I am the first to admit, my life is not so glamorous at the moment. Well, I take that back. There is a certain glamour to cooking and cleaning and heading up the PTA. If you do it right and accessorize well. For the most part, though, I would say there’s a comfortable predictability in being me.
So imagine my surprise last week when the editor of New York Family offered me a press trip to Montreal. Four days. On my own. Covering a circus festival – the Montreal Completement Cirque.
Did I mention I would be traveling alone? I couldn’t pack fast enough.
When it comes to entertainment, I can’t say I’m circus-driven. Yes, we’ve spent numerous afternoons at Big Apple Circus performances. With popcorn, and pretzels, and cotton candy to spare. The joy for me, though, was watching my babies watching clowns. It was lovely, it was fun, but I don’t think I ever gave excessive thought to the big tent.
Yet, here came this delightful offer to travel — on my own (did I mention that?), no family in tow — to the Montreal Completement Cirque. Could I find the inner passion necessary to do this story justice? To make this trip a success?
You betcha.
I overpacked. I tried not to skip around the apartment too much. My husband showed quiet enthusiasm. My kids were more resentful. “You mean dad’s going to have to cook?” “What will you do for four days all by yourself?” “I don’t think I like the idea of you being away from home while I’m away at camp.” (Not to worry, I’ve read many solid articles about how healthy it is for children to be wildly egocentric.)
And so I went. There were snares, of course. I forgot Canada, our neighbor to the North is, in fact, a foreign country. I don’t carry an international plan, so my Blackberry was immediately silenced. (Which was kind of nice, actually.) My full-sized hairspray was confiscated by security. And my driver didn’t meet me at the airport. All manageable, little speed bumps en route to solo travel.
I envisioned room service and down time. The trip offered neither. Tourisme Montreal crafted a packed itinerary, and I’m glad. I saw four very different circus performances. I dined at fabulous restaurants, all of which featured a surprising number of bison dishes. And I got an inside look at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters, something I won’t soon forget.
Was I converted in my appreciation of the circus arts? You know, I was. I saw beauty I hadn’t noticed before. I saw athleticism. Passion. And risk-taking. At one point I toured the National Circus School, which is like the Laguardia High School for circus arts (only much, much smaller), and the commitment, the drive, and the professionalism found there are truly remarkable. There’s a dedication, in the city of Montreal, to keeping the artistry of the circus alive, now and for generations to come. And that should make any of us who’ve ever felt joy attending the circus, very, very happy.
Now I’m back. The whirlwind is over. I’ll be writing about my travel experience in the October issue of New York Family. But for now, this circus-traveling mom goes back to the daily juggle of family life. I should have taken more notes… Which ball do you keep your eye on, again?
