By Madison Meneer

A quick re-introduction, I’m Madison and currently on exchange at the University of Ottawa in Canada. I’ve now finished my first semester and, with a short break over Christmas to recharge, I’m ready to begin my second and final semester abroad. My first semester has been all I could have hoped for and I will treasure all the incredible opportunities I have had. At the forefront of these experiences has been the travel I’ve done over the past four months.

Gaspésie Peninsula

A road trip to Gaspésie was the beginning—and also a highlight—of my travel while abroad. Also called the Gaspé Peninsula, it’s located on Canada’s east coast, about a ten-hour drive from Ottawa, and boasts stunning scenery of rugged coastlines, forests, and small seaside towns. I went on this trip with friends during the university’s reading week, or mid-semester break, back in October. This coincided with the height of autumn colours.. so the views once we arrived in Gaspésie were spectacular. I particularly enjoyed exploring the town of Gaspé, which is the birthplace of Canada, and hiking in Forillon National Park to witness the most incredible view of Cap-Bon-Ami at sunset. A special highlight was spotting two moose on the side of the road, which we would all agree was the absolute highlight of the trip!

Montréal

A weekend trip to Montréal was my next adventure, only a two hour train ride from Ottawa. We caught an early-morning train and were able to spend three full days in the city. I experienced my first snowfall in a very long time in Montréal, and although it was quite light, I was very excited about it! The weekend was spent exploring Old Montréal, which is made up of cobblestone streets and impressive buildings, as well as the rest of the city, which feels busier and much bigger than Ottawa. We hiked to a lookout on Mount Royal, visited the Biodôme (an indoor zoo), and ate lots of good food. I also tried poutine, which is a Canadian dish of fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. My personal highlight of the trip, however, was looking through the Christmas markets around the city, especially once it began snowing!

New York City

New York City was my next trip and we managed to visit in the middle of December, just in time to see the city all decorated for the Christmas season. Our five-day itinerary was packed, and there were so many highlights. I particularly enjoyed seeing the sunrise from Brooklyn Bridge, wandering through the Upper East Side and Greenwich Village, and seeing the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall!

Québec City

Before Christmas, I managed to squeeze in a solo trip to Québec City. While I had already visited the city in autumn at the end of our road trip, seeing it in December was something completely different. There was a decent snowfall prior to my arrival, the temperature reached -15°C, and, coincidentally, I was there on the winter solstice, so the sun set at 3.59pm. Nevertheless, there were four bustling Christmas markets and plenty of visitors occupying the small old town. My highlights included exploring some of the impressive churches, listening to a choir sing French Christmas carols, and eating some incredible almond croissants.

My Next Semester

I’m now only a few days out from beginning my next semester, and can’t wait to make more friends and travel plans in 2025! I’m hoping to visit Mont Tremblant for skiing, Toronto to explore the city, and maybe venture somewhere further afield too.