Our Country Home Escape in Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains
Hello Darlings,
As I type this at my writing table—once a makeshift Covid work nook—my bags are packed. After the last ten days, we’re heading back to Toronto. It’s always bittersweet, whether we’ve been here for a weekend or a month. Leaving is never easy. The place I’m writing about is our country home, nestled in the Laurentian mountains of Quebec, which we bought back in 2021. It was our saving grace during the lockdowns, where Fernando and I spent months, and over the last few years, it has become our retreat. Not just a physical escape from the city, but a mental one too.
While I’ve always lived in cities, being in the countryside feels surprisingly natural. At first, I worried that staying here for longer than a weekend might bore me. But it turns out I love the stillness, regardless of the time of day. I love the sound of the river, especially in the winter, when the ice forms and crackles. I love the rare sight of other people—maybe an occasional boat gliding by in the afternoon. I adore kayaking along the winding creeks off our river, lounging with a book in a Muskoka chair, and tending to my plants. But most surprisingly, I’ve found that this place sparks my creativity. Some of my most productive work happens here. Whenever I stay for longer periods, I don’t take time off from work; instead, the work flows effortlessly.
On the flip side of all this solitude are the moments shared with family and friends—the dinners we cook together, skiing adventures, hiking trails, and those long, blissful soaks in the hot tub. These are the memories I hold close. Maybe it’s just part of being in my mid-30s, but I find myself craving this slower, quieter pace more and more. It’s such a contrast to my 20s when Miami was my go-to escape, and girls’ trips to party spots were my idea of relaxation. And honestly, I loved that phase—it was exactly what I needed then. But now, this feels like the perfect balance.
“The decision to buy a country home in a different province came down to two things: the mountains and the investment opportunity.”
My father is from the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, so mountains have always been close to my heart. Plus, Quebec offered a wider range of real estate options that wouldn’t break the bank. Finding this particular house took months of searching and countless trips up here. But after about four months, this little red gem popped up in my search. We closed 30 days later, and three years on, we’re still making it ours.
Therma Kota Ragna Shearling Vest -
Tom Ford Wayfarer (FT0930-N model) -
Skiing in Quebec for years made having a year-round place here a natural choice. We come as often in the winter as in the summer. The distance? It’s never been an issue for us. We’re just a short flight from Toronto, or—our usual choice—a 4.5 to 5-hour drive. Sometimes, we come for a weekend; other times, we stay longer.
Would I do it all over again? Absolutely, without a doubt.
