It’s been a while since my last post and so many things happening since then! My son was starting to venture around town by himself using public transport, winter was here and we were immersed in skiing and swimming.
In February, we did an impromptu trip to Catalonia for a surprise party to my dear friend Lourdes Alemany. She was completing 25 years as a hot air balloon pilot and her husband threw a surprise party for her – Ian and I jumped in a plane and went for five days in Europe, including an hour and a half balloon ride with her! This trip ended with a special invitation for Ian to spend July with the Alemany-Torres family in Vic, Barcelona.
In March, my 20-month relationship with Scott came to an end. 16 months off-work because of a ski accident can be blamed for it. We became friends and still are to this day.
In April, Ian and I went for two weeks on a family tour with G Adventures to Thailand. Thailand was high on my list of countries to visit and it was a very good introduction to Asia to Ian. We had an incredible two weeks and made friends that we are already planning to meet again next year. My then 9 year old son visited more countries than years of life – and counting…
We also had a special visit in April, when we returned from Thailand: Fernando and Vivianne came from Brazil for a week. Always short, always very good and always leaving with the feeling that it was not enough! Vivianne’s birthday was here and we spent the day at Sunshine, skiing, and a lunch treat at the restaurant.
By then, I had a conversation with Ian and told him that I was not going to be alone for the rest of my life and discussed with him what to look for in a partner. His wise suggestion was to find someone that liked both of us! And that was a dad, so he could understand the nuances and tricks of parenting. So, at beginning of May I had the opportunity to go for a date with a man from Golden, BC, and we are together since then. Stephen was approved by Ian and we both like him a lot – and his presence in our lives made us fall in love with an incredible summer sport: mountain biking! Stephen is an avid mountain biker and took us to trails in Golden. I ended up taking a beginner’s course with Shred Sisters and got the skills lacking to enjoy a good single track around both towns. Yes, I still walk my bike but who cares? As far as I am outside, life is good.
Planning for the long winter months, we bought ski passes for Sunshine and Kicking Horse – a challenging ski hill for my skills. But I am also planning a ten-week Freeriders course for myself and Ian. After over 25 years since I started climbing, I am back at learning challenging sports and it is always a great feeling to overcome my fears.
At the end of June, Ian embarked to Spain and spent over a month there with Lourdes and her family. It was a long month for all of us and a difficult one for Ian and the family. A fourth boy, stubborn and homesick, was not an easy task to handle, but they did it and I came to pick him up at the end of July, spending a week in Europe. I found a more mature young man understanding Catalan and helping around the house. We spent four nights in Paris and had an incredible time wandering through its beautiful streets and some underground tours. Last time we both been to Paris was over 8 years ago and Ricardo was with us. It was a completely different visit and this time I decided to do things Ian wanted to do, like going up the Eiffel Tower and visiting the Catacombs, Ian’s favourite!
August is being spent around the Canadian Rockies. Summer camps, mountain biking, visiting Golden, BC, and working. As Ricardo always said, he never regretted the time and money spent on trips. This year ended up being a big year in travelling and I wish I could keep up with it in the years to come…
Update: Stephen left us in the middle of August, but the mountain biking stayed with us! And that’s what is important… 😉