Unpacked

Before we decided to move to Toronto from Brighton, a friend who lived in Canada enumerated Toronto's good points. "It's so easy to get out of here," he said, as number one on the list. "You can fly to Europe or the West Coast in no time."

Talk about a back-handed compliment.

But it is true that I do not miss the twelve-hour journeys between California and the UK. Due to family and work, we have frequent call to cross the Atlantic or to traverse north America, and being able to do so in an hour or five or seven is much less physically stressful than those long-haul flights in cargo class.

Increasingly, the dreaded part of travel came to be the barriers on the ground: check-in, security, immigration. In many Canadian airports, passengers go through US immigration and customs prior to flying, in Canada, meaning potential hours of queuing until the dubious pleasures of an airport Starbucks fix. (If kids are along, it is also essential to acquire what they call 'lift-off' sweets before boarding).

Technology is making things better: online check-in, apps to monitor flight delays, electronic immigration kiosks that take the worst photos it is possible to take but speed up the process. This year we added to our bag of travel tricks membership in a 'Global Entry' programme, Nexus, which lets us go through the fast lane for immigration and security. It doesn't always work, but when it does, we have a lot more time for our Americanos and frappuccinos.

Sunset over Boston

In the last few months, I've flown to a whole mess of North American cities armed with my handy Nexus card:  Vancouver, New York, San Francisco, Baltimore, LA, and most recently, Boston. For the most part, Nexus simplified and expedited the transit. Short flights, straightforward airporting. Yes, it is easy to get out of Toronto.

Bike ride, Toronto lakeshore (Lake Ontario)

And it is also easier to get back in. It's a nice time of year to be here and I appreciate the unpacked suitcase that is stored in the closet, rather than lying open-mawed on my bedroom floor. The weather is warm and sunny, the garden green and flowering, the neighbours are out and chatting. The dog frolics on his leash. Patios overflow and outdoor markets flourish.


The Nexus card can take a little break. For now.