Jennifer Hu Photography: Chicago Portrait and Lifestyle Photography: Toronto, Canada

I've always loved and prioritized traveling because it shows me new ways of seeing and understanding the world. This past weekend, I flew out to Toronto to see family that I had not seen in eight years. The whole trip was precious and dear to my heart. The last time I went to Canada to visit family I was in my early teens. Since then, we have all grown up and learned more about who we are. We're different people now, yet still the same in many ways. This trip helped me get to know who I am and where I come from.

I bought tickets to Toronto for my cousin's graduation from the University of Waterloo. I expected to celebrate with my family and see some of the sights in Toronto, which we did, but I found that the most valuable and memorable parts of trips are the parts that are unplanned. Parts that you did not expect. The parts that you don’t have on the itinerary. The moments in between. The moments that perhaps aren’t even documented on your camera. They’re in your heart, which also means you’ll never lose them the way you could lose a digital file of a picture. We did the typical touristy stuff, rode the subway, went downtown. You get the picture. But what I treasure the most was the quality time we spent together.

Canada surprised me and welcomed me at the same time with its diversity, inclusive culture, respect for one another, and kindness. People there are just so nice. There’s no other way to say it. I never felt rushed or like someone was being rude. I never felt like I didn’t fit in. It felt like there was no divide between “majority” and “minority”. Maybe that’s just how I interpreted what I experienced, but maybe it’s also intentional. The signs on the subway would say things like 'respect the people around you'. How cool is that?

I almost forgot that Canada's official language is French. French was everywhere! People were speaking it and you could see it everywhere on signs. I love how you can really feel and see the British and French influence on Canada. It’s a country with a rich history of different cultures leaving their mark yet it has also forged its own path. Canada is a wonderful example of multiculturalism at its finest. People respect one another no matter what and all are welcome. That is what made my heart so happy throughout the trip and that is what I am missing most now that I have returned to the US. In my ideal world, we would all respect one another and be tolerant of differences.

I am grateful and thankful for rest, time with family, and being in a culture that is different than mine. I enjoyed seeing a new part of North America and I can’t wait for more adventures in Canada. Places on my list? Vancouver, Montreal, and anywhere in British Columbia.

Places I visited:

Royal Ontario Museum – great collection of Roman and Greek artifacts. Learned quite a bit about how decoration, art, and style evolved over the centuries from the baroque to modern. Also loved the Holocaust exhibit, definitely a must see if you are human.

Allan Gardens – didn’t get to check it out for a long time, but the plants are gorgeous and well-kept. They’re from all over the globe and that is the coolest! Also great place for Instagramming.

Port Credit – a neighborhood in Mississauga. We went on a walk at sunset and enjoyed nice temps while overlooking Lake Ontario. great date spot and good place to think about life and be immersed in a bit of nature while watching the geese. The geese actually think they own the place, which is pretty remarkable to see.

Toronto Eaton Centre – awesome shopping mall with easy access directly from the subway

Eggspectation – great breakfast/brunch food and really nice service

The subway! – the trains were spacious and clean, the train moved pretty fast and was very convenient. people were respectful and courteous. Reminded me of the subway in Rome.