And then I cheated.

Okay, I didn't really cheat, but hear me out.

I bought the domain for this blog, designed a logo, customized the template, spent hours trying to figure out why the little "pencil" icon that allows you to edit a blog post straight from the blog doesn't appear like it does on my other blog, spent several more hours writing the blog posts that I published two days in a row, spent several more hours writing a still-unpublished post...and then I just stopped.

The question, is why? It's not because I decided not to move to Canada. It's not even because I stopped wanting to blog. You see, Immigration Québec offers an evaluation for determining your chances of being selected by Québec. As I briefly mentioned previously (and explained in detail in the post that I never published--I'll do that soon), Québec has a different immigration process than the rest of Canada. Prior to applying to Canada, you must be selected by Québec for admission to their province. This evaluation, though not an official decision, helps determine your chances of being selected. I had taken the evaluation before but decided to take it again and to be more careful this time. After taking the evaluation this time, I was greeted with a lovely message that amounted to "Please don't waste our time, or yours, by applying for selection because you will most likely not be selected."

Damn. (Not quite strong enough for my true thoughts, but my mother will likely read this and I'd rather spare myself the berating.)

The likely reason that this was the outcome of the evaluation is my lack of work experience. Don't get me wrong, I've been working since I was fourteen (I just turned 26 on the 11th), but my work experience does not relate to my degree in French. Speaking French helps with admission to Québec, but that alone does not guarantee entry. If I'd been working as a translator or a teacher, then my chances would be increased, but, as it stands, I have to enter "0" when answering the question that asks how long I've been working in "my field."

So what now? Well, I didn't give up. I decided to research my options. What are other options for immigration? What kind of people are accepted? I found various accounts, but one in particular stood out to me. See, it appears that most people who obtain a post-secondary degree from an accredited university in Québec are granted the certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) needed to apply to the Canadian government for Permanent Resident status. In fact, there is an expedited process for people in this position.

Over the years, most people assumed that I was going to use my French to degree to teach high school and I quickly put those thoughts to rest. That said, that didn't mean that I didn't want to teach at all; I just didn't want to teach high school (I hated it the first time and don't particularly want to spend the rest of my life there). The other option is teaching at the post-secondary level and this is something I have considered off and on for years. This was a possibility that I did relate to some people; so what was holding me back? After spending six years to obtain my Bachelor's degree, I really needed a break before I considered going back to school for a Master's degree. Well, it's now been a little more than a year since I graduated.

See? Things sort of fell into place in my head when I read about increased chances for graduates of Québec universities. So, I started my search for schools and programs. Ultimately I decided to apply to Université Laval in Québec City for a Master's in Linguistics, specializing in teaching languages.  On Halloween I received my letter of acceptance.

Let the chaos ensue! The student immigration process is like a junior version of the Permanent Resident process. I need a Study Permit from Canada, but before I can get that I need the student version of the CSQ, a certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ). I am now in the process of trying to obtain a CAQ. I'm still waiting on one document from the university before I can submit my application. Once Immigration et Communautés Culturelle Québec has received my completed application, processing takes 4 weeks.

Did I mention I'm supposed to start at Univeristé Laval in January?

In the words of my best friend, "Aye yai yai!"