Guest Blog: Leah Ruehlicke

Hey Hey LL Fam! We hope you're having a swell Monday because boy do we have something good in store for you! Tonight on the blog we have a guest blog from Toronto's own Leah Ruehlicke! Leah talks to us tonight about life in YYZ, how she found out about us and her story. Keep scrolling to check it allll out! 

Let's dive into it! 

I first heard of Local Laundry at work – a casting company focused on ‘real people’ casting for commercials & shows. The commercial I was currently working on was looking to feature small, badass businesses in the Calgary area – and LL caught my eye because they had a YYZ line (and us Toronto folk are obviously too self-absorbed to take note of much else).

I’m a casting producer by day. A freelance writer by night. I’m working on developing an app. And in my spare time, I’m likely wearing sweatpants, religiously watching old episodes of Survivor and working my way through a family-sized bag of potato chips.

I’m also the poster child for falling victim to the ‘busy trap.’  I’m obsessed with making the most of my time (which, I realize, isn’t necessarily portrayed through my Survivor/sweatpants pastime, but trust me on this one.) I’m so afraid of wasting it; of not being productive; of not becoming something.  

And that’s the thing about Toronto life - it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle because there are always people doing bigger, cooler things than you are. Living louder lives. Wearing nicer jackets and dating hotter guys and getting more likes on their Instagram post. People are always doing it better than you are. And that was the biggest challenge that came along with living here – learning to be okay with how I was measuring up against all the cooler, bigger, more interesting people.  People who were also casting commercials. Writing articles. Building apps. People who were also eating family-sized bags of potato chips.

People who were not watching old episodes of Survivor; who were, in fact, becoming something.

Because to become something, you typically have to do a lot. And in a place like Toronto, this is easy. Big cities go hand in hand with endless options. So much to do, to see, to try. So many events to attend and patios to sit on and so many people to impress. And sure, I love that about the city. I like having new restaurants to try, new faces to scroll through on Bumble. I like that I don’t have to go to Hallmark to buy greeting cards.

But the beauty of the ‘big city’, for me, doesn’t necessarily exist in the exclusive parties and celebrity sightings (although who are we kidding, if Aziz Ansari walks past me tomorrow I will throw up and die of excitement in less than a minute.) My love for YYZ lies in my favourite taco joint in Kensington. My go-to coffee shop where my phone automatically connects to the wifi. My bike route to work. The vegetable market that’s cash only but weirdly accepts Debit on Sunday.

What I like even more than endless options are places to come back to. Moments of comfort. Familiar barstools with my best friends and my fave daily special.  

And ultimately, that’s what made me fall in love with my life here – because it wasn’t just about becoming something; about living the biggest, loudest life; about finally getting your hands on a cool jacket.

In the end, it was simply about living the sh*t out of my own, local, YYZ. And having one heck of a time along the way.

Back to Kathleen here! New in next Monday to see who we have on the blog next! If you are someone you know would like to be a guest blogger on our blog drop us a line! Chat at chaaa next week Calgary - stay local!