It was the wee hours of the morning when I stepped off the plane. I had taken the red eye from Edmonton to Toronto to visit my daughter during university Reading Week. A much-anticipated break we both needed. She is a fourth-year student who moved three provinces away from home at 17 years to pursue an education in Forensic Science and Sociology. I am an entrepreneur with a thriving consulting firm focused on government and public relations and a university educator with a full course load. We both desperately needed some downtime.
Madison picked me up in her 2000 sliver VW Beetle, which we affectionately call ‘Linus’ because he is like the silver lining to her independence while living on campus, working part-time, and trying to maintain a social life. She usually hands the car keys over to me, all too happy to be in the passenger’s seat while mom navigates the 401 (a controlled access highway in Ontario).
She had joked earlier that we could take another road trip and return to New York City (NYC). I may have created a ‘Broadway Monster’ for this would have been our third girls’ getaway to the big apple in less than a year. But alas, we opted for day trips in and around Toronto instead. Wicked, the Lion King and a lengthy list of other Broadway shows would have to wait another day.
The university campus was dark and quiet, and the winter chill still lingered in the air. We went to the dorm rooms, where my queen-sized air mattress awaited. Sleep came easy enough, and the morning came all too soon.
Madison is a planner, so our itinerary was jam-packed with activities, expertly researched for travel time and proximity to one another. We wasted no time but were afforded the best use of our time sightseeing, shopping, or stopping for coffee.
Allan Gardens Conservatory is an indoor botanical garden featuring five greenhouses. The Heritage Building was experiencing restoration, so our visit and impromptu photoshoot were limited to areas where there were large displays of unusual cacti and succulents, a mix of plants from equatorial regions, and showy orchids and colourful bromeliads.
We visited one of Toronto’s most celebrated attractions, Nathan Phillips Square. We donned our ice skates and courage and laughed and shrieked around the rink. We were stopping in less-than-perfect figure-skater finesse to take a selfie or two amidst the urban backdrop of sparkling lights.
The Gothic Revival castle-style mansion and garden known as Casa Loma did not disappoint. First, we enjoyed the castle’s majestic ambiance and elevated high tea experience. Before touring the historic house museum and landmark, we sampled premium teas, scones, gourmet pastries, and finger sandwiches. The vision and legacy of Casa Loma by financier Sir Henry Pellatt were breathtaking and inspiring.
In between these landmarks memory-making tourist-like adventures, Madison and I attended business meetings for our respective occupations, took in a movie, walked the mall and shopped, got ear piercings (Madison), browsed the Best Seller’s list and bought some books at the bookstore, dressed up for dinner, dressed down to go to the disco-tech/roller drome, visited with friends, did laundry, and never slept in.
Four days just isn’t enough. Flying home, on the red eye again, I realized I needed a vacation from my vacation. That’ll have to wait until the school year’s over.
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Jacqueline Biollo received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Royal Roads University. Her daughter, Madison, is applying to universities nationwide to continue her academic journey. Apple. Tree. #motherdaughter
