Quelle surprise!

The time I spent recently in Montreal was fundamentally sans agenda. Yes, there were a couple of jazz shows for which I had tickets, but we didn’t have as much as a single reservation for dining or specific plans for the majority of the roughly 72 hours we were in Canada.

Being wide open leaves plenty of room for spontaneity and opportunity – and unexpected surprises. When I reflect back on our holiday “weekend,” two unanticipated things stand out to me.

The first is the strength of the U.S. dollar in Montreal. This came very much as a surprise since my attention to currency typically is focused on the $ against the € – a comparison which has become steadily less favorable in the 11 months since the orange buffoon came into power.*

Generally speaking, Montreal was a serious bargain. While the initial expenditure of $7 CA for a large cafe au lait seemed high, the transaction really cost only $5 US. The same sized bag of navel oranges that I recently saw for $8.99 at Hannaford, was priced at only $3.99 CA in the small grocer around the corner from our accommodations on St-Denis. Dinner for 5 at a Chinese restaurant, with 2 draft beers and an array of plates, came in at $98.

Aside from the price of food, the “kids” did a good bit of thrifting and were elated at how far their money went towards quality secondhand clothing. I popped into the Uniqlo store and was able to knock a few things off my holiday shopping list at remarkably low cost.

There were serious deals to be had, including the total for parking my car in a nearby parking garage for nearly 72 hours for only $33. What would that amount of money gotten me in NYC? Three hours maybe?

Beyond the abounding bargains, I found something far more unexpected and valuable in Montreal – an absolute joy in spending time with my sons and the friends they each invited along for the trip.

We had traveled north in two cars, departing at different times. My youngest, Q, and his first friend ever, J, (the son of one of my dearest friends and barely 5 weeks older than Q) and I drove together. Four hours or so after we left Albany, I pulled up in front of our home for the next three nights. After unloading the car, I drove a short distance, parked and returned on foot to the now empty apartment.

Those 20 year-olds were gone.

I was so impressed.

Their enthusiasm and excitement to get out there and explore thrilled me. Their lack of hesitation, fearlessness and sense of adventure made me incredibly happy – and proud. These were not young people who required hand holding or micromanaging. They were independent young men eager to explore and I was there for it.

For the next couple of days (and nights), we all moved at our own individual paces. The guys went shopping and bar hopping and I walked, took photos and listened to jazz. We rendezvoused for “Thanksgiving” dinner at a Chinese place, but generally only encountered one another at our apartment – and those were moments of gold.

We watched Stranger Things, drank wine, modeled our drip and fits and talked about a wide spanning array of topics. We shared memories of the days when these two almost 21 year-olds were toddlers and tweens and teens and I told them stories about my own teen years spent hanging out with J’s father.

We laughed. Hard.

To me, these are the best days of parenthood so far. My sons are capable travelers with long term friendships. They are independent, respectful and open to experiences.

And they don’t mind spending time with me.

(My oldest son and his girlfriend weren’t as present since they had their own transportation and activities.)

*Example: in early 2025, €500 could be obtained for about $517. Today (12/9/25) that same €500 will set me back $581.