A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING ME
September marks the anniversary of my arrival to Montreal. It's been one entire year of change, transition, discovery, discomfort, learning, creating, gratitude & so much joy. Looking back, it's hard to believe that all of this time has passed, as it felt like not long ago that I stepped foot off the plane & onto foreign ground. Then again, my life prior to moving across the country seems very distant. It's an odd contrast, almost conflicting. Some days I feel like I've done nothing at all with my time here, other days I'm filled with so much gratitude for the countless experiences I've had, the wonderful people I've met & how quickly I managed to settle into this life I've created for myself from scratch. Life has a tendency to push & pull, wavering on the scale from "good" to "bad", without much notice & plenty of force. At times it can be a little overwhelming, as if I've got a front row seat to the wildest rollercoaster that is my life & the whole thing is being captured on reality TV. But quite honestly, nothing interesting ever happens in limbo anyway - so we might as well embrace the highs & lows as they come, for with them come opportunity & transformation.
So here's a look into some of the big moments from my first year living in Montreal - all of the good, bad, wild, & wholesome. These are the moments that could makeup the content of a dramatic film, or even a few episodes of a drama TV series. As I've always been quite theatrical, a little screenplay & an over-the-top photoshoot seemed appropriate.
My version of Sex & the City goes a little something like this...
PILOT
the one with the boujee dress up party
I walk into the dimly lit venue, fog rushes out of the room as I open the doors, exposing all of the extravagantly dressed city folk. I'm invited to move onto the illuminated dance floor, but all I can do is stand there in awe, taking it all in for the first time. In that moment, I felt like I was in an episode of some classic drama TV series where a small town girl runs away to the big city to "find" herself. All decked out in my thrifted suede 2 piece suit, I think to myself "This is it. This is where I need to be."
...& damn was I ever right.
FEELINGS IN A FACE MASK
the one where Celine cries in the tub
Face mask on, both feet in the bathtub, legs lathered in coconut oil, razor in hand, mom & dad on speaker phone, tears running down my cheeks. As a water sign, I cry a lot. But like any average human, my emotions tend to be amplified when I'm stressed, sleep deprived, in need of some pizza or on the phone with my parents. This cinematic scene takes place in my black & white tiled, bright blue bathroom in my first apartment in Montreal. As I prepare myself for a girls night out - face covered in clay, bath water running, one leg partially shaven - I find myself crying over the phone with my beloved parents, questioning what the hell I'm doing here.
Existential crises happen. They also pass.
Nothing a little face mask can't cure.
BAILA! BAILA! BAILA!
the one with all of the dance parties
Nothing but loud music, moving limbs, flashing lights & a dance floor beneath my toes. The makeup of the dance floor changes with every occasion, varying from kitchen tile, to fresh grass, & classic nightclub floors. Some of my most memorable dance parties have taken place in the middle of my living room with my beloved roomies, outside on the terrace under the stars with good pals, in a large water fountain, soaking wet with strangers with Tame Impala performing in the background, & any time "I Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by Kylie Minogue blasts on the speaker. Simply put, dancing feels SO cinematic to me. There's no better feeling than giving in to the music & allowing your body to simply move. This city has not disappointed in providing solid dancing opportunities.
As long as I'm dancing, I have a feeling I will continue to thrive here.
HAPPY MOVING DAY
the one with the shopping cart named Claudette
Bedroom emptied, boxes packed, U-Haul loaded, lease not yet signed & still no clue if I'll have somewhere to sleep for the night. It's Moving Day, a tradition in the province of Quebec that falls every year on July 1st, & we found this apartment two days ago. This new living arrangement is made up of four young women, introduced through an odd retail job & connected now by friendship, living under one roof in the most amazing apartment in Mile End. How did we find this place? 26 pages deep on Kijiji. How did four broke girls with no access to a vehicle move all of their belongings into this apartment? Well, we have Claudette to thank for that. This stolen Home Depot shopping cart was left behind in our new home, & used to transport a total of two mattresses, multiple dressers, various plants & large racks from a few blocks away to our spacious second floor apartment. The moving day "movie moment" stars my dreamy roommates & I, one humid July night, as we run down the middle of an empty street pushing two screaming girls in our second hand shopping cart.
We're real big thrifters in this house.
NO PHONE, WHO DIS
the one where Celine's phone gets stolen
An hour & a half until the end of my shift, the scent of burning popcorn filling the space around me, the same repetitive script rolling off my tongue as clients are greeted into the store, the incredible need to get the hell out & back into bed slowly growing stronger. Customer service can be such a bitch. Sometimes you can feel a shit day coming, but there was no way I could of predicted something like this. A man walks into the store, on the hunt for a used espresso machine, uncomfortably eyeing the area in which I stood & the counter where some of my belongings are placed. I should of known from the strange feeling in my gut that something wasn't quite right. I step away from my section, if only for a brief moment, but that was all it took for this man to take his chance, snatch my phone & make his exit. I see him in the doorway, & comically enough, ask him if he found what he was looking for. It was the look of surprise in his eyes as he steps out onto the street without a word that triggers it - the instinct to fucking run. I don't even have to look back at my desk to know that it's gone. So I run - out the door & down the street, chasing my thief as he bolts for the corner. I lose him. The panic sets in. This is one of those scenes in Sex & the City, where everything has gone to shit & Carrie stands out on the street alone, in complete shock, feeling absolutely hopeless, wearing a gorgeous gown. This is one of those "big city" moments that make you question all of humanity & your ability to take care of yourself.
...a little butt hurt, but mostly just tired.
AVEC AMOUR, MTL
the one where Celine falls in love
...with the city of course.
A little stroll down a quaint street, sun shining on my freckled face, headphones in, favourite tunes on, gratitude rushing through me like a sip of cold cider in the park. It's moments like these that fill me up with so much joy, so much appreciation for this life I am living & all of the people I get to share these moments with. With each wild night out, each afternoon picnic in the park, each sunrise on top of the mountain, my love for this city grows a little bit deeper. There's a certain kind of energy that buzzes through these streets, a special kind of feeling you get when you're connecting with the right people, when you know you're in the right place. It's that sensation that drew me all of the way out here in the first place & I continue to feel it to this day. I'm in love with this city. It feels like home here.
Life tends to be more exciting when viewed from our own personal screens, narrated in the third person & accompanied by a bomb ass soundtrack.
As if my life was a drama TV series from the early 2000's, I find that a wild adventure presents itself in every day, every new experience, every first step out the door.
Like c'mon, a little theatrical drama can be fun.
(especially when dressed for the part!)
So here's to one full year in this wild city.
One full year of cherished memories, countless fuck ups & a few celebrations too.
One full year of magical movie moments.
xx C
"BABYCEALION IN THE CITY"
coming to a theatre near you
(sometime soon)
PHOTOGRAPHY: BOUCHRA ASSOU @feu_marcheavecmoi
MY TV SERIES THEME SONG: BAD GIRLS - DONNA SUMMER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF46NnUn5nw
OUTFIT DETAILS:
LOOK #1
TATTOO TOP - EVA B VINTAGE
PINK VELVET RUCHED SKIRT - RENAISSANCE
SUNNIES - RED LIGHT CLOTHING EXCHANGE
DENIM SANDAL WEDGES - EMPIRE EXCHANGE
CLUTCH - GIFTED
EARRINGS - DIY
LOOK #2
OFF THE SHOULDER MINI DRESS - EVA B VINTAGE
PURPLE TIGHTS - ask Bouchra!
SCARF - VALUE VILLAGE
GLOVES - ask Bouchra!
CLEAR VINYL HEELS - EVA B VINTAGE
COBALT BLUE RAINCOAT - VALUE VILLAGE
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