Big Announcement! – Goodbye Sydney, Hello New Life!
October 17, 2015 38 Comments
I’ve been waiting for so long to share this with you guys, and I am so excited to finally be able to spill the beans! I’ve been thinking about what I would say for weeks, heck even months…. So, here’s the deal: my hubby Solal and I are leaving Sydney in three weeks and we are moving to Montreal, Canada! Three weeks, or exactly 23 days. Basically tomorrow! I just can’t really believe it myself. We just got the visas on Friday and the same night, we were booking the plane tickets. So I guess yeah, we are really doing it! But what exactly is it that we’re going do, you ask?
Well, I’m going back to school! I’ve been accepted to McGill University in Montreal for a marketing program. For those who don’t know my story, I went to Law School in France (oui oui, I’m French!) so going to a North American college is a big deal! American universities are very different from the French ones and in my opinion, much more exciting. Universities in France are funded by the state so they have limited ressources and there’s basically no campus life, at least in Paris. My college, La Sorbonne, actually doesn’t have a campus at all. They have different buildings spread across Paris so you basically go to your classes and come back home, usually to your parents. I know this must sound odd to most of you and I’m sure you understand my excitement! That being said, I won’t be living on campus and my classes are mostly at night so I won’t have the full experience, but still! McGill has a very good reputation so I can’t wait to start learning!
Solal will keep working for the same company but remotely! We are so grateful for this opportunity because it takes a lot of the stress out and will make the whole move a lot easier. I’ve already sent Solal to work with homemade treats, but I’m thinking they deserve even more!
What it means for the blog
As you’d imagine, the coming weeks are going to be hectic! We are basically starting from scratch again, with just a few suitcases, just like we did when we moved to Sydney three years ago (you can read the story here). The only -major- difference is that we don’t live with our parents anymore and we need to sell/donate/throw away every single thing in our apartment, minus 3 suitcases. It’s crazy how much you can accumulate in three years! Moving house is a big thing, but moving overseas is just…huge, especially when you’re not moving from your home country in the first place. I’ll do my best to keep the blog active for the next three weeks but you’ll probably see a little bit less of me.
Things are going to be different in November though. I’ve worked extra hard these past weeks to plan for the whole month because we will be travelling in Canada and the US (can’t wait!!). I’ll have new recipes ready to share with you for every single week 🙂
I feel like I’ve kept you long enough for today so I’ll stop, but just for now. I have so many more things to tell you about this new adventure of ours, so stay tuned, more coming up! I’m really excited to share this journey with you!
Love,
Marie
P.S. Follow me on Instagram (@notenoughcinnamon) and Snapchat (username: NECinnamon) for more updates on our move and behind-the-scenes fun!
Follow up posts:
– 10 things I’m looking forward to in Montreal and Canada
– A journey through Canada and the US – Our travel itinerary
– + every time I post a new recipe I share a story in the article!
I’m SO excited for you! I went back to school later and life and got my degree in Mass Communication. It was the best experience, ever! I know you’ll love every moment. Congrats, and best wishes on your move and new adventure ~Di
Thank you so much! I’m a bit scared but very, very excited at the same time 🙂
Best wishes!
If you have any questions in Montreal, I am happy to guide you. I am a born Montrealer now living in Ottawa.
Don’t hesitate!
I look forward to following your adventures.
Stephanie xo
Thanks a lot Stephanie! I was dying to tell you that I too would be celebrating Canadian thanksgiving next year when you posted your pictures the other day, but I couldn’t just yet!!
Ha! Really any questions about neighbourhoods, metro system, shops, anything! Just ask 🙂
Thank you!! Will get in touch soon 😉
Good luck on your move. It can be quite daunting. We moved from Rhodesia, my birthplace to South Africa, and after 32 happy years we then moved to Madeira 7 years ago where we now live.
Canada will be great. My two grand-daughters live there. One in Toronto and one just outside Calgary.
All the best for a happy, safe move.
Kindest regards,
Ken
Wow these are quite big moves too! Thanks a lot for your kind words and support Ken!
Wow! I’m impressed that you are going to McGill – it’s a school that has had a good reputation for a long time. You are a very adventurous person, moving to yet another foreign country. I’ve made two major moves to different areas of the US, but can’t imagine changing countries (although with our political situation here, I’ve been thinking about it…) I hope everything goes smoothly for you in the move. And don’t worry about the blog – I’m sure we’ll all still be here, looking for your next post.
Thank you Susan! I’m really looking forward to starting McGill in January! It’s funny because I don’t really see myself as an adventurous person, it just feels pretty natural to keep moving and seek new opportunities. And I’m doing it with my husband, which makes a lot of difference! 🙂
Aaaah congratulations!! So very excited for you!!! Such a huge life change! My cousins live in Montreal and my cousin actually graduated from a marketing degree at McGill a few years ago. We go up and visit all the time and it’s a great city! Will probably feel great for you to be speaking French again — though I wonder what you will think of the accent! You’ll have to try the famous national poutine and bloody caesars (best drink ever)!
Very excited for you : )) Good luck with packing, the move and setting settled! Hope you;re packing some warm clothes : )
Thank you girl!! I LOVE their accent, but I’ll definitely need to get used to it. It’s really weird for us because they speak French, but at the same time…it’s not really the same langage! The phrasing is very different. It’s like they speak English literally translated in French. Plus they have their own expressions and words. It’s fascinating 🙂 My classes will be in English so I’ll be in a bilingual environment and I really like that.
I’m so intrigued by the poutine! I’m usually a crispy-fries girl but I’ll definitely try it! It’s too iconic to pass it 😉 And what’s a bloody caesar? Never heard of it but I love the name.
We are definitely packing some warm clothes but we’ll need to buy some coats as soon as we arrive! It’s already snowing, can you believe it?!
Awesome!! Come visit us in Manitoba some time, we would love to host a visit for you here…..ever been camping??? You are welcome any time, would love yo meet you in person. 🙂
Aww that’s so adorable of you, thank you!! Would love to go camping, I’ve read that the landscapes in Manitoba are amazing. I remember last year when you sent me pictures of the snow going as high as your shoulders. I was super impressed! Now I’ll see that in person!
Montreal does not get as much snow as the prairies do, however they are not as equipt to deal with it when they do get it so it tends to make the city come to a standstill when it comes. Milder weather there as well. ( at least 10 degrees warmer than here in the winter ) When my son lived there he was amused when people complained about how much snow they got and couldn’t believe how it shut things down,he said you should see the prairies! P.S. My offer is very sincere and I hope you take me up on it!
Midler, you mean -20C instead of -30C? hahaha. It’s funny because Paris is paralysed too when it snows but I’m sure Montreal is doing much better 🙂 Thanks again for your offer, I’ll definitely consider it when we travel around Canada! 🙂
Congratulations! Montreal is a beautiful city. I look forward to hearing about your new North American adventures!
Thank you! I’ve heard so many good things about Montreal, I can’t wait to be there 🙂
What a fabulous opportunity Marie! Good luck and hope everything goes smoothly.
Thank you!!
I’m so excited for you! and I’m so glad I signed on just at this time! Looking forward so much to your posts. Bon Voyage! (I know, I know, that’s for water but hey, it works here too! and Welcome to North America! (here in Michigan)
Merci!! 😉 We’ll practically be neighbors!
Congratulations on your new adventure! I recently moved from Sacramento, California, USA to Chicago, Illinois, USA. I sold my house, my car and had to majorly downsize my belongings…so I can understand what you are going through. It’s hectic, scary, but oh so exciting!! Good luck to you both!
Exactly, it’s scary and exciting at the same time!! Thanks a lot Kimberly 🙂
Congratulations and best of luck.
Thank you Janet!
I am sure Australia has gained much from your presence here. May your future in Canada be long and happy and you will come back and visit us again.
Aww thank you! I will miss Australia a lot, it’s really been three amazing years for me. I’m completely in love with Sydney and we’ll definitely come back 🙂
Best of luck to you both. Very exciting!
Thank you Cathy!
Great! You picked a beautiful city/country! Happy to have you on the same continent. Safe travels!
Thank you Kate! I’m really looking forward to it 🙂
I don’t really know you, but I love just love you’re blog and all the delicious recipes you share with us so I just want to wish you the best of luck in your move to Canada.
I’m from Brazil but I live in the US now (my husband is from here) so I understand a bit about all the excitement that comes with moving to a different country haha.
Anyways, good luck with everything!
Big hug 🙂
Thanks Barbara, that’s very sweet of you! 🙂 Coming to the US from Brazil must be a big change too!
Gongratulations Marie and good luck
have a safe move,I wish you the best
In everything,be happy!❤️?
Aww thank you so much!!
Hope you have safe and quick travel here to North America! I can only imagine your courage to move so far away and to go back to school. At least you won’t have to do it all alone! Praying for you both!
Amber
Thank you so much Amber! You’re right, doing it with Solal makes all the difference! 🙂