by Jo Barnes –
The Victoria International Airport is a busy place where people come and go as daily flights arrive and depart. Travellers move with determination to make connections or wait anxiously for loved ones to arrive. Airports are places of joy and sadness, departures and reunions. Everyone has a story, and it’s here that we’ll be sharing some of them.
Do you remember when you were six years old, you had a bad cold and your mom would bring you chicken soup? It seemed like mom was always waiting on you. But for some grown kids at the airport recently, it was their turn to wait eagerly on their moms.
One fellow sits alone. The sparkle in his eye hints at the enthusiasm brimming under the surface. “I’m waiting for my mom. She’s coming in from Edmonton,” says Julienne Turcotte.
Julienne’s holiday season was a little different this year. “Normally I go home for Christmas, but not this year. Both my siblings are still back in Edmonton. They were all together for Christmas.”
Julienne goes on to share news about his own life situation and the reason for his mom’s visit.
“My wife is expecting in March. It’s our first child and my mom’s third grandchild. She’s very excited.”
Julienne’s mom soon appears; the ear-to-ear smiles from mother and son say it all. Maybe for Julienne, it’s another family Christmas all over again.
It is early evening. A woman stands, holding the hand of an energetic little girl.
“She’s very excited to see grandma,” says mom Marion.
She saw her mother a few months ago, but can’t help but share her child’s excitement.
“My mom is coming in from Kimberley to see her one and only granddaughter,” she smiles.
Grandma arrives. It’s another arrival of a mom, but it’s also a special encounter between two moms of different generations.
For every hello at the airport, it means there has been a goodbye somewhere else.
“I’ve just come in from Hawaii,” says Kyra Forrest. “My family wanted to see me for Christmas.” Kyra, a UVic student, is originally from New Zealand, but now lives in Victoria. For her, the holiday season this year meant lots of travel. “We thought we’d meet in the middle and so Hawaii was chosen,” she says with a grin.
She goes on to share about her travels including a scuba diving adventure which was a first time experience for everyone.
“My parents booked a guide who took us out. We saw some turtles and also eels popping out of rocks. It was all new for my parents as well,” shares Kyra.
As the conversation continues, it becomes very clear that while the holiday destination was definitely an excellent choice, it was the opportunity to spend time with her family that was truly precious. “We were in Hawaii for 10 days. It was a really good holiday; I enjoyed it,” she smiles.
Kyra seems happy to be returning to UVic where she participates in the University’s vibrant sports scene. “I came here for the swimming,” she shares. “I’m on the swim team.”
Now an ocean away from her Kiwi home, with her bag and cell phone in hand, she sits in the Arrivals area. She has said goodbye to her family at one gate and now awaits her home-stay “family” on this side of the Pacific.
A hundred years ago, making your way from eastern Canada to the West Coast would have involved months of arduous passage by sea or weeks of uncertain travel. But today with the advent of the airplane, crossing the country can be done not in days or weeks but in a matter of hours.
It’s late morning, and a young man is seated in Arrivals, his head popping up every once in a while to check the flight board.
“I’m waiting for a friend from Ontario. Her name is Allie,” says Bryce Tickner.
Allie is a UVic marine biology student who is returning from holidays. Bryce is a student himself but his studies have taken him out of the country.
“I go to school in New York,” he shares. “I’m studying business and I play on the golf team there. Right now it’s a way for me to get an education.”
The conversation turns to Bryce’s observations about his experience over the border.
“I go to Dominican College about 30 minutes outside of Manhattan. New York, well, it takes some getting used to; it’s a much bigger city,” he says.
Bryce still has some holiday left before returning to school, so visiting with friends is important.
“I fly out of here on the 11th, and I’m looking forward to catching up and swapping stories,” he says.
Soon Allie arrives at the gate, and greetings and conversation ensue. It’s another cross country connection made easy by the speed of air travel.
