Today is a HOT day, 31 degrees at 1:20 pm and it feels like 38 ššš
Despite the heat, today is a very special day for me ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
On August 2, 2004, I moved here as a single mom with my kids from Toronto, my daughter was a teenager, and my son was only 6 years old.
20 years later, my feeling towards this city remains intact: it still is the most enjoyable place I have lived, while both my kids have grown up and now started their new chapter in the states.
Yesterday, in my French class and I compared the two cities from three aspects (size, cost of living and activities). I received very positive comments from the teacher about my reasoning and my command of the French language.
Looking back, here are a few remarkable happenings I feel worth mentioning:
A Master's Degree from McGill University in 2006. Pursuing studies was also the main reason I moved to this city š«š«š«
A condo I call "Home": I became a co-owner in 2007 and by the end of this year, I will pay off the mortgage ššš
Two graduations from the same university with six years apart (2014 and 2020). My daughter went on with her Master's degree in England after publishing a book. My son started working for Google after his graduation. They both left the city but have visited me from time to time šØāšš©āš
A proud Toastmasters member. I attended McGill Toastmaster's club meeting the second day after I arrived in Montreal. I tried out different office roles and I won Club President of the Year for 2008-2009. I didn't renew my membership in 2022 due to the online meeting format, otherwise, 2023 would mark a 20-year anniversary as a Toastmasters member, a journey I will always rememberš„²š„²š„²
A solid support network. I am grateful to have met many different people from different walks of life. With time, I am lucky to add a few into my support network: I made friends with people who share my interests: line dancing, playing cards, dining out, watching movies. Doing activity together with friends keep me sane and fit š¹š¹š¹
An unsuccessful marriage. The lesson learnt is I am responsible for my own happiness, and I should have taken action sooner š¤£š¤£š¤£
A few meaningful employments. I started working shortly after graduation in 2006 and have worked at different places. While I enjoyed working with most of them, what I like the most is working for the government and that journey started in April 2021 ššš
A rewarding French learning experience. The real study of French started from December 2020 and it has become a daily affair since then. I finally got my B for oral and I am still working on my French every day to make it better. I am lucky to have encountered some wonderful colleagues who are there to help and practice with me ššš
A lot of activities: visiting parks and museums, doing Tour de Ille, going dancing, watching fireworks.
Many memorable trips: from visiting relatives in the states to cruising to different places in the world. They all started here, Montreal, a great place I call home.
Thanks for being a part and making this city a GREAT place to be!
Great life journey š. The results all present your every single process for šššš¹