2011 in review

Today is the last day of 2011, and what a year it's been! 2011 was one of those deciding years in my life. It was a "make it or break it" year that brought some much needed change. For those of you new to the blog, and for my long-time readers as well, I've put together a list of the important events in my little life from the past year. And like last year's NYE post, I've included links to my favourite posts from each month in 2011 and a little recap of what went on.

Happy New Year / Bonne Année to all my friends & family! I wish you all the best in 2012!

January 2011 - This month was a tough one. We were still living in Paris, and I had just gotten back from spending Christmas in Canada with my family. I was hit by a huge wave of homesickness and depression upon my return to France and couldn't shake it for weeks. I told Max that something needed to change or I was going to leave and go back to Canada. I hated living in Paris, I hated my job, and I wanted out. Max came home one day that month and told me he had 2 new job possibilities - join the French riot police (CRS) or try out for a détachement in the Gendarmerie. In the end, he was offered both positions, but chose the Gendarmerie so we could move out of Paris. His hard work and success is what saved me, and our marriage.

Coming back to France is always tough... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/neither-here-nor-there.html

But so is making important decisions... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/decisions-decisions.html

February 2011 - I hit 500 posts (!) in February and reflected on how my life (and blog) had evolved since starting this French adventure back in 2005. Max began all the tests/interviews required for both job possibilities (riot police and Gendarmerie), and so much of the month was spent waiting for results and encouraging him on. He ended up with some pretty serious cracked ribs after the riot police physical tests, and later turned down their offer because it would have meant staying in Ile-de-France and him being away from home even more than he already was. It seems I posted a lot of photos in February - I guess I didn't have much to say!

My post on 500 posts! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/02/500th-post.html

March 2011 - This month was a turning point in my life in that we found out Max had been offered a job with the Gendarmerie in the Rhone-Alpes region in France. I was moving to the Alps!! I had just months left to work in my soul-sucking teaching job, and by the end of summer, I'd be in my new apartment in Isère, happily unemployed and surrounded by mountains. Suddenly life became a lot better and I found a new optimism about living in France that I've managed to hang onto since.

The post that turned my life around... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/03/im-moving.html

April 2011 - April was all about celebrating and telling anyone and everyone (including my students) that I was moving! The good news about Max's transfer coincided with our trip to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and I remember spending an AMAZING week with my husband in a gorgeous hotel on a beautiful beach. I got a smartphone (finally!) and wondered how I ever lived without. Max started getting ready to leave for 3 months to go to Gendarmerie training 300km away in the centre of France. I struggled with trying to find the motivation to keep teaching until the end of July because my head and heart were elsewhere.

Fotos from beautiful Fuerteventura! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/04/fuerteventura-fotos-landscapes-edition.html

Mixed emotions about the upcoming move and Max leaving me for 3 months... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/04/sometimes-clouds-roll-in.html

May 2011 - I turned 29 (!) and made a video post about it. Max was off at training and I fell into a routine of working and running the house by myself. The highlight of May was having my good friend Rebecca come visit me from Canada. She kept me company and we got to visit Brussels and Paris together. Max came home that weekend for a visit, and he drove me and Rebecca to Giverny to visit Monet's house and gardens. I loved having her at my house and we certainly have a lot of fun memories from that visit!

Photo post about Brussels... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-in-brussels.html


June 2011 - Thanks to my new smartphone, I started taking a lot more photos and posting them up on Facebook or my blog. The built in camera is actually pretty good, and it made emailing and uploading the pics a breeze! Thus June's theme seemed to be "fone fotos". I suddenly became one of those people. Max was in the middle of his 3-month training in Auvergne, so I was alone most of the time. All the alone time made me pensive about my future, as chronicled in this post: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/moving-on.html

A recipe post about my homemade guacamole which is still a favourite of mine and Max... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/guac-goodness.html

July 2011 - I was counting down the days until my very last day of teaching. I was also busy preparing the move and getting everything in order. July's theme seemed to be relief at getting out of Paris and my teaching job, and apprehension at what lay ahead. Max and I celebrated 5 years of marriage, and I posted photos from my wedding for the first time on either my blog or Facebook: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-5th-wedding-anniversary-to-me.html


And speaking of photos, I posted pics of the Gendarmerie caserne we would be moving to. I was so excited back then to discover my new digs, and now I honestly feel like I've been here forever! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/07/fotos-of-our-new-place.html

August 2011 - This was a crazy month of moving, a trip home to Canada, and getting settled in the Alps. I was done my job by the time I went to visit my parents, so coming back to France wasn't as hard that time. When I got back, Max and I spent a full week packing up our apartment in Chatou, and then moved to the Alps over the course of 2 days with a moving company. I remember waking up that first morning in the caserne and looking outside my window to find a breathtaking view of the mountains. I couldn't, and I still can't, believe I live here.

Photos of my new (ghetto fabulous) apartment in the Alps and some details on my new life... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/08/pics-of-new-place.html

September 2011 - This month was all about getting used to our new life. Max had a lot to learn because while the Gendarmerie and the Police Nationale have a lot in common, there are also many fundamental differences. I decided to not look for a job right away and instead stay home to unpack and help Pinch with the transition. I'm lucky to have qualified for unemployment, so that definitely took off some of the stress. We also don't pay rent in the caserne, so money was finally not so much of an issue. The weather was absolutely gorgeous in September and I spent many afternoons on my new balcony with a book and a glass of wine taking it all in! I also didn't miss Paris or my teaching job for a second. I made some new friends in Grenoble (hi, Dana and NK!) and took some pictures of the city: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/09/out-and-about.html

I also started bugging Max about getting a new pet. I wanted a puppy friend for Pinch, but Max wasn't really onboard. Instead, we decided on a cat friend for Noé and I got busy looking for the perfect one to join our family! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/09/puppy-predicament.html

October 2011 - This month was all about the new addition to the family: Skinny Mini! I hosted my first ever blog giveaway and it was a huge success (and a lot of fun!) Max and I found Mini at a breeder's house near Geneva, Switzerland. She's a 3 year-old Sphynx cat and is just the funniest and most awesome pet. She's only been with us a few months, but I couldn't imagine life without her. Max and I are already talking about getting another one in the next year or so because we've both fallen completely in love with Sphynx cats!

A video post and formal introduction to Mini! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/10/and-winner-is.html

I also started to get a bit bored being at home all the time, so Max and I decided to sign up as volunteer dog walkers at the animal shelter near Grenoble. It's been a very rewarding experience and I look forward to continuing all year. http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/10/productivity.html


November 2011 - I finished up my bilan des compétences (skills evaluation) paid for by the unemployment agency. The results were not at all surprising: I shouldn't be a teacher because I hate it, and I would be happy working in tourism. I started looking (half-heartedly) for jobs, and found 2 almost immediately. Unfortunately going from not working at all to working 2 part-time jobs was too hard and tiring (not to mention Pinch's barking started to become a big problem), so I quit the cake shop job and kept my job at the French Revolution museum. I enjoy my job there because it's easy and very laid-back. It also forces me to drive which is something I knew I had to do. My contract is up in March, but I'm hoping it gets renewed for at least the summer! Max and I started see a dog behavioural specialist with Pinch to help us with some of his issues. We'll continue to work with him in 2012 because I've already seen some progress!

A recap of November... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/11/where-im-at.html

December 2011 - This month was all about settling into a new routine. I work part-time - either 2 or 3 full days per week - at the museum, and basically spend my shift reading or hanging out with colleagues. It's quite the opposite of teaching, and I'm loving it! The weather has been chaotic with warm sunny days followed by grey, snowy ones. Max had Christmas off, so we spent it at his sister's house in Annecy. It was a lovely Christmas and I'm so happy I got to celebrate it with my husband. I've had the week between Christmas and New Year's off and have just been catching up on some housework. I work 3 days next week, then it's off to Canada to ring in the new year with my friends and family. Life is pretty good right now!

I couldn't help but take a ton of photos over Christmas weekend! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-fotos-photos-de-noel.html