Today was the final day of our trip :(
1). Leaving the hotel
Like the previous days, breakfast was at our own leisure. We had to finish eating, packing, and return to our hotel room before 8.40am. Then each of our chaperones checked our hotel rooms for any missing items before we left for the coach bus.
2). Duty Free Canada
After around a 40 minute bus ride to the US-Canadian border, we stopped by the Duty Free Canada shop to purchase some last-minute souvenirs and snacks for the trip home.
3). The Wait
After leaving Duty Free, we were expecting to leave Canada as quickly as we entered. However, we ended up waiting for close to 4 hours before we were allowed to cross the border :')
4). Lunch
We were originally supposed to stop by Crossgate Mall in Albany, NY for lunch (where we ate lunch on our way to Montreal), but because we only left border security by 2ish pm, we had to make a closer stop. We went to a small junction that had 5 Guys, Chick-Fil-A, and Panera Bread in Plattsburgh, NY. Most people either fled to Chick-Fil-A or Panera Bread.
5). Bus Ride + Survey Results
After a 40 minute lunch break, we hit the road at 3.15pm. We drove through the beautiful scenery of upstate NY (ignore my reflection :P)
During the bus-ride, a survey was sent out asking students what their favorite parts of the Montreal trip were (thank you to those who filled out the form!!)
The student-favorite dinner was ....
Time Out Market! Many people enjoyed not only the large variety of food options , but the Market's atmosphere and the efficiency of the staff preparing the food. BEVO was also another favorite: food was good and the staff were also very efficient.
Favorite non-dinner activities varied a lot: 59% of respondees enjoyed the private double-decker bus tour. We truly were able to immerse ourselves in the city of Montreal, and our tour guide was also very knowledge and funny.
While this wasn't explicitly mentioned in any of the posts, we were given around 1-1.5 hours of free time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to explore Old Montreal with our friends, which many people also reported to be one of their favorite activities.
That's a wrap on survey results. We arrived at BCA by 8pm.
Overall, the trip was wonderful; not only did we learn more about AI in professional and academic settings, but we made unforgettable memories with old and new friends that we will cherish for a lifetime.
Special thank you to our chaperones Mr. Kaser, Mr. Tronicke, Dr. Smith and Ms. Wang for organizing and leading our trip! Their unwavering positive attitude and dedication made this trip a wonderful experience for everyone :)
Isha and Jeannelle (and Kim) signing off 🫡