Tonight we had a cozy group of 5, from Iran, Afghanistan, Quebec and Ontario practicing English while walking up the Mountain. Welcome to our newest newcomer, posing here in front of the spectacular view from the top of Mount Royal, which he got to see for the first time. It sounds obvious but our conversations tonight reminded me that it is not easy to settle into a new place, even less so if you’re not exactly there by choice but instead by necessity, far from family members that are still in difficult situations, learning a new language, adapting to just about everything. I like to think that our evening language walks provide a short break from the stress of immigrating, where the newness of it all can be fun rather than just difficult, where people can be warmly welcomed even if secretly they’re chilly in the November wind. Thanks to our participants, I feel like I’m traveling around the world just by walking up the Mountain, and it’s much more interesting than turning on the evening news. Join us if you’re interested!
