In the land of OZ

Au revoir Montréal, ma chère ville adoptée. Je te quitte le cœur lourd. Avec toi mes amis et ma famille adorés et des bons souvenirs…
Grateful and humbled, I leave the city I have years called home. Montreal provided me the foundations for the being that I have become. It diversity, its cultures, its festive people and inspiring artists have planted the seeds of the open-minded, travel-hungry person that is before you.

Today, I am boarding a plane taking me half way across the world to a new place which I like to call home, Australia. Leaving my family, my friends, my job and my entire foundation for the “ Unknown”. I do not take the word “Unknown” lightly. With no connection and no precedence, Australia is unknown to me. With a Working Holiday visa at hand and a faith in my professional background, I will attempt to enter into the Australian Architecture world.
My intentions have been received with encouraging remarks. Those closest were not too surprised. I have always been known amongst my friends to “rattle/ shake things up”. Most called me courageous and others say a bit crazy. Some acquaintances believed I left because jobs were hard to come by in Montreal. I like to make things clear… I have been quite blessed in Montreal with a job and co-workers which I loved. Professionally, I had the stability which many desired and I was on my way to become a registered Architect in Quebec. Relationship wise, my boyfriend and I had a condo purchased recently near the city center. We both saw our lives stabilize in the city which we loved. Security was a blessing and so were our surroundings.We were leaving it all for novelty, new findings and pushing my limits for the discovery of self.

Being a recipient of a travel scholarship to China will permit me to extend my voyage further into Asia as well. The School of Architecture at McGill has also invited me to exhibits my research and thoughts upon my return to Montreal (expected in 2013).

Blogging will allow me to document these thoughts throughout my unexpected journey.

Thus with this new entry , I begin my personal travel log of 2012 in the land of OZ and beyond
Thank you for reading,
Grace