My roommates and I have been going on night drives often, though I’m not exactly sure how they began. It could have been Aayush and Megh’s love and longing for driving, my own desire to learn to drive, or maybe just a need to explore more of Montreal. Whatever the reason, what started as a vague idea has become a wonderful habit—renting a car, heading out into the night, having dinner, and discovering new places. Though the reasons might be unclear, the joy of it is undeniable, and I hope it never stops.

So, here I am documenting these adventures for myself to revist and maybe for anyone else who might be curious. If you’re looking for beautiful spots to visit, these experiences might just be your guide. And even if they’re not, I want to remember each of these nights—the laughter, the long drives, and the beauty of places we never would have seen if we’d stayed home.

Beloeil

The story began one Sunday during my weekly visit to the temple. Aayush was with me that day, and we started talking about going on a drive and having dinner in a new far-away place—something we had wanted to do for a while but never found the time for. This time, though, we were both motivated and even Megh, despite his busy schedule, encouraged it. It helped that Aayush could book a car through Commune Auto (a car rental service) and was eager to drive.

We weren’t sure where to go at first, but I remembered visiting Beloeil recently for a lab retreat. It was just an hour from Montreal, and the beautiful pictures I had were enough to convince Aayush. After finishing our prayers, we hit the road. The drive was fun, and we talked about how we should do this more often. When we arrived, the lake greeted us, and we started looking for food. It was already 10, and everything was closing, but we managed to find some good pizza. We took it by the lake, eating and chatting about life. It was the perfect setting for it. My roomates started teaching me how to drive which was a bonus! The drive back was also wonderful. We decided that this will be a weekly thing and we will slowly invite guests if this continues ;)

Although not taken during our trip, this is how the place looks

Sainte-Adèle

With a memorable first trip, we were all set the next week for a new adventure. It was a Friday, and Megh insisted we go somewhere since he was eager to drive, plus he had just had his first day at the gym (dopamine boost!). Soon, a car was booked, and before we knew it, we were on our way. I hadn’t eaten anything that day, so we stopped briefly to grab some food—no one likes a grumpy Shravan on a car ride! Aayush recommended a nice lake/park about an hour from Montreal.

We reached there, unpacked our food, and started eating in the park. It was a beautiful night, with stars clearly visible. There were a few people sitting at a nearby table, and when we saw them heading to the lake (which we could only partially see), we decided to follow. It was incredible! I don’t think I can describe it in words, so here are a few pictures!

We later found out that the people there had come to see the aurora! We were thrilled—could our random trip lead us to something that amazing? Unfortunately, after waiting for a while, we didn’t get to see it. It would have been the cherry on top of an already beautiful night.

While exploring nearby areas as we waited, we noticed that every house had a light on near the entrance, each with an animal sitting there. Even the motel we went to for the washroom had only a cat at the reception desk and no human. Naturally, we came up with a theory: we had stumbled into a town where people turn into animals at night! Crazy, right? And no, we weren’t high. We’re just like this :). It was a wild hypothesis, supported by the “evidence” of an animal at every house. We discussed and debated with wild theories but eventually, we came to know that this was not the case - people can’t transform into animals :(. Still, it was a fun trip.