Dear Montreal,
With a reputation for the harshest winters and not much more than that, you’re a city that I never would have visited. Yet here I am, sat on a bench looking out over the St Lawrence river in the Old Port and I can’t imagine not being here.
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| August |
This is my final weekend on exchange and my final weekend in Montreal before heading to Cuba next week and I am beyond gutted. Although I am excited to go home and see my family I’m also heartbroken to leave the city that so quickly became another place that I can call home. Montreal’s diversity, rich history and beautiful architecture make it one of the most interesting cities I have ever visited, and getting to be a Montrealer even for just 8 months has been a pleasure. I could talk for hours about the people I’ve met and the places I’ve visited this year but for now I want to focus on the city and everything that makes it what it is.
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| October |
From the corporate feel of downtown to the quirky streets of the plateau and the tourist hub that is the Old Port, Montreal is truly a place for everyone. Canada is an extremely diverse country and Montreal displays that perfectly. This year I’ve watched locals switch from speaking French to English without pausing, I’ve seen the indigenous communities honoured how they should be, and I’ve celebrated everything from Australia Day to St Patrick’s Day. There are times I’ve been certain I am in Europe and others when I can’t see anything but North America and all of these things are what make Montreal so welcoming.
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| January |
Perhaps one of the best things about Montreal is how it changes with the seasons. When I arrived in August it was 30 degrees. We went to the beach, we ate ice cream and watched the Tam Tams in the Park. As Summer because Autumn the whole city changed from green to red and orange and instead of ice cream we ate poutine, visiting coffee shops rather than the beach but all the while discovering new parts of the city. As Winter descended hot chocolate was our drink of choice, and putting on 5 layers to go out into 10 inches of snow became second nature. There’s something so magical about a city covered in snow and although the novelty wore off, I did feel a pang of sadness as it slowly disappeared. Montreal is now transitioning back into Summer and the days are mostly grey, perhaps not the nicest image but another perspective of the city, and in some ways a reflection of my feelings as my time here draws to a close.
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| April |
As I turn around from the bench I’m sat on, I can see the skyline that has become so familiar, the silhouettes that make my heart skip when flying in from a weekend away, the buildings that light up the night sky in a way that I have never seen before.
I’ve fallen in love with this city and it's going to be so hard saying goodbye.
Thank you Montreal, I will be back soon.
