Finding Community in Toronto

Eleven hours after departing Cincinnati (or what should have been eight if we had not come into the US-Canada border at 5 pm during perhaps the busiest possible time for customs), my mom, sister Grace, best friend Morgan, and I journey into Toronto, slightly delirious and amazed at what unveiled before us: the city sparkled at night in a way that none of us were mad that we arrived later than expected. Each tiny square window lit up in the buildings seemed to have its own personality and story to tell. We drive in on the elevated section of the Gardiner Expressway, a 7 kilometer stretch through central Toronto, which feels like a personal tour of the shiniest architecture the city had to offer (Gardiner Expressway). And right before we depart onto our exit, our route aptly ends with the grand finale of the CN tower, ignited in red and blue light.

Once the tallest freestanding structure in the world, the CN tower was built in the 1970s as a way to improve radio communications obstructed by Toronto’s new-at-the-time skyscrapers; the building stands at an impressive 1,814 feet, and remains a treasure for 1.5 million Toronto visitors to enjoy each year (Building the CN Tower). Although we did not stand at the foot of the great structure or venture to board the 116 story glass-floored elevator ride up (our group shares a communal fear of heights), glancing at the structure from the elevated highway as we enter the city feels like the perfect introduction to our trip (CN Tower Tour).

CN Tower at Night

In the morning, the bulk of our 36-hour trip begins. We were making the slightly chaotic and quick trip to Toronto during Labor Day Weekend 2022 to see a concert by the kpop group, Seventeen, and utterly fell in love with our fleeting experience in the city, concert-related and not. At night, the city is mystical and shining; in the daytime it’s welcoming where anywhere else would be daunting. As we trek downtown we immediately meet fellow fans of Seventeen (called Carats) - the city is practically flooded with them. Subtle references on t-shirts, picture poses, and the excitement on our faces cue us in to each other. What would have been simply passing by a stranger anywhere else became in-depth conversations and forming relationships. It's a rarity to be able to carry on a 45-minute conversation with complete strangers, but here, conversation flows naturally, as if everyone we meet is an old friend; any judgement that could have been there is left behind.

As we traverse further, we gaze upon another Toronto wonder: the Harbour. We sit on a bench, eating our sandwiches and drinking iced oat milk vanilla lattes from a counter service chain restaurant. As the waves of Lake Ontario reflect the sunlight into glitter-particles, Grace, ever-thoughtful and poetic, says something about how “we as humans are always drawn to bodies of water.” It's a phrase I jokingly tease and repeat over and over during the trip. But, after seeing the vastness of the water, I now understand where she was coming from.

Toronto Harbour

When the concert time draws closer, we walk the 60-second journey between the front door of our hotel, Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, and the front entrance of the venue. We are given several “freebies” that fans had made (photocards of the Seventeen members, stickers, and bookmarks), receive and give compliments on a myriad of outfits, and impromptu join a dance circle with dozens of other fans–something entirely out of my comfort zone, but one of the most fun experiences I’ve taken part in.

A couple weeks later, Grace is researching graduate programs at the University of Toronto (something she had done months ago half as a joke, but seriously now), and I’m trying to find my own way back to the city. A trip that was improvised and fueled by our shared love of a kpop group became one of my favorite trips I have taken. In just 36 hours, Toronto welcomed us in and offered breathtaking architecture, a peaceful moment at the lake, and a community of people I felt at ease with. When I think about Toronto going forward, I will think of a place that I felt strangely and quickly more at home than any weeks-long trip has given me.