Traveling and seeing the world has always been a big part of me. I’ve always had my aspirations to see the world and I am very fortunate to have been able to travel to so many cool places. For the first official post of this topic, I figured it would be appropriate to talk about my first experience out of the country, seeing Niagara Falls and Toronto with my family. Although it is not far from our borders, it was still a special and memorable experience for me, as I was able to add one tally for foreign countries that I have visited.
I first visited Canada with my family in June of 2013. I remember being very excited to leave the country for the first time, but not so excited to sit in a car with my sisters for 8 hours. Eventually, we made it to the Sheraton Hotel and were able to get a first glimpse of the city. The next day, we went to Niagara Falls. We went on one of those ferry tours through the falls; wearing ponchos and sunglasses, we were able to see the beauty of this landmark up close. Our hotel also had an amazing view of the waterfall and there were even fireworks some nights. I will never forget the beauty, grace, and tenacity of Niagra Falls.
After seeing Niagara Falls, my family and I ventured to downtownToronto. We did many activities such as a double-decker tour bus of the city, visiting the Royal Ontario Museum, and went to the St. Lawrence Market. My family and I also took a ferry to see the Toronto islands one day. These activities allowed me to see what Toronto had to offer but also what life in another country is like. We also went to a restaurant featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, The Stockyard. Even our hotel was a site to see itself. It was right in the middle of the city and even had a rooftop pool where we could see the lights and skyscrapers of downtown Toronto.
This vacation with my family will always have a special place with me. My first trip out of the country showed me that the world has plenty to offer outside of the United States but that I also didn’t have to travel halfway around the world to see it. This trip taught me about Canada, but also fueled my passion for visiting other countries. It seems fitting that my first foreign country visited would be our next door neighbor.
I really enjoy reading about travel so I’m excited to see where else will be included in your blog. I also liked the final paragraph with your concluding thoughts because rather than just talking about the trip you discussed how it affected you as well.
Isn’t it funny how one moment in time can fuel a passion? I loved how you showed the “why” behind your passion about traveling. Sometimes, It really does take the country “next door” to see all that is outside of the United States.