Jetset Linguist

I know I haven't been super great about keeping this blog updated recently - you can (and probably should) blame the business of the first semester for wiping out all my energy. So this is my attempt to fill in some gaps and bring you up-to-date on my life in Montreal. Q: How's Canada? Good! It took a while to settle in, but Montreal is a pretty cool place to live. I still haven't been able to explore as much as I'd like, but there's plenty of time to make my way around. I have had poutine and bagels and plenty of Tim Horton's, so that's pretty much all you need. View of downtown from Mont Royal Q: How's school? Busy, but good. I had three classes this semester, and I'm happy to report that I survived stats, but I am very ready to put that experience behind me. I've also started two research projects. One is looking at how often and when parents mix French and English together when talking to their kids. The other is trying to figur...

Well, folks, it's almost there. There is one (1) week left before the big move. I am so incredibly excited for this next stage in my life, but I have to actually get there first. For that, I have to give a giant pre-shout-out to my mom for driving, packing, unpacking, and just generally helping me get settled in to my new apartment. We'll be leaving Pennsylvania bright and early next week, since I have to turn in my apartment keys by 8am, and drive up to the border. The next day, with fingers crossed for an easy customs stop, we'll drive to Montreal, unload all the stuff I already own, wait for the Ikea furniture I ordered to be delivered, and see how much of it we can assemble before we start to pull our hair out.  The trip won't be all business though. The day after all the moving, we get to explore my new home! I'm not quite sure what all we'll be doing/seeing (if you have any suggestions or recommendations, let me know!), but playing tourist is alway...

If you know me even a little bit, you probably know how terrible I am at making decisions. Honestly, I'm truly terrible at it, so you can imagine how difficult it's been for me to work through a decision that's going to (minimally) impact the next 3-4 years of my life: where to go to grad school. Now, part of the decision was made for me by admissions committees that decided to pass on my applications. A bit disappointing, of course, but at least this eliminated the choice of where I'd want to live. At the end of the entire process, I was left with offers from 2 universities, both in Montreal, Canada. Both schools have pro's and con's (and yes, I made a list), but in the end I had to listen to: what people said about the importance of the relationship with my future supervisor,  some incredibly quotable advice happiness and life,  and ultimately my gut. All that being said, I'm happy to share that come September, I will be attending Concordi...