First off learning a new language is hard, time consuming and gratifying. Secondly, winter in Montréal is brutal but those who live here act like it’s no big deal. See images below.

Now that that is out of the way let me give you some background. Although a majority of people in Québec speak English it’s beneficial to learn French and is highly recommended by Québec immigration. So I signed up for classes. Classes are 6 hours a day Monday - Friday and each level is approximately 2 months long. When I started I thought I was in for an 11 week course. I recently passed the exams to continue on to higher levels, so I signed up to continue with the 2 and 3 levels. After the 3rd level I plan on reevaluating where I am and possibly continuing with levels 4-6 in the fall.

On top of learning a new language I decided to challenge myself to walk to class each day. It’s a 6km walk daily in sub-zero weather with wind that is trying to rip your face off. Good times.

If you’ve read this far you’re probably wondering, well, what the hell have you learned about the world? So here goes. My classmates are from all over the world. There are mates from Turkey, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Montenegro, Bangladesh, Italy, Russia, Vietnam, El Salvador, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Mexico. I happen to be the only one from the United States.

There is a certain level of camaraderie that happens when you spend 6 hours each day in a room full of strangers from around the world, which leads me to the first thing I’ve learned.

What the media and politicians tell you about people from other countries could not be further from the truth. Every single person in my class has a heart of gold and is extremely supportive. Some are quiet. Some are very competitive, Some are loud. Some are very outgoing. What they are not is hateful or vindictive.

The second thing I learned is, when people from around the world are working toward a common goal nothing gets in the way. Religion and politics are checked at the door and everyone supports each other as we work toward fulfilling the end goal.

Thirdly, people from South and Central America are some of the happiest people I’ve ever met. Nothing seems to bring them down. They are always laughing and smiling. Unless their phone dies, then panic sets in. They love their phones. Don’t get me wrong, my classmates from the other countries are happy as well, but the South and Central Americans are always uplifting.

Lastly, even if you don’t speak the same language there are ways to communicate that bring you closer together. So rather than accepting what the media or politicians have to say about certain populations, why don’t you sit down and get to know the people they want you to hate.

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We all collect something. Some people collect baseball cards. Some collect seashells. Others collect tea cups. And if you’re rich enough, you collect cars and/or spouses. But why?

Some say it’s to connect to the past, to fill a void, to ease anxiety or for the adrenaline rush experienced during the hunt. Collecting can give us joy when done in moderation, but cause us pain when we over do it.

We sort our collections. We arrange and rearrange our collections. We display our collections. When we loose interest in our collections, we tuck them away in a box because they mean too much to us to sell or give away.

Humans have a tendency to collect inanimate objects so we feel joy. Maybe it’s time to collect the experiences of sharing a laugh, a story or a meal with fellow humans.

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There is something about the first major snowfall that brings a sense of quiet. Amongst the chaos of the city, there’s a feeling of solitude. The snow reshapes the city by covering the flaws and offering a fresh perspective.

It’s time to prepare the mind for the winter.

Let’s face it winter can break you if you let it. The long dark days. The frigid nostril-sticking-together cold that makes your bones ache. The exhaustion caused by the weight of constantly wearing every piece of clothing you own. It can all beat you down.

To get through it find moments of solitude. Setting time aside to be alone has been known to increased happiness and help reduce depression. So, when winter punches you in the throat, spend some time alone enjoying what surrounds you.

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Let’s talk about the weather shall we? I don’t know what the weather has been like where you live, but in Quebec it has been a rainy, snowy ugly chaotic mix of weather sludge.

I’ll be honest, I like to see the sun once in a while. You’d never know that based on the regions I choose to live. It’s not uncommon to go days, sometimes months, without the sun making an appearance. This will wear you down to the point of exhaustion if you let it. There are times I find the lack of sun rage inducing.

As the days without sun dragged on, I decided to go search for beauty in a rainy, snowy, gray, monochromatic world. I figured it was a better option than sitting inside and repeatedly plunging pencils into my eyes.

Well, the ugly I thought existed was nowhere to be found. I found beauty watching a single bright colored leaf cling to a branch as the rain continually beat it. I found beauty in the way snow piled onto a barren branch. I found beauty in the reflections revealed in a mud puddle.

I found beauty. You can too.

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