Escape

My first thoughts upon entering Quebec were "Everything is (actually) in French" and "The stop lights are sideways".

I had a wonderful time exploring Montreal this past weekend. Not only did I get to visit a new city and a new province, but I learned a lot about myself as well. I did so many things on my own while I was there that I'm terrified to do in person here, where everyone speaks my native language. But in Montreal I was able to purchase things and take the subway to places I've never been without fearing for my life. Maybe it's because I hear about so much violence in Toronto, or maybe the language barrier gave me the excuse to fumble my sentences so that I wasn't so scared of messing up. Really I'm not sure. What I do know is that I can do all of these things. I can explore a city on my own, travel alone, purchase items without assistance of someone close. If I can do those things in Montreal then surely I can do them here too.

Who knew that doing something for fun could challenge my self image so much. I have so much more confidence in my ability to interact with people now, and I'm looking forward to the chance to test my limits and push myself further.