New Adventure

While heading to Canada for 10 days certainly does not feel like the adventure that a month in Morocco brought last summer, I still feel energized (even with only two hours of sleep last night and 12 hours stuck in the Pheonix airport). I can't wait to get into Montreal tomorrow morning and hop a train to Quebec City - reportedly the most romantic city in North America (it's a shame I'm all alone for such a trip). After a few days on my own in Montreal and QC, I'll meet up with the Study Canada teacher group in Ottawa, where we'll explore Parliament, the US Embassy, and as many sights as we can in five days. In the meantime, I'm excited to be on my own for a few days and to try and use as many French phrases as I can remember from last summer's French mini-immersion in Morocco, with the help, of course, of a trusty phrasebook. I know English is spoken in the touristy areas of these two cities, but I really want to try . . .

I splurged on a quaint, old hotel within the old walls of QC, and plan to explore every cobblestone street and as much cafe culture as possible. The only exception will be Montreal's La Couscouserie on Saturday night - sure to be a Moroccan treat! I expect to eat my weight in delicious tagine and drink mint tea until I'm buzzing. It'll take me back to a year ago, traveling in Maroc, only without the melon stop in the middle of the Sahara when it was at least 120 degrees!