Je suis certaine que j'suis en train de rêver

I'm having difficulty forming the right words for this entry despite the fact that the words are practically screaming in my head.  Because, holy crapéscule, I had no idea this was even possible.

I'll start from the beginning.

First of all, I have been very depressed as of late.  This was the result of a multitude of things, such as the stress of senior year and the stress in general and being forced to face my future and what awaits me after graduation.  I've struggled with depression since I was a young teenager, but it lately it got much worse.  It was hard to want to do anything, whether or not it was school-related.

So.  In facing my future, I decided that I am going to apply to four different grad schools: l'Université Laval in Québec, and McGill University, l'Université de Montréal, and Concordia University in Montréal.  Trouble is, I've only ever visited one of those four schools, and that was during the summer of 2013 when I was in Québec City for five or six weeks.  Not only that, but it is immensely difficult to find any sort of information about grad programs at these schools, mainly because the websites are huge, and it's just generally impossible to learn, well, anything.

I've always been a rather timid person, and as much as my heart might be screaming at me to do something, I don't often listen to it.  It's taken all the willpower I have over the past year-and-a-half not to just jetset off to Québec just because I could.  Yet I knew that I would be beneficial to visit these campuses.  The bonus?  I've got a week-long vacation coming up for Thanksgiving, and while Truman won't be in session, those schools will, seeing as I'm on vacation for a purely American holiday.

So hey, I've decided to go for it.  On Saturday morning I'll fly from St. Louis to Montréal with a layover in Chicago and arrive at about 4:30.  I return the following Friday in time to return to classes.

But that's not all.

One or two people among you (teehee) may know that my favorite singer in the whole wide world is Bruno Pelletier.  You might have guessed that from my most recent blog post, as well as the account I posted about seeing him in concert in August of 2013 in Lévis.  Well, he just so happens to be performing in concert on Thursday, the 27th (Thanksgiving for us Americans) in Drummondville, a town about an hour out of Montréal.  After checking bus fares (and hotel fares since the buses don't go to Montréal late enough for me return that same day), I decided to go for it.  So guess who's seeing Bruno Pelletier in concert for his Musique et cinéma?  And guess who has a seat in the front row, almost in the very center?

But wait!  That's not all!

Bruno is also a coach on the Québécois television show Un air de famille, which is similar to shows like The Voice and X-Factor, except that the contestants are all families, which the ages ranging anywhere from nine to sixty.  I've been fortunate enough to be able to watch the episodes online a day or two after they air, and at the end of every episode, the host always says something along the lines of "If you want to attend the recording of an episode of UADF, then go to this website!"  So I went to that website and, just for the hell of it, filled out a request to attend one of the tapings that just so happens to be taking place the Sunday I am in Montréal.  A few hours later, I received an email confirming my place, which has officially been reserved.  I have been told to report to Radio-Canada, which just so happens to be down the street from my hostel, at about 12pm.  So.  Not only am I going to see my favorite singer in concert, but I'll also see him on set of his show, and I might be on TV.  Sweet!

But wait!  That's not all!

I'm also (hopefully) gonna hang out with my friend, François, whom I got to see last time I was in Montréal.  WOO!

So what did I think was impossible, other than simply going to Québec again?

Happiness.  Dear God, I cannot remember the last time I was this truly happy.  I understand that I'll still have tons and tons of work to do when I get back, but a week-long break in Montréal will be absolutely incredible.  I can't stop smiling or thinking about what awaits me.  Just being in Québec will be an amazing way to breathe and to rest after an intensively awful semester (despite the cold).  As corny/dramatic as it sounds, I cannot remember the last time I was truly happy.