August Chalet Plans...or Not

Last December, a friend asked if I could be her roommate for a chalet trip this August. It would require taking two weekdays off. After approval from my boss, I said yes 👌👌👌

The plan? Three cozy nights in a gorgeous chalet near Mont-Tremblant, surrounded by nature, tranquility, and the promise of slow mornings and feast evenings 😇😇😇

There would be ten of us, with a few who are excellent cooks 😋😋😋

Sounds amazing, isn't it? ❣️❣️❣️

The reality? The trip got cancelled last minute — well, I should say, we decided not to go as planned. The chalet’s AC had broken down, and with Montreal already boiling at over 30°C for days, the idea of driving two hours to “escape the heat” only to experience more heat didn’t sound appealing 😒😒😒

Since I suddenly had a long free weekend, I made the most of it ☺️☺️☺️

Here is the recap of my four day vacation👌👌👌

Thursday

It started with the exterminator’s visit to treat for cockroaches. Since I wasn’t allowed to stay inside during the treatment, I hopped on a bixi, rode to the doctor’s office, and picked up my prescription 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️

Before leaving home, my luggage was already packed and waiting by the entrance. I was all set to grab it and head to the metro for our 2 p.m. pickup to the chalet 🫡🫡🫡

That’s when the news came — our trip was cancelled... by the majority of us. I was glad to hear that two men stepped in to take charge and invited everyone to dinner at their respective homes for both Thursday and Friday😋😋😋

In the lovely home located in Saint Laurent, our talented host cooked more than 10 delicious dishes for us, each one followed by lively conversation. After the feast, we took a pleasant walk through the neighborhood under the big reddish moon 🌑🌑🌑

I had planned to stay at a friend’s place that night, but instead I returned home in the middle of the night. With help from my neighbor, I moved my fridge back into place. I didn’t expect the evening to end with calls for help about the water system… and the alarm system that goes with it. It was way past midnight before I could finally call it a day 😫😫😫

Friday

I started my day by moving the furniture back to where it belonged, washing dishes, and doing laundry. It was a lot of work, but little by little, I could see everything returning to the way it should be — and that felt good 😊😊😊

We had dinner on the South Shore. The generous host also cooked most than 10 delicious dishes and we chatted animatedly. I didn't forget to have a few photos taken at their lovely backyard. We lingered over drinks and satisfied when we headed home ☺️☺️☺️

I got a ride home and continued my cleaning project 🧹🧹🧹

Saturday

I started my call for 闲人 on Friday to play cards next day, 6 people signed up ♠️♥️♦️♠️

On my way to play cards, I walked through the Gay Village and stumbled right into the middle of a lively celebration. Music, colors, and smiling faces filled the street — an unexpected burst of joy before my game time🌈🌈🌈

We played at a friend's lovely home in Old Montreal. The view is stunning. We ordered food in and played late into the night - laughing, competing, and soaking in the relaxed rhythm of the weekend. The host told us later that we left half an hour too early: we missed a fabulous fireworks that can be viewed through the window of her living room 🎇🎆🎇

Sunday

As an early bird, I managed to convince a friend to join the club. We arrived right when it opened at 9 am and strolled the Botanical Garden till almost 11, before the crowds rushed in and the sun shined through 🥵🥵🥵 It was a refreshing walk and talk. Thank you Nadia!

On the way home, I grabbed Poulet Rouge for lunch and enjoyed every bite. After lunch, I embraced the heat and went for a refreshing dip — to my surprise, the pool was blissfully quiet, with only a dozen people there 👙👙👙

After an enjoyable swim, I took a relaxing long nap in my La-Z-Boy despite the warm air in my bedroom, since the AC only cools the living room 😴😴😴

A little highlight:

• The rent was refunded and we spent less than half on meals and rides ✅✅✅

• New snapshots have been added to Summer in Montreal album on Facebook 🖼️🖼️🖼️

• More🪳🪳🪳have been eliminated/trapped so the treatment are working

• Sparkling clean apartment 🧼🧼🧼

• Short but sweet text exchanges 💬💬💬 with someone special 😘😘😘

  
  

Reflections:

Plans change. Sometimes drastically. But even without the mountain views and chalet vibes, the weekend was still full of small joys - walks, meals, laughter, swim, and quiet moments. It reminds me that sometimes the unplanned weekends turn out just as memorable and best of all, they can be made right at home 🏠🏠🏠