Like Jonah inside the whale, I am writing to you from inside the belly of a Greyhound.

Okay scratch that- I was writing to you from the belly of a Greyhound travelling from Montreal to Ottawa, but then we made that dreaded stop in Kirkland and the bus filled up. Between my backpack and my new seat-mate with her overly large coat, there was no room for my blogging adventures. I am now writing to you instead from my destination, the (clogged artery-)heart of BeaverTail country, Ottawa.

This photo is one of those very few featured on here not taken by me. The photographer is the wonderful Mr. Ongo, who took this fantastic shot of Montréal’s Quartier des Spectacles. This particular interactive exhibit from Fall 2011, featured eighteen 10,000-watt searchlights. Around the edge of the square were six levers that each controlled the direction of three lights. When you got those lights to all cross- when you found the « Intersection articulée » as the piece was called, they would flash. It was surprisingly tricky, especially as you had to figure out which other spotlights you controlled from the tops of buildings and keep track of them hundreds of feet up in the tangled glow of the other sweeping beams of light.

I’m always pleased to find that whenever I come back from taking a leave from Montreal, I immediately get back into the swing of things. From day one I was enjoying fancy dinners in Old Port, having late-night cravings of smoked-meat-poutine and jaywalking with the best of them. It’s also a city I really enjoy walking around in, do you know I lived there for five years and never bought a bus/metro pass? When I walk past old French architecture, endless amounts of construction, large art installations and random sinkholes in the middle of the street, I like to listen to the type of alt rock the city has become known for (a la Arcade Fire, Sam Roberts, Stars, The Stills and Malajube.)

Imagine Dragons is not from Montreal, but you’ll be able to get the vibe I go for as I speed walk by the lights and skyscrapers of downtown Montréal.

Oh and yes, for those of you who noticed, I did just read Mindy Kaling’s book.

“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons