Now that I’m a mom, like every parent, I want nothing but the best for my daughter. I had such a wonderful childhood, youth, and adolescence in my village of St-Jovite—now called Mont-Tremblant—that it seems like nowhere on Montreal’s South Shore could ever match that for my daughter.
I’m probably wrong, and it’s surely very unhealthy to wish for my daughter to experience the same things I did.
I have so many wonderful memories—with my brother, family gatherings at my maternal grandmother’s house, day camps, the house and pool from my childhood, the after-work get-togethers with our friends for water balloon fights and eating hot dogs with chips, my friend Jess who would come over to my house in the morning to get ready—so we could gossip and do our makeup and hair.
I could go on and on—I have a very good memory. The point is, I want to be able to offer my daughter at least all of that, if not more. I wonder if my parents had the same thought when they became parents. I wonder if the modern era will derail my plans, or if I’ll manage to show her that the outdoors and nature are wonderful places to live and have fun.
No matter which city my family ends up in, I’ll do everything in my power to create wonderful family moments. Barbecues, outdoor games, picnics, outdoor excursions, visits to museums, amusement parks, water slides, movie nights at home, arts and crafts, cooking as a family—in short, everything my energy and budget will allow me to do.