The 6IX
I’m attracted to non-conventional things. Serenity to me is a gloomy day filled by crisp air, a cold drink, fuzzy socks, and lounging in a robe all day. Believe it or not, ill take that over any summer day, but I’m sure you guys already know this about me. With my birthday rapidly approaching I knew that a ski trip made the most sense. A vacation to a tropical destination can be taken at any time in the year, which made my decision all that easier.
In my opinion, paradise isn’t always somewhere warm, so I rallied up my friends, and we took our talents to Toronto.
Toronto was exactly what I pictured it to be, cold and moody. I LOVED IT! I know most people try to escape the cold weather during the winter, but I chase it. A major fact about Toronto is that it’s the largest, most ethnically diverse city of Canada. I’d describe the city as being a socially progressive, incredibly friendly metropolis. There are many people from different backgrounds that live there, who bring their culture and language to the city. This is what makes Toronto a vibe, and interesting to explore. It’s a quiet city, that honestly doesn’t have to be “loud” in order for you to enjoy it.
Canada has been on my list of places to visit since my days of watching Degrassi (if you know then you know). Obvi, I always knew it existed, but it wasnt until I watched the show that I became interested in visiting. I was curious about the smallest things like their accents, or like why they said “grade 9” as opposed to saying “9th grade” like me. When you’re a curious kid, these things matter!
Canada is closer to home, but still far enough to feel like I’m away, and could get a real ski experience. The flight to Toronto is about 1hr30mins, with 30 minutes spent on the ground and an hour in the air. I flew with Air Canada, and let me just say this was the BEST choice. The seats were spacious with tons of leg room, and yes, I flew COACH. The only difference between my seat and first class was their partition and maybe 3 more inches of space in their seat (which isn’t needed with this airline). I blinked and finally landed at Toronto Pearson airport.
SKI…
ski suit: Nichole Lynel
BUT MAKE IT FASHION.
Snow boots: Models
THE HOUSE:
We stayed in a spacious, newly renovated home in Mississauga, Ontario. Mississauga is a city in the Canadian province, and a suburb of Toronto, also about 20 minutes from downtown. I wanted a space that was cozy, where my friends and I could spend quality time together, and not hide away in our rooms. In total, there were 8 of us with 5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, one half bath, and a backyard. The house had 3 levels with a ping pong table and bar in the basement. Safe to say we had more than enough room. My superhost, Ali, made sure the house was equipped with all essentials, so we didn’t have to buy much. One of the top things on my list was to have a big kitchen with an open concept. This is where we spent most of our time.
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING:
On Saturday, we went to Blue Moutain Resort to hit the slopes. The resort was roughly 2 hours away from where we stayed, but had a shuttle bus that cost $60 CAD for round trip. This does not include any fees for when you get to the resort, so if you decide to visit, make sure you drive to save a little money. The plan was to wake up at 6am to get to Blue Moutain just as it opened, but because we had a late night prior to that, we left in the afternoon. We arrived at the ski resort at 2 pm, and to our surprise they had a night session that was $50-$60 cheaper than the morning sessions! In American money, I spent about $75 to ski. This inlcuded my equipment, lessons, and access to the resort until it closed. GREAT BARGAIN.
I must say that skiing for the first time was fun as hell. Not to toot my own horn, but I was the only one out of my friends that did not fall (no shade). Everything went well until myself, Terrence, and Joshua decided that we wanted to try the bigger hill just to say we did it. As soon as we got on the lift, we quickly realized that IT WAS A MISTAKE! We got to the top, and saw that the only way down was to ski or snowboard. Joshua went first, I went second, and terrence third. I finished about 60% of the mountain until is saw a the part where I’d have to jump in order to make it over. Long story short, I made myself fall and was stuck on the moutain for about 30 minutes. There was no way in hell I was flying in the air.
The CN Tower is one of the main attractions in Toronto. It cost about $38 to go upstairs, and if you want to dine at the resturant, there is a $70 mandatory cover fee. I’d advise going to the bar instead of the resturant because there is no cover charge.
On Sundays We Brunch:
My cousin’s cousin is a Toronto Native, and recommended we go to a spot named Old School for brunch. The resturant has two locations, but we decided on going to the one located in the heart of downtown (800 Dundas st). The atmosphere at the resturant is very laid-back and industrial. They did a nice play on the menus by making them look like school folders with doodles on them, accompanied by lunch room style tables, and exposed brick on the wall. Old School serves classic brunch, dinner, and late night feel good comfort food. It is known to be “Home to the legendary Bluberry Hill Pancakes,” and so much more. The menu isnt super extensive, but every item is made with love. If you go with a large group, don’t worry about down payments, and overpaying for food you didnt eat. Each person gets their own check if you ask for it.
P.S CANADIAN PEOPLE ARE NICE AF!
There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in proportion
-Edgar Allan Poe
My Friends:
It’s so important to choose people you don’t have to overexplain yourself to. When I told my friends about the trip, no one asked me why I chose to go from the cold, to somewhere even colder, and I appreciate that. For my 26th birthday I wanted chill vibes where my friends and I could reconnect, talk, and experience a new city together. We drank, we smoked, we danced…What more could I ask for?