Wow! When you put it like that, it feels like there's not much time at all to organise to move a family to another country for 6 months. But here we are, about to do it. Hopefully, it will be easy and not stressful. Pigs will fly, but you never know!
I've been doing a lot of research on what to do in Montreal with a small child and I've found lots. Montreal seems like a wonderfully lively city with a rich cultural life all year round. Just a quick search of festivals in Montreal finds they are plentiful and constant despite the temperatures in winter being well below zero. And with all that beautiful Canadian nature jut begging to be explored, I think we're going to have our hands full fitting everything in in 6 months.
Enough of thinking about when we're there, we're not there yet! The thing I'm stuck on now is what I'm going to be doing while the husband is at work and the 4-year-old is at pre-school. I thought about working and yes, I've already nominated myself as family holiday coordinator. I'm an ESL teacher so I could theoretically find work in any big city around the world (and even some smaller places like Dijon in France where I fell into this profession). But work permits aren't necessarily an easy thing to come by. There's also the issue of not actually knowing what visa we can all get yet either. So, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that I won't be working for money in Montreal.
My thoughts have turned to maybe doing some online study or distance learning through a uni here in Australia. I figure if I'm studying, reading and writing essays etc, I'm doing something other than moping around the house or sitting in a cafe feeling guilty about the one coffee I've ordered. Having not been a student for more than 15 years, the thought is pretty daunting but what better time to give it a go?
Whatever happens, it's going to be one hell of a life experience living in Montreal and I can't wait!
I've been doing a lot of research on what to do in Montreal with a small child and I've found lots. Montreal seems like a wonderfully lively city with a rich cultural life all year round. Just a quick search of festivals in Montreal finds they are plentiful and constant despite the temperatures in winter being well below zero. And with all that beautiful Canadian nature jut begging to be explored, I think we're going to have our hands full fitting everything in in 6 months.
Enough of thinking about when we're there, we're not there yet! The thing I'm stuck on now is what I'm going to be doing while the husband is at work and the 4-year-old is at pre-school. I thought about working and yes, I've already nominated myself as family holiday coordinator. I'm an ESL teacher so I could theoretically find work in any big city around the world (and even some smaller places like Dijon in France where I fell into this profession). But work permits aren't necessarily an easy thing to come by. There's also the issue of not actually knowing what visa we can all get yet either. So, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that I won't be working for money in Montreal.
My thoughts have turned to maybe doing some online study or distance learning through a uni here in Australia. I figure if I'm studying, reading and writing essays etc, I'm doing something other than moping around the house or sitting in a cafe feeling guilty about the one coffee I've ordered. Having not been a student for more than 15 years, the thought is pretty daunting but what better time to give it a go?
Whatever happens, it's going to be one hell of a life experience living in Montreal and I can't wait!