Ode to Montreal.

Change is such a strange thing. I wake up in the morning with a feeling of nervous energy in my tummy, a tug at my heart, and a leap of excitement out of bed. It's like something big and beautiful is coming my way and when I finally reflect on what the feelings are, I remember that I'm leaving Toronto in 3 weeks, bound for the greener pastures of Montreal! I'm picking up my life, putting it in a box, and moving to a city that I adore. I'm driving a U-Haul there, with the cat and dog, and I can only hope that I make it in one piece.

It's time to get the real stuff started and I think my new beginning lies in the freshness of Montreal. For me, Montreal is a place where I feel wonderful wearing sparkles and where there's a twist of culture that simply doesn't exist in Toronto. It's a place where I can make friends on the street at 3am and a place where I can buy beer in a corner store (forget corner store, I get to say 'depanneur' or 'dep' again!) until 11pm. Montreal doesn't feel the need to nickname itself (just for the record, El Toro never took off in any way, shape or form). It's a place where I can find original and independent boutiques that don't charge a fortune just because they're unique. It's a city that doesn't muzzle their pitbulls and it's a place where I can actually get to work on time. That's right, it has a better transit system than the TTC.

Winter Wonderland

In Montreal it snows for real and people don't panic if it does so for over two hours: schools stay open and people go to work. Real ski hills surround the city and a gym membership doesn't cost an arm and a leg. In Montreal school is cheap and the croissants and bagels are heavenly: something that has been lacking in my diet for too long. There's something in the air in Montreal, something that makes me smile and gives me a spring in my step, even in 5 feet of snow.

I will miss Cherry beach, my friends and my family, but I'm finally free from trying to make my life work here. Toronto was a shaky stepping stone but I made it to the other side and off I go!

Au revoir!