Summary

The author regrets not bringing their passport on a trip to Niagara Falls, missing the chance to see the more beautiful Canadian side of the falls.

Abstract

The author recounts a trip to Niagara Falls where, despite being a seasoned traveler, they made the mistake of not bringing their passport. This oversight prevented them from experiencing the renowned view of the falls from the Canadian side, which is widely considered more stunning than the US side. The author reflects on the minimalist joy of traveling without a passport, which they had the rare opportunity to do within the US, but ultimately this decision led to a lasting regret. Despite the convenience of traveling lighter, the author was unable to fully enjoy Niagara Falls and has since avoided seeing pictures of the Canadian side, feeling a constant reminder of their missed opportunity.

Opinions

The author believes that Niagara Falls is more beautiful when viewed from the Canadian side.
They express a sense of personal frustration and regret over the preventable mistake of not bringing their passport.
The author values the experience of seeing natural wonders firsthand, as they avoid looking at photos of what they missed.
They appreciate the minimalist approach to travel but acknowledge that this philosophy led to a significant travel oversight.
The author hints at the irony of their situation, being so close to the Canadian side yet unable to officially cross over due to a lack of proper documentation.

One Item You Must Pack With You to Niagara Falls

I didn’t, and it’s my one regret of the trip

Not Niagara Falls. Photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash

First, would you like to guess under which category this item falls? I mean, of the categories detailed here.

Niagara Falls is colossal. You probably knew that already. And massively beautiful. Awe-inspiring, spellbinding, all of that. You definitely knew that already.

And I almost missed my chance to see it.

After getting on the wrong train in New York City (what a rookie mistake from this supposedly seasoned traveler — goes to show that you never stop learning), being lucky enough to purchase another same-day train ticket that left for Niagara Falls past midday (but not before seeing what it takes to clean the public toilets at Penn Station), experiencing a pleasant and uneventful train ride (“train” is a rather versatile word, isn’t it?), I arrived late at night.

My taxi driver asked me a question that slammed into me like a sledgehammer. No, the guy was friendly. The question was also asked in a friendly manner. It was my own stupidity that raised my blood pressure.

“Do you have a passport?”

Yes, I certainly do. But I did not bring it with me.

Hear me out. It was a rare chance not to travel with my passport. I had flown from Los Angeles to New York with just my driver’s license as identification. While living abroad, I would need my passport merely to travel to the neighboring city. Therefore, I relished this opportunity. Minimalist. Taking every chance to feel lighter.

Solid reasoning? Maybe yes, maybe no. But the result of this decision was infuriating in that it was utterly preventable.

You probably knew this already, but Niagara Falls is much more beautiful from the Canadian side. It’s already a majestic view from the US side, but there is no dispute.

To this day (and it’s been nearly a decade), I am unwilling to look up pictures of Niagara Falls from the Canadian side, which is likely the default. There’s a good chance I’ve seen it in movies anyway.

But, with my own eyes, I’ve only witnessed it from the US side. I never stop kicking myself when I think about this.

My phone also kept mocking me by sending me messages saying I had crossed over to Canada and my mobile plan granted me this and that for roaming. So, technically, I had crossed over, but officially I had not, and I certainly had not crossed over where it counted.

However, there is some consolation in that there are still some other, arguably more stunning waterfalls around the world that I have yet had the pleasure of visiting.

Niagara Falls is simply, for better or worse, arguably the most famous one.

Or not?

Dash Ip favors waterfalls over any other body of water.

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