HOW TO SURVIVE PUBLIC TRANSIT IN A BRAND NEW CITY WITH NO BITCH CHANGE
metropolis - where ambitious people from all over come to make their mark.
I moved to Montreal from Penticton, British Columbia, September 5th, 2018. I had spent most of my life in the Okanagan Valley & decided to leave for Quebec only two short months after visiting its largest city for the first time. When asked why I decided to make the impromptu move out East, I find myself time & again searching for a straight answer & end up instead with simple replies such as "...for a change of scenery" or "...just because". For some reason, a lot of people are uncomfortable with no straightforward answer & honestly, I don't think there is one. Here's what I know:
Montreal just felt right.
Let's take a look at the definition above, shall we? A metropolis is a large, densely populated urban area or city. The noun comes from Greek roots, meaning "mother city". Historically, the word referred to the founding city-state of a region, a place that sought out settlers. Like any word, there are a handful of definitions, a variety of meanings for you to choose the one that best fits your needs. My favourite definition by far is the one above. There's something truly amazing about the idea of thousands of people, with all different backgrounds & stories, making their way to one place, in the hopes of establishing themselves & creating a life among strangers. But what I love most, is that one word - ambitious. Metropolitan cities have this special energy that draws the most creative, determined & ambitious people out there. It's no wonder they're known as creative hubs, these cities are the centre of it all. All of the culture, all of the opportunity, all of the connections, all of the art - there's an entire community built around all of this ambition, all of this creation.
It was that same sense of community that drew me four thousand kilometres away from everything I'd ever known. For some reason, the energy I felt during two short weeks out East was enough to have me say goodbye to a whole thirteen years of comfort. Most people can’t even imagine uprooting their entire lives & starting fresh in a foreign place. Luckily, I am only 20 years old & my decisions are based solely on my wishes & needs, with no responsibility for anyone but myself. Besides, I am far too big of a dreamer to stay put so exploring the other side of the country seemed like the only reasonable thing to do. I still don’t quite have a concrete answer as to why I hopped on that one way flight that day, but when asked, my favourite response would have to be this -
“to embrace a new adventure” - because every day out here in this city is exactly that, an adventure.
My first big city adventure - or more like my actual first day outside the house, since my arrival three days prior - was quite the adventure indeed. My first two months in Montreal, I was living with my aunt & uncle in Pointe-Claire, a suburb about a half hour outside of the city. Well that’s the truth for all of those brave enough to face the treacherous roads of Montreal, lucky enough to own their own vehicle, & crazy enough to drive among Quebec's wildest drivers. Clearly, that is not the case for me. My new life out East is entirely dependent on public transit. One would think that metropolitan transit systems are easily navigated (ya know, with the internet & all) but I’m here to tell you that disorientation is entirely possible & yes, you can in fact find yourself walking for hours instead of simply hopping on a bus, just to save yourself the hassle.
Allow me to share with you the story of a small town girl & her quest that lead her to the middle of who-knows-where. I was quite determined to live up to the tourist expectations that come with one's big move to a new city, so I had made a list of places to see & things to do! First on the list - "Parc Mont Royal", a large volcanic-related hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal & one of the many tourist attractions with a great view of the city. Little did I know, it was going to take an entire journey to get there. The journey began as I finally got my ass out of bed, just missing the last train into the city leaving before 4 pm. By the time I was ready to take on the adventure that awaited, more obstacles began to surface & I was as desperate as ever. Due to the fact that I only had two dollars for a $3.25 bus fare & no idea where to actually purchase such a thing, I resorted to the marvellous invention of Uber. As BC is very much behind on the whole Uber craze, I was honestly thrilled to open up the app & easily find a ride...that was until I discovered the price tag attached to my trip with dear Yousef, a 4.88 rated driver. Twenty minutes & forty-two dollars later, I arrived at my destination. Surrounded by majestic trees, perfectly trimmed bushes, & impeccably up kept fences, in that moment, I knew I had made a terrible mistake. Sure, I was in "Mont Royal"...as in the neighbourhood, not the park. As if I was born yesterday, I had little knowledge of the importance of the word "park" when selecting my destination for the ride. This mistake landed me roaming the streets of a boujee neighbourhood, hopelessly searching for some direction from my google maps.
Fun fact: it takes about an hour to walk from one to the other after spending an arm, a leg & your first born child to get dropped off by your Uber in the middle of fucking nowhere.
I walked a lot that day. I'm just thankful that I wore some decently supportive shoes - knowing me, I would go hiking in platform heels if I could. Eventually, I came across a metro station where I was able to buy myself a monthly transit pass & bring an end to this incredibly long stroll down an incredibly steep street. Before hopping on the bus that would lead me all the way up to the park, I checked one more thing off my list & visited Saint Joseph's Oratory. I even witnessed multiple people climb the stairs towards the entrance to the basilica on their knees, & there I was irritated about using my feet for what they're made for. However, there was one thing that was definitely not on my "to-do" list for the day - more transit trouble. Was I ever mistaken.
As I waited for a bus that didn't seem to be coming, I began to question everything. Was I on the right side of the street? Was my google maps not working? Was I prone to this mayhem? This lead to me crossing the street & settling in at the opposing stop. Just like that my bus showed up...BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET! I had been at the right stop all along. So I crossed the street once more, now with a sense of shame & disappointment, just to wait 15 more minutes for the next one. When I finally made it to the park, & all the way up the mountain, I experienced one of the most amazing views of Montreal. It was truly remarkable. As I took in the spectacular view of the city, now my city, from the top of "Mont Royal", I was filled with a sense of excitement, belonging, & confidence that I had made the right choice.
This is exactly where I need to be.
It's almost been five months since that day - since that wild adventure - & in that time frame, I've managed to get lost, wait for the wrong bus multiple times, miss the last train, & find myself questioning exactly what I'm doing here. But I've also seen magical views of my new city, met incredibly passionate & inspiring people, taken time to get to know myself, all while exploring a new territory for the first time on my own.
Some adventures are best experienced in the unknown, on a bus that may or may not be going in the right direction. Some adventures are best experienced with complete strangers who turn out to be amazing friends. Some adventures are best experienced at 6 am, as you catch the first metro of the day before even shutting your eyes to catch last night's sleep.
Some adventures are best experienced wearing mesh from head to toe, white tennis skirts & thrifted denim jackets.
There's still so much to experience, so much to see & even more to learn. Yes, I still get on the wrong bus from time to time. I'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I welcome life's wild adventures & trust that I am doing what I came here to do. Even if I'm not exactly sure what that entails just yet.
Here's to experiencing each & every day with your heart wide open, a pocket full of bitch change, in your most loved denim jacket!
Embrace the adventure. Enjoy the ride.
(just don't pay $42 dollars for it)
Now onto the next one.
xx C
PHOTOGRAPHY: KITTY EVANS @kittyevansphoto
OUTFIT ANTHEM : CONFIDENTLY LOST - SABRINA CLAUDIO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXiMKUu_1xs
OUTFIT DETAILS:
DENIM JACKET - FROCK & FELLOW
MESH TOP - 8TH & MAIN
TOMMY HILFIGER BRALETTE - URBAN OUTFITTERS
TENNIS SKIRT - AMERICAN APPAREL (rip)
BUTTON UP SHIRT - @tamiduke
WHITE FISHNETS - TOPSHOP
BOOTS - ZARA
EARRINGS - THRIFTED
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