I’m never one to say no to travel, whether it’s for work, to visit a friend, or just because.
In the first half of last year alone, I flew from New York to Palm Springs with friends, planned a London trip around a play I wanted to see, and saw Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour in Los Angeles.
One of my friends was trying to sell me on one more big vacation — Scotland, maybe, or Paris — that we could take together before 2025 was over.
It wouldn’t have taken much convincing, but then I got laid off right at the end of May. Suddenly, traveling anywhere felt out of reach.
However, as the dust settled and summer came and went, the thought kept creeping back into my mind: Transatlantic travel would definitely have to wait until I had steady work again, but maybe it wouldn’t be impossible to take one more small trip while I still had severance?
Turns out, it was possible. We went to Montreal for a long weekend in late October, and it turned out to be the perfect trip.
The distance made this trip doable on a tighter budget
I’d never been to Montreal before, but it was the perfect destination for several reasons.
Logistically, it was a quick, 90-minute flight from New York, making it an easy choice for a weekend trip. Less time in the air meant we could make the most of just a handful of days on the ground.
I was also able to buy my airfare with credit-card points, which helped keep my out-of-pocket costs low.
Practicalities aside, I knew that Montreal, with its cobblestone streets in the Old Port, cozy cafés, and official language (French), would feel like a true “trip” — a chance to hit pause on the stress of the last few months and immerse myself in a new place.
We didn’t make a ton of set plans and just focused on having a good time
We kept the itinerary for this girls’ weekend loose. Apart from making a few dinner reservations, we really just took our time exploring the city.
As someone who tends to plan jam-packed vacations, this was definitely a departure for me, but I was surprised to find I didn’t really care.
It certainly didn’t feel like I was missing anything as we took our time yapping, poking through vintage stores, and taste-testing Montreal-style bagels.
Sure, we made time to hike up Mount Royal and checked out the Old Port, but this trip wound up being less about sightseeing and more about just having a good time together. Getting to close my laptop and not think (too much) about work was the biggest gift of all.
Instead, I got to channel my energy into a few days of uninterrupted time focusing on things that brought me joy: spending quality time with a friend I’d never traveled with before, taking in a new-to-me city, people-watching on public transportation, and successfully ordering my daily oat latte in French.
It wasn’t the Europe trip we’d initially talked about, but in some ways, this was even better
By the time we got to the airport early Monday morning, I felt reenergized in the best way.
The past few months had been unsteady and stressful, and I knew those same uncertainties would be waiting for me when the plane touched down. Still, our trip recharged my batteries in a way I didn’t know I needed until we got home.
Taking any sort of trip is a privilege, especially when your life is in flux. Those three days, though, wound up being the perfect trip for this moment in my life.
Best of all, there was enough I didn’t do or see in Montreal that I’m already excited to visit again, if given the chance.
I know I’ll take another European vacation at some point, once things feel a little more settled. In the meantime, while I wait for the next chance to grab my passport and get on a plane, I’ll just sit here with my “Bon Matin” mug and be glad I took the trip.
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