You printed it! Like, actually printed it! I was just venting the gut feelings of worry, rage, and sadness I felt at a certain budget cut, and you printed it! People actually read that stuff you know! People I know; people I will never know. Real people. Just... People. Well, now I feel embarrassed... but also proud! It's not every day you make it to the press; it's not every day that you need to. Here's to you, that certain weekly paper, that printed my words at a time when I needed them read. —The Youth

Dear beloved city, this is my farewell letter. I will be leaving you soon. I will miss you and all your perfect nooks and cracks. You have given me so much and helped me become the person I am today. Whether it was the wind, rain or snow that you brought, you showed me the positive side of grey days. I will miss your beautiful hipster style that I so easily have fit into. Thank you for leading me to Point Pleasant Park where my love ran into me and has turned my life into blissful love. Don't worry, I'll be back. I'll always come back because, really, you're the perfect city in my eyes. Next time you see me I'll be needing some farm land though, so keep an eye out for me. All the best. —halifaxcitylover

I know that Halifax is really frustrating you lately, and it hasn't been easy on you to move back here, but I am really glad you did. The winter has been awful, and even our poor kitty’s baby paws are cold some days, let alone ours. But summer is just around the bend! Warmth! Low utility bills! Job prospects! Lakes! We'll do it all! I want us to be happy here so badly, sometimes I forget how to help it be so. I’m so sorry. Everyone is going to come out of their caves soon, and we'll be able to go outside. I love you and am so thankful for you, my love. —Thankful and Hopeful Haligonian

[Image-2] I’m going to miss Halifax. I’ll miss the view of the ocean, the fog, the rain, the hurricane winds in September, the seaspray, the jellyfish, the cold beaches, the warm lakes, the taste of lobster and beer and mackerel; I’ll miss the bare hill of the Citadel, I’ll miss dreaming that maybe one day they’ll finally plant trees on it; I’m going to miss stupid biking rules, fighting my way through traffic, angry drivers, kind drivers; I’ll miss the market on Saturdays, knowing I always have a choice between hiding away in a corner to read a book, or spending a very social day chatting out with friends drinking cider; I’ll miss the uniqueness of some spots: that one venue to dance to good music, that one bar to drink decent wine, that one place to have decent Indian food, the familiarity of it all, knowing it’s always there and it never changes; I’ll miss people saying: “you have an accent, where are you from” and seeing their blank faces after I say: “You have an accent too! But a Canadian one, of course”; I’m going to miss people’s friendly faces, the friendly and genuine “hello, how are you doing” and the fake and automatic “hello-how-are-you-doing-good-thank-you”; I’ll miss drunken chatty old men speaking their heart out in random bars; I’ll miss moving often, the slumlords, the student house parties, the houses in the North End with their special names, the open mics, the hipster-only “closed” mics; I’ll miss the beer; I’ll miss watching international food restaurants close because they don’t serve burgers; I’ll miss out navigating the awkwardness of making Nova Scotian friendships, beyond small talk; and I’ll miss one of the most unique things about this place: the proximity to nature, the beauty of biking to a lake in 20mins, dipping deep into the murky endless brown of flooded quarries when you forget, for a moment, where you are, all the while becoming a reason to remember… —localimmigrant

I love the people who are attempting to brighten things up by decorating snowbanks. It's a lovely gesture in an otherwise dreary landscape! —Spring is coming, right?

Dear Halifax, I love that everywhere I go I see friends and friendly faces. It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! —From Away, Here to Stay!

I have some things I'd like to rant and rave about, maybe someone out there will get where I'm coming from. One subject will lead into another and it's going to be one big rambly mess, and shit's gonna get real, but try to bear with me... Does anyone else love being alone, and rarely actually feel lonely? I know there are a lot of lonely people out there who long for company, but then there are those of us who relish being alone? I don't mean all the time, like maybe 70% of the time, and the rest of the time you want to be around people that you actually really like. Which brings me to my next point; it's so hard to find people that you actually really like. I'm a loner by nature, always have been, but I seem to attract the most deranged/disturbed people. I never go looking for them, they always find me, almost like they sniff me out. Anyone know what I'm talking about? They seem nice at first, but always turn into massive disappointments. Maybe my standards are too high now, but I'm so wary of people at this point in my life because I cannot stand another disappointment. Some of these people have actually been borderline stalkerish, so I rarely let people in anymore. I've tried to be "normal", to have a social life, but I just can't stand it. I hate having plans, and the thought of someone calling me up at anytime for an impromptu hang out fills me with dread. And anyway, I really feel like I can't connect with anyone in my age group, especially in 2015. You know when girls say "I'm not like other girls", as in they're "cool" and "one of the guys", but really they are just like everyone else? Well I'm actually not like other girls, I'm not one of those self appointed tomboys who supposedly hate drama and love sports, when really they just say they love sports to get male attention. Actually, I hate sports, especially hockey, but that's another subject altogether. So, not only am I not like other girls, I'm not like other people altogether. No, I don't think I'm some special snowflake, I just can't pretend to like all of this mindless superficial crap that everyone else loves. Tell me how many other people in their 20's you know who don't have: -Friends(I've had "friends" my whole life and am much happier without them, but maybe I just haven't met the right people yet) -A smartphone(yeah, I have a cellphone from 2008, what of it? It's not even activated at the moment since I really don't give a fuck about phones in general, and I love not being reachable at every moment of the day). -Facebook(nope) -Tattoos(can't, won't, don't care for them at all) -Kids(what the heck is up with that anyway? Why do so many young people have kids in Nova Scotia? Is that the most people want out of life, to breed? They have no other aspirations, goals? What's with all of these teens getting pregnant and being so proud of it? I swear this place reminds me of Southern US, that and the fact that there are so many baptists here). I could go on, but you see a common theme here. All of these things are linked to people, and I don't "do" people well. So that's why I'm content being alone, and I never feel lonely. I can do whatever the fuck I want, listen to whatever music I like, read, sing, workout, etc. And I'd say that I sound like an old person, but even most old people have everything I've described, they just totally embrace technology and everything that's trendy. And don't you dare call me a hipster, because I'm pretty sure hipsters have all of those things as well. The only thing I miss having is a boyfriend, but even at that I think it's mostly for the sex and intimacy. All of my boyfriends have been absolute tools, and I was pathetic enough to erase my personality and mold it to fit theirs. I actually had very little in common with any of them, I just wanted affection and yes, I wanted the D. I still do, but at this point in my life I'm not going to have a boyfriend just to have one, if there's no real connection there. Some unfortunate shit happened to me early on, and I grew up without a father or father figure(daddy issues), so my self esteem with men isn't great, I was actually afraid of them for the longest time. I need someone good in my life, but where the hell am I going to find a hilarious loner with no tattoos(ok, maybe one or two if he doesn't constantly talk about them) who is passionate about the environment and animal welfare, and is interested in becoming self sufficient and starting a small scale organic farm, who's humble and compassionate and mature and knowledgeable, and good in bed??? Or something along those lines ;) So many people are fake, I can't stand it! Is there anybody real anymore, is there anybody out there? —bonus points if you get the song reference

TGFE you never cease to be one of the loveliest spots in the city. This morning was over-run with people ordering soup and Ghetto Sox, and in all the confusion the music didn't get turned on. Instead the restaurant with filled with the sound of guitar being picked up and passed around, and singing when the song was familiar. It's funny how a public space can feel so intimate. I didn't know anyone here today but felt like I was in my own living room. —Feeling Warm Hearted

kudos to Halifax and Dartmouth drivers who so patiently and deftly navigate our ever narrower streets, thanks for keeping our streets humane in our wild winter —VW Driver

What's left on the radio turns 30 this month and they deserve some birthday hugs or at least a god damn cupcake. What a weird and lovely little piece of Halifax history! —That magnet on your fridge