This Long Winter Weekend, 6 students and two faculty members traveled to Canada to connect to the stories of First Nations through their history, spirituality, and present lives. Please enjoy this next blog post below from Kwasi ’26, as he describes his experience on the first day of the program traveling from Deerfield to Montreal.
When traveling, delays are always expected. However, it’s usually their length that can throw the whole trip sideways. After forgetting my passport once in the van and again after coming out of my dorm to grab it, our small group finally set off for Montréal around half past two.
An hour-long wait at Starbucks became another unexpected pause. What should have been a quick stop turned into a test of patience, but it also forced us to slow down and accept that delays were simply part of the experience. Back on the road, the pace stayed slow. We stopped at two different gas stations along the way, including one memorable stop at a place called The Barn in Vermont. Each stop added time, but also gave us a chance to stretch, reset, and enjoy the journey instead of rushing through it. For most of the drive, I ended up sleeping, letting the miles pass by while the conversations around me changed each time I woke up.
By the time we arrived at the hotel, exhaustion had replaced frustration. Dinner at Quesada felt well-earned, not because it was fancy, but because we had finally arrived together. Sitting down, eating, and replaying the day’s delays made it clear that none of them had ruined the trip. If anything, they had given us stories to tell. As the night continued, I found myself speaking more French with the locals. Being in a city where French is such an important part of everyday life made me more aware of the culture around me. Trying to communicate in another language reminded me that travel is about connection, not just destination.
Tomorrow, we’re heading out to the Kahnawake Survival School and a visitor’s center, and I can’t wait to see what awaits us, not just in terms of delays, but in new experiences to share with the community.
