I moved from Massachusetts to Montreal and experienced Culture Shock

I started going to Montreal to visit him regularly. Now we live here together and I love it.

Montreal reminded me a lot of Boston

I lived in Boston for three years and loved how Montreal felt so similar.

The drive is about five hours each way, so I usually spent two weeks here at a time. During the pandemic, I had to quarantine every time I crossed the border, so I started spending more time here.

When it came time to move in together, I knew I wanted to move to Montreal. My husband is close to family that lives a few miles away. Since I visit often, I also started making friends here.

We got married and I applied for permanent residence

We got married in July 2020, but marrying a Canadian does not automatically grant Canadian permanent residence (PR). It took me about 17 months to get PR. I traveled back and forth until I got my documents in August 2022.

The process in Quebec is more complicated than in other provinces. I used an immigration attorney to make sure everything was done right. The fees were about $3,000, but it was worth every penny. Other costs, including my biometrics and physical, were about $1,500.

I'm a pet sitter, so after I got my PR, I started pet boarding and dog walking here. I use Rover, Pawshake, Pawsome Concierge and local Facebook groups to find pet sitters.

Quebec is different from the rest of North America

The culture shock was more than I expected. Many people in Quebec do not speak English at all, only French. Many languages ​​are spoken in Montreal, but if you leave the city, you'll have no luck with English. It still amazes me.

While I was still driving back and forth, I listened to a lot of news radio in French to help me learn the language.

Immigrants have access to a paid program to take French courses 30 hours a week, which I signed up for. Now I can interview potential pet sitting clients in French, and my husband and I speak French at home.

I'm much more confident now, and sometimes when I think of something to say in English, French comes up first.

I love fashion and food

Courtesy of Melissa Rebelo-Sauvé

People watching in Montreal is always fun. Even in winter people are well dressed. Locals welcome the cold with their clothes and winter sports games and festivals.

And then there's the food – it's so good I walk miles every day to justify eating more. Bakeries are plentiful and wonderful. I had never had a croissant before coming here; now they are my default food. I'm vegetarian and there are lots of great vegetarian options.

Accommodation here is very affordable

Although Montreal is undergoing gentrification, real estate prices are more reasonable than in Massachusetts. We monitor the market for a place to rent and buy an apartment.

In Springfield, Massachusetts, where I used to live, a 2 bedroom apartment costs about $1,500 a month. A similar property here is several hundred dollars less.

Food prices are very similar, and health care is much more affordable.

I love my new life here, but there are things I miss about home

Thanksgiving here is in early October. It looks like a stereotypical American holiday in the rest of Canada, but in Quebec it's an extra day off.

Seeing all my family and friends' Thanksgiving photos on Facebook always gives me FOMO. Although I'll try to recreate it here, it just isn't.

I go back to the US every six weeks. My best friend is like a sister to me, and I miss her, her children, and other important people in my life.

I miss Thomas's English muffins, Frank Pepe's pizza in Connecticut, and good Mexican food. I miss some of the furniture my grandparents left behind. I miss being so close to the ocean.

But really, I love this place. When I cross the Champlain Bridge into Montreal after a trip to the US, I feel like I'm back where I'm supposed to be.