I recently had a chance to cross off “Visit a French City” on my list of must-do’s. French citizens (those actually living in France) may disagree with my classification of Montreal, but the locals spoke enough French to get a check on my rites-of-passage list.
After one week in the very hip Mile End neighborhood, I’ve learned quite a bit more about myself and what I truly appreciate in life.
Food, Friends, and Fairmont Bagels
There is much to be said about great food and great friends. Quite frankly, there is not much that compares to a great meal for me other than the company I may get to share it with.
Some of my friends from Haiti joined me and the beau in New York and we took the 7+ hour drive into the land of free healthcare. The road trip was smooth, quite scenic and full of Drake sing-a-longs. Nothing like a good ol’ American road trip to get you prepped for Border Control.
Our time spent in Montreal was quite amazing. From laughs over the popular Fairmount Bagels and Italian coffee to long Indian dinners and chocolate Arabic pastries, we enjoyed every moment of the Francophone city. The diversity of Montreal is comporable to Paris or New York, but in a very approachable Portland sort of way.
To slightly u-turn back to Fairmount Bagels, I must admit that this long line-toting bagel shop was not my favorite. Our AirBNB apartment was perched exactly one block away, and I could not bring myself to partake more than once. Truth of the matter is, New York just does it better.
All in all, I’m most grateful for the moments shared with our friends. Exploring the city came short to diving deeper into the kinship we share. To travel with friends and sleep in the same apartment for one week can be a true test of love…and a lasting love at that. But safe to say, we all ended it on a higher more than we began and are already planning for our next adventure.
The Moral of the Story
As the poster child introvert, I can still appreciate God’s plan for companionship and relationship. He often speaks of friendship in the Bible and holds it as a high regard.
Time alone is well spent, but time with true friends is a blessing.
Ciao!
The Refined Drifter 