My Week with Janie

Last week, I was in the beautiful city of Montreal for work.  I haven't been to Montreal as an adult so I was excited for the little getaway, even if I was there to work.  Janie, my colleague in Montreal, who I've been working with for six months, invited me to stay at her place after the work week was complete, so I could hang out for a little while longer and explore the city...so it took me all of two seconds to take her up on that offer.  

It was definitely a busy few days at the start of the week.  The team and I were planning a press conference for an Olympic Games athlete, but it was a pretty amazing experience so I am definitely not complaining.  I mean, I got to hang out at the Olympic Park where the 1976 Olympic Games were held...the first Olympics held in Canada.  And, I got to watch some 2012 Olympic Games hopefuls train for London.  All in all, it was a very awesome experience and one that I was lucky to be a part of.

Some pretty cool memorabilia hanging on the walls.

Janie and I just before the start of the conference

At the end of the day, in front of the Olympic Stadium

The conference was a huge success and to celebrate, the team and I went out for lunch.  At my request, simply because I have a sweet tooth, we went to Juliette et Chocolat, a wonderful restaurant that serves the most yummy crepes. 

Jennifer and Janie

Desiree and I

Yummy yummy desserts

Yeah, we did pretty well

After a fun week, a whole lot of laughs, good conversations and a bit of translating from their end (my French vocabulary is pretty pathetic), I said goodbye to the girls for now.  Janie on the other hand, was stuck with me for the rest of the weekend!  And what a wonderful host she was...truly Montreal hospitality at its best.  Not only did Janie feed me yummy breakfasts, introduce me to her awesome fiancé (who she is marrying in two weeks....yay!), amazing friends and take me shopping (which, I love to do!), but she got me to jog.

At first I thought Janie was joking when she suggested we jog up Mont Royal, but sadly she wasn't.  I accepted her challenge and attempted jogging.  I'm not a runner, so it was a bit tough, but I made it through, alternating between jogging and walking.  7.5 km later...we were back at Janie's where my legs felt like jell-o...but I did it and I'm glad I did, because I go to check out this amazing view of the city.

View from Mont Royal

Whenever I go to a new city, I love to shop, shop, shop...and shopping we did.  Janie took me to some of her favourite boutique shops and I could have probably spent all day at Blu Berry, Raz Berry, 1861 and Downstairs - if you're ever in Montreal, you must check them out!  In addition to boutique shops, I learned that Janie loves Hello Kitty and we spent some time checking out Hello Kitty gear. 

Look, it's Hello Janie!

Between the dinners, shopping and hanging out with friends, time just flew by. It's such a beautiful city and I can't wait to go back, but I think I need to brush up on my French.  Bonjour just won't cut it.

Thanks for a great week, Janie.  You are a fabulous host and I can't wait to visit again!  Come on down to Toronto anytime!

xo,
Noor