Montreal is such a great city. I will never forget when I showed up for my first day of University, fresh and eager to start (more like grubby from a weekend camping trip) venturing north from Vermont to the corner of university and Sherbrooke where my University room was located. Literally on the corner. My time at McGill was the best experience ever. It brought me to Canada, it changed my perspective and my life. I went from a country girl to a “centre city stage” girl – in literal sense only… The winters were cold, the walks up Mount Royal on Sundays and beer in litre bottles, late nights in cafes and bars. I loved everything about this city then. I love it now.

My second daughter, Grace is in her first year here. I try not to point out and say things like “this is where I…” it’s just embarrassing. She’s finding her own way. She is a student of Math and Economics, I was a student of Anthropology. But we would have had classes in some of the same buildings at least! I hope so much for her, to find likeminded people, to embrace different views and values. Jobs and careers are important, but there is nothing that can replace the experience of just being influenced by great professors and experiencing life every day. Grace is finding her own way in this amazing place of learning and history. I will get to visit sometimes and share a little bit of her world, remembering my own.