dragons released their hit single ‘Believer’ almost two months ago, but already, it is climbing its way to the top. The music video has already reached over 30 million views on YouTube, and the number is climbing rapidly! 

4. BLAME - BASTILLE

London-based alternative band, Bastille, is enticing audiences yet again with their newest single, ‘Blame’. Lead singer Dan Smith and the rest of the gang have produced a grungy, deeply-dark song that is the perfect debut for their new album, WILD WORD.

3. STILL BREATHING - GREEN DAY

Wait no more! Green Day is finally back after their nearly 10 year hiatus. The U.K based band treated fans to some classic Green Day-style rock, with their newest single, ‘Still Breathing’. The song is extremely reminicent of their past “American Idiot” sounds. The song is currently sitting at a decent 7 million views on YouTube (risen from only 5 million two weeks ago). This newest release proves that the band is indeed still breathing, and also rising on the charts.

2. DOWN - MARIAN HILL

Minimalistic indie band Marian Hill is making its mainstream debut with their latest single, ‘Down’. The song features sultry piano compositions mixed with modern and electronic beats and synth. The song is currently at nearly 12 million views on YouTube. The song is being played on radio stations across the world. The success comes after the band’s rise to stardom due to their collaboration with Romanian singer Inna. Are you down with this song? We sure are.

1. GREEN LIGHT - LORDE

She’s back! After taking a few years off, Lorde surprised us all with the unexpected release of her new single , ‘Green Light’. This feel good anthem is being praised as the ‘song of summer 2017′. Lorde has taken on a new song never before heard by us. In contrast to her previously dark, serious music, Green Light shows us her fun and light-hearted side. Green light depicts the story of letting go, letting loose and having fun. We can’t wait to hear what Lorde will release next!

Everything in life is fluid. At any point in time, your life can change; for better or for worse. The main point of life is how you handle what is thrown at you. You can spend your life obsessing over the bad things... or you can handle them and appreciate the good things even more.

There have been many situations where I’ve focused on the bad, ugly and nasty. I’ve been upset and cried over what has happened or what could have been. Whether it was relationships, school, work or even just my personal thoughts. I’ve learned to overcome that style of thinking though. While being hard, it’s a choice with how you decide to live your life. You can either think negatively or you can think positively.

I’m not perfect. There are still days where I mope around and wallow in my own self-pity. There are less of them than before though. One day I just decided that I didn’t want to be stuck in this lifestyle. It was ruining my self-image and it wasn’t the right way to live. It was hard at first, but everyday it becomes easier and easier to think happy thoughts. If something bad happens, I just brush it off.

There’s a popular quote, not sure where it comes from, that says “there is no use crying over spilled milk.” which I believe it a very accurate saying. There’s no use obsessing over something that has already happened. You have to own up to it and move on. 

I’ve made mistakes and I’ll always make mistakes. The quote I chose really resonates with me because it discusses learning from your makes and that everything will change. Your life isn’t the same as it was one year, five years or even ten years ago. It will always change and you have to learn to go with the flow or you’ll be left behind.