If you weren’t following me on Instagram you wouldn’t know it, but my family and I took a t big trip to Europe this summer to visit family. It was incredible! There are so many nuggets of knowledge, insight, and just plain awesome that can come out a trip away with your kids. And taking them to Europe to experience things outside of our routine was refreshing. They had so much fun. Of course there were times when they got too tired, and missed home, but all in all it was wonderful. And, of course they had a hard time leaving.
Aside from everything I would like to share with you on my trip with my children abroad, I thought I would start with this: I am so lucky to raise my children in Montreal, Canada. Maybe you’re surprised when I say this. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with Europe and where we were staying with family, it is beautiful, clean, family-friendly and educational.
Here’s what I love about living in Montreal with my kids:
Space– In Montreal, we have a backyard. With grass, and a pool, and room to play soccer with the kids. We know how lucky we are, but going on a trip away brings it home even more. As beautiful as Europe is, unless you are out in some villa on farmland, you won’t have a huge space of land because there isn’t any. If you want to be close to a major city, you won’t have space to move much.
Culture – Everyone that visits Montreal loves the mix of cultures all jumbled up in this great city. I’ve visited lots of cities and there is just no place like Montreal when it comes to festivals, good food, and full on experiences from all different cultures. For that, it’s a smorgasbord for the kids. We can go visit a cultural festival, eat authentic Chinese food, and see an incredible performance all in one day.
Cost – when we were in Europe, I thought I would check out some shops for back to school shopping. I figured I could get the kids some new and totally different pencil cases as a special treat for school. And then I saw the prices. $28 for a pencil case. $28. Don’t even get me started on the backpacks. The basics that kids need to start school cost a lot to begin with. Having to get everything in Europe would be…expensive. Montreal has a slew of possibilities for back-to-school shopping, and it won’t break the bank.
New Mama Costs – You know how when you are a new mama and you want to rush to the store and get a whole bunch of things for your baby? Yeah, well that is a nice thought if you live in Europe, and only a thought. The things we can get readily at the store for very little are costly in Europe. Every time I go to visit family and friends, I always bring them baby clothes from Canada. Here you can get three onesies for the price of…half a onesie over there! And the essentials like cotton wipes, blankets, and sleepers are all things that I like to gift as well. One of the greatest joys I have is to go shopping for my little nieces and nephew. Getting them good quality, cotton baby clothing from Canada is not hard to do (and not hard on the wallet either).
Yep, Montreal has so much to offer, especially for children. I’m really grateful to be living in Montreal. What about you? Are you a Montrealer? Have you visited this great city? You should! I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Disclosure: I was compensated for the Target links in this post. However all opinions, as always are my own.