Since my last blog post : What's happened in 3 years?

When you read a blog page about how to keep a blog page, the first tip is always "keep your posts consistent." I'll admit I haven't been consistent at all. This blog was never meant to earn readership but rather to express my thoughts in a semi-journal form. I've decided to take my blog from the backburner to the frontburner, but before I do, I want to give a quick overview of what's happened in the past 3 years. 

Maybe the most surprising thing is that I still live where I lived 3 years ago, which is surprising for me as much as it is for anyone else. I really really enjoy living in Montreal. It's a great home base, always has events going on, and is a safe space. Each new season marks a change in outdoor activities. I like that. In the past 3 years I've discovered every single cafe in Montreal within biking distance, and admittedly spent most of my savings on those coffees. (No regrets.) I've gone on bike rides, went to museums, organized outdoor barbeques, and made lots of pottery. I have a group of stable people who have made it worth staying. That, and I've stayed to study.

In 2019 I graduated from my MA in political science and decided to study law. I'm now 2 years into my law degree at McGill, and I'm psyched about having legal tools in my activist toolkit to throw a few more pebbles into the ocean of change veering in the direction of social equity. 

COVID happened, and is still happening. Doing my first year of law school online and away from my family was an enormous challenge. Since the borders were closed, I relied on my small bubble in Montreal to get me through. I can say with confidence that I've never worked so hard in school as I did during that year. The second year was better for multiple reasons, notably because the vaccines came out, the borders opened up, school returned in person, and I could take classes that genuinely interested me. I don't know about you, but I much prefer international environmental law, public international law, critical human rights, and international development law to contract and torts law, however useful the latter might be one day. 

I was lucky enough to go on some adventures. I dove into outdoor life in Quebec, complete with a 2-week road trip around the Gaspesie region (whales included), a full-day kayak trip down the Yamaska, a bike ride around Lac Brome, foliage hiking at Orford, a ski day at Sutton, a month living around Lac St. Jean eating blueberries, going to Saguenay Fjords Park, and camping on Ile d'Orleans. I went to Costa Rica to meet my partner's family, discovering my new favorite beach called "Dantita." I visited my little sister in Wyoming and was wow-ed by the Teton mountain range and Yellowstone National Park, climbing up to the incredibly blue Delta lake, seeing a bear, and going to Salt Lake City. Christmas in Cancun was a laid back family holiday filled with novels and my dad's cooking. Although perhaps less glamorous, dinners with my extended family in Laval and Quebec city were the most heartwarming weekends. Finally, the most recent adventure was a month in Ecuador, where my heart will always feel full because of the lifelong friends I've made and maintained since my first time abroad when I was 19. I'll get around to writing about each of these adventures in due time. 

Some things change, but other things stay the same. Even though my cousins had babies, my sisters moved states, and my parents retired, I know I can pick up the phone and call them all for a good chat. 

Now, I'm in Tunisia for 3 months and then I'm off to Italy for 4 months. Amazingly, both experiences are paid for with bursaries from my University because they are educational experiences. Considering I'm in school full time, I've been quite lucky to benefit from so much time exploring.
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