Ohhhh, Canada! {Could I really start this post any differently? I mean. No. No is the answer.}
I’m back to writing. And more importantly, I’m back to feeling good about writing. It could be the TBC {total body conditioning} class I just returned from. It could be the piping hot peppermint tea I’m sipping with the windows wide open in my Brooklyn apartment. Or it could be the high I am still riding from my weekend away in Montreal, Canada.
I’m going to go with the latter.
It should come as no surprise that I have been desperately missing Europe. I’ve traded in the ‘lax’ lifestyle to pursue a dream I’ve always had here in New York City. Which is… to live in New York City. Mission accomplished?
But with this dream has arisen irritability and a lack of patience. A feeling of constantly moving and never catching my breath. And the smell of garbage more often than not.
So, when I had the chance to visit our neighbors just across the New York state border, I jumped, leaped, and dove at the opportunity. A few months later I found myself on a 767 bound for Montreal. I knew I had made the right decision when the flight attendant began repeating our safety instructions in French. YAAAAS.
Already I felt miles away from the familiarity of America. And yet, I was technically still in the America’s.
Canada is North America’s little slice of Europe. And what a wonderful bit of knowledge to know you need only travel an hour and a half by plane to arrive at such a magical destination.
I felt as though I had been transported back to France. Road signs, menus, and store windows were all displayed in French. The locals spoke mainly French, but would converse in English with a strong accent attached. And the architecture in Old Montreal resembled that of Paris side streets and outdoor cafes.
I mean, they even have their own Notre-Dame Basilica!
It doesn’t get more European than that. And to be honest I was quite surprised. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I know I wasn’t expecting to feel so overwhelmed with the European influence the city held. And it’s not only in Montreal. The locals explained to me how Quebec City has an even stronger European influence, if I was ever interested in visiting.
Visiting? When can I apply for a visa and relocate?
It was refreshing to once again feel at ease while exploring a new city. And one that doesn’t include the hustle and bustle of the big apple. My pace slowed and my lungs expanded. I spent half of a rainy afternoon in a cafe, without becoming anxious. I was reminded of what it felt like to remove the daily pressures of life, and simply be content.
The European’s have always known how to live a life of contentment. A lifestyle I am envious of.
It’s comforting to know that this way of being lies right across the border {literally and figuratively} of my current life. Right in my own backyard.
I will most definitely be revisiting our neighbors, as I have formed a new found love for Canada.
With all this being said, upon arrival back into Brooklyn, I looked across to the Manhattan skyline and for the first time since moving to NYC, felt a twinge of relief. As with any new city I eventually call home, I form a relationship that is undeniable. I am still working on my relationship with New York. If it were a Facebook status, it would certainly be defined as ‘It’s Complicated’, but we will get to that at another time.
For now, I must express my many thanks to Canada. For being exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it.
Merci!