When I arrived to Montreal after 1 year of being away, I felt a twinge of sadness for what I had left behind. I had left behind a city that I loved so much, a city that had become my own. Initially it was hard for me to leave, but I had to move forward and continue on with my journey, wherever that may have led next.
What is it that makes Montreal so special? Lots of my friends have asked me this question when I had toyed around with making Montreal somewhat of a permanent residence. I have been able to come up with many answers: the lifestyle, the festivals, the people, the languages, the culture, the accessibility of riding a bike, people watching, etc etc. When I asked people from Montreal why they stay, they all say the same thing. The city has a charm that is unique. There is a certain je ne sais quoi that is hard to pinpoint.
A good friend, faced with the decision of leaving Montreal to go back to Toronto, created a clever and ever so fitting metaphor for both cities. He said his decision was like choosing between two women, both very different and appealing for different reasons. Montreal is the sexy woman, full of life, culture, passion and excitement. Toronto is the rational woman where he can have security and support, which will allow him to focus on his career. Of course these are very personal opinions, not to say that Toronto is boring, far from it in fact, but rather that Montreal represents something for him as it does for me. Maybe it’s because I myself have always leaned towards excitement that I feel the gravitational pull that a city such as Montreal has upon its visitors. For us, myself and my friend choosing between two amazing women, Montreal is our first love, the one that is hard to forget.
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