Some colleagues and I just returned from a business trip to London, Ontario, Canada. It’s the city I was born in, but I haven’t been out that way since (approximately) the age of two.

If I was forced to describe London in one line, I’d suggest that it’s a miniature metropolis. The diversity and distinction between areas of the city are reminiscent of Toronto. They key difference is that the areas are much smaller in London.

It was somewhat jarring to jump between the downtown core (new buildings, trendy restaurants, giant offices) and the older areas of town (condemned buildings, boarded-up storefronts). There was no transition phase – you simply drove down the street and found yourself in a completely different atmosphere.

Although it was only London, Ontario, hopefully this will be the first step in a series of further travels across the country.