NICE Testimonial: An Open Home

Happy Friday! How has your week been? Mine has been delightful! Notably, I went to a TOMS event last night. You guys know how I love TOMS. Adorable shoes, PLUS a socially conscious mission? Perfect! So anyway, last night in Philly, there was an event where you could buy a pair of TOMS and have them decorated by a graffiti artist. So cool! Here are mine:


Aren't they great?! I actually also bought the gold glittery ones. So I got two wonderful pairs of shoes and two pairs will be donated to a child in need. WIN!

I also have a testimonial for you guys! This one came from my HOW Design pal, Kirsten J. in Australia. She writes about the nicest thing someone has done for her.

BACKGROUND

I spent some time with my aunt and uncle in Canada when I was 17 - they encouraged me to take off on my own for a week and go see Quebec City. I came from a small town of 100,000 in Australia and was pretty green with the ways of the world, so this was an adventure for me.

It was a bit of an odd time as I left Edmonton on Christmas Eve and was to spend Christmas Day and the following week in QC. It was my first Christmas away from my family, but Australians don't tend to have the big Christmas traditional affairs perhaps due to the weather (it's our summer).

The plane takes off from Edmonton, and lands in Toronto, snowed in on Christmas Eve, with all planes grounded until further notice.

I call my aunt, as I'm not sure what to do - would it be safe to sleep in the airport? I didn't have enough funds to spring for hotel and was unsure about travelling around in such conditions (had never experienced snow before this trip).

THE NICE BIT...

My aunt calls a friend from her University days - someone she hasn't seen in 20+ years, and had pretty much only exchanged Christmas cards in that time, but lived in Toronto.

This friend comes and picks me up at the airport, takes me home to her house on Christmas Eve and opens her family, home and heart to me at such a time that is so important to North Americans. I spend the night and wake up on Christmas Day and celebrate with her and her family. Later that day she takes the time to drop me back to the airport and ensures I am safe and well-looked after.

Such a self-less act at such a time, to open your home to a stranger with no questions, no concerns.

Pretty incredible, don't you think!? To know that you can count on someone, even after 20+ years, is wonderful. Thank goodness the world has people like that woman!

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!