When I started this article, I suddenly found myself remembering those written in New Zealand.
It's already been more than 4 months in Canada, soon to be 5 in reality and I can't believe it. Time has gone by so fast in the last few weeks that I've fallen behind on my publications quite a bit. It is therefore an article retracing the months of January and February that I am sharing with you today.
On the menu : my reconnection with my love for walking & hiking, wether alone, with some friends or with a small group of girls we started, my 3-day-celebration to mark my 30th birthday, my little life in Nelson and my new routines. I promise you a bunch of photos that will make you want to come for a visit even more... So should I take you along? Let's get going. :)
RECONNECT WITH MY LOVE OF SIGHTSEEING AND HIKING
At the beginning of January, I was slowly starting to get tired from working in the resort and going skiing 2 to 3 times a week. This meant that I was really spending all my time in the resort and therefore at work. At the same time, when I wasn't enjoying the snow, I worked freelance from home. Which very quickly exhausted me morally because I spent all of my days alone, in front of my computer screen.
I had a hard time finding a balance between all of this, especially with COVID always in the corner of my head. I was dying to meet people so that I wouldn't be so lonely, except that the WH2O job was putting pressure on us, reminding us that with the health crisis we were only allowed to hang out with people in our household. All in all, I soon felt isolated, even though it was probably one of the times of the year when I would need to enjoy time with friends the most. So in mid-January I hit the handbrake and decided to slow down. As the days went by, I came to understand that I also needed to take some real breaks and spend time doing other activities that I enjoy just as much. I reduced my work hours and days to the minimum necessary to pay the rent and food. And I created time for myself again. Naturally, I started walking and sightseeing again, motivating a group of girls from work in the process. Obviously with the snow covering the heights, we don't have access to all the hiking trails in the area, but even when it's a 2 hour walk along the river, it feels good.
ST LEON HOT SPRINGS
At the beginning of January, after a global and early morning power cut at the station, we all had a day off work. So we took the road in a very unexpected way towards the natural hot springs of St Leon, located 2,5 hours from Nelson. The car park is an hour walk from the pool, which makes the place a little wilder than the Halfway Hot Springs, where I had been in October. There are only two pools, one of them very tiny, but the water of the main pool was so enjoyable.
KASLO
In mid-January, we improvised a road trip to Kaslo, a small village located 1 hour drive from Nelson. There is the same lake as the one that surrounds me daily with the difference that the mountains are much more dramatic. I was so happy getting out of my own town to have new opportunities to capture new landscapes and discover new beaches.
FLETCHER FALLS & KASLO RIVER
On my second visit to Kaslo with the girls, (Meg, Aryn, Heather and Annika), we stopped on the way to Fletcher Falls, a pretty awesome waterfall just minutes away from the car park and a few meters from the beach.
We then took the road to Kaslo to discover the trail along the KASLO RIVER. The path is dotted with sculptures scattered in the landscape which makes the walk even more enjoyable. Not to mention the colour of the water, turquoise blue in some places, the very atypical red bridges and the rather incredible long trees that make this walk quite magical. It was like being cut off from the world and it was exactly what I needed.
I also felt so good to hang out with the girls. I've always had a hard time finding my place in a group of chicks, even though I've never really said it out loud. I often face my lack of self-confidence which leads me into comparisons and even more vicious circles of lack of self-esteem. It has often prevented me from just enjoying those moments, so changing a little bit my opinion about myself on this subject was also very nice.
Before getting back on the road, we made a stop in the village of Kaslo and enjoyed a poutine "Chez Serge" considered to be the best in the region. (For those who don't know, it is this very famous Quebecois dish made of fries, gravy and cheese).
SPROULE CREEK
Earlier this month we also discovered Sproule Creek, a small river in the middle of the forest. It was an opportunity to enter Narnia style scenery and enjoy the bright yellow of Annika's puffer, perfect for my photos. Luckily, we were able to follow the snowshoe tracks of previous explorers, making the walk easier. Given the depth of snow, it would have been much more difficult for us to access the trail!
RAIL TRAIL - NELSON
The town of Nelson and the Kootenays region were once the land of mining. There are many traces of these mines, including old railway tracks which have now been restored as walking trails. We ventured on a small part of the Nelson RAIL TRAIL with Liam and Annika to reach one of the wildest beaches in the town at the very end of the trail. It can only be reached on foot (or by boat if you are lucky), which very quickly makes you feel as if you are cut off from the world, on pause, about 5 km from the city centre. Apparently, it's a good wilderness camping spot in the summer, so I already know where I'm likely to escape to this summer! Not to mention that there are some climbing walls nearby and mountain bike trails too...!
PARADISE - GLADE WATERFALL - CREEK
Two or three weeks ago, we went through a big cold snap in the area, which froze a large part of the surrounding waterfalls and rivers. This made us want to explore the area further and see Mother Nature's masterpieces. We went to see the Glade waterfall which was still completely frozen. It was wonderful to be able to see such a frozen landscape while standing still and hear the rapid sound of water flowing behind the ice. We then hit the road to explore other small rivers and swimming pools that are famous in the summer.
Shortly before the temperature rose and thus the melting of all the icicles, a friend made me discover "PARADISE", a spot that the locals love in summer to jump from the rocks. At the base, we thought we would see the dam and the turquoise water, but to our best surprise, the rocks were still completely frozen by the ice. Enough to immerse myself in an idyllic setting for a few more hours this winter!
It was so grandiose... The colour of the blue sky mixing with the water and reflecting in the snow. The sound of the drops running down the icicles reminding me every second that this artwork will soon disappear. The sound of pieces of ice crashing on the ground. The power of that moment, completely ephemeral. The fragility of this wall and the fragility of my own life, there in the middle of this setting, playing the role of the one who comes a little closer but not too close, to avoid being stabbed by a piece of ice. I believe that the effect of surprise has made this moment even more incredible. I felt small, vulnerable and yet so much alive!
CELEBRATING MY 30TH B-DAY DURING A PANDEMIC
Also on the programme this last month, me turning thirty... A big step you'd tell me, or just a number, I will answer you, as I was writing in this article published a few days ago.
I had to be a bit creative to bring together a limited number of people and still celebrate this birthday in a "covid-friendly" way. If it was up to me, I would have probably doubled or even tripled the guest list and I would have certainly allowed myself to travel, to celebrate it in Canada and in France at the same time. Because, I won't hide from you that my heart was a little heavy at the thought of marking this new decade without my mother, my sister, my cousin, my family and my closest friends, most of whom live in France.
But you know me, nothing stops me when it comes to writing my own life stories in my own way. In fact, deep down inside, I simply wanted to mark this change of direction in one way or another while making this anniversary look just like me .
DAY 1 :
It was therefore, first of all around a campfire on the beach, surrounded by the mountains and in -25°C, that we shared an undeniably memorable moment. Perfect occasion for a dinner cooked in the flames or on the embers, with a surprise pancake cake that Oatis (Kristy's dog) ended up eating before us. Not to also mention the cheesy potatoes I had prepared which took 3 times longer to cook than expected and which we ended up eating as a dessert. I must admit that given the exceptionally low temperatures, I had doubts about my guests coming. I was told several times that it was going to be far too cold to go out... But in the end, to my great surprise, everyone came. Enough to make me the happiest 30 yo girl :)
DAY 2 :
On the friday, we left in a small group to explore ROSSLAND RANGE, a mountain range located 1 hour's drive from Nelson. I went with Kristy, (my roommate), Nadine, Liam and Annika (friends from work & from town). It was such a great opportunity to get a complete change of scenery for a few hours. We were supposed to do a snowshoe hike but in the end, the snow was compact enough so we could just go for an snowboots walk. Kristy and Liam took the opportunity to follow us on ski touring.
Usually, ROSSLAND RANGE is dotted with small huts, open to hikers during the day (overnight stays are not permitted). Because of the Covid, they are not closed but "reserved" for emergencies. Due to the exceptional outside temperatures, around -20, -25°C, once we reached the Mosquito Hut, the one located at the top, we decided that having lunch inside, to warm up, was an emergency... We were not alone as a group had started the wood stove and put down their stuff everywhere in the hutt before probably heading to another summit. So it was ready for us, and the perfect place to stop.
Hiking around Strawberry Pass and White Owl Pass is quite easy and the scenery is quite stunning. It was really nice to change surroundings for a few hours. It really made me feel like I was celebrating my birthday in a different way. And then, sharing this moment with the people who are my Covid bubble here and who have been important to me since I moved to Nelson was great. I have to admit that I too was dying to go ski touring here, but due to a lack of equipment, I chose to use my feet. It was a lot of laughter when Nadine and I ended up with snow up to our hips... It's to tell you how deep the powder is here, especially when you put your feet in the wrong place...
DAY 3 :
After the campfire with friends & exploring the peaks in the middle of nature, it was time for the third day with a micro-road trip in our nearby region, which I had already visited but not really explored yet. You can always be surprised by what you think you already know. This time, departure from Nelson, direction Kaslo, then a Kaslo-New Denver crossing and a return to the Slocan valley, on a road full of surprises.
On the way, a small détour by Sandon, a slightly abandoned mining town. I didn't know this place at all, it's John, my "almost local" friend, who introduced me to it. I say "almost local" because he's been living in the area for years so he knows a lot of places even though he's originally from Quebec, English-speaking Quebec! (And yes, I also discovered that a part of Quebec doesn't speak French at all, I didn't know that before arriving in BC)
This hamlet looks like a ghost village. A few people still live here and I imagine that in the summer it is quite a touristy place. But to walk through it in winter is quite magical. There was a really special atmosphere there. It was as if time had stopped and I had the opportunity to come and get lost in this frozen past for a few minutes.
On the way back, I was finally able to enjoy the Slocan Valley under a rather clear sky, at least, not rainy. I had been several times on this road known to be majestic, but I had never had any luck with the weather. This time, the sun was there, the clouds not too dark, making the photo breaks almost ideal.
SKI & SNOWBOARD LIFE
Since I reorganised my working days to feel better and less overwhelmed by the situation, I have been able to enjoy the mountains and the resort more. I now only go there 1 day a week (2 days max if the snow is good) in order to keep time away from my workplace. We finally had several "POWDER DAY", which finally gave me the opportunity to try my skis for the type of terrain they were designed for. I must admit that skiing in 20 or 30 cm of powder almost feels like floating! I had a bit of trouble making my turns at the start, but I have to say that now I'm having the time of my life!
When the snow wasn't incredible for skiing, I continued the snowboarding sessions. I'm now 3 full days into it and I have to say that I'm having so much fun that I'm seriously considering buying a board and boots. It's so refreshing (in every sense of the word) to learn something completely new even at the age of 30. And then it's a chance to reconnect with my love for "Bucket lists" and to tick new boxes in the category of things I had always dreamed of doing but never really tried! It's silly, but this kind of little list really gives meaning and direction to my daily life which is sometimes too uncertain.
MA PETITE VIE A NELSON
I must admit that writing to you this month has made me realize once again how lucky I am to have moved and visited so much in the last few weeks. I think Covid often makes me feel limited and things have taken so much longer than I expected since I arrived that I sometimes forget to be a little less demanding with myself. I often tell myself that this is my fourth expatriation, I should be used to it, but I also often forget that this is my first long and distant expatriation, without one of my best friends or my boyfriend by my side. When I compare my 3 months in Barcelona with these 5 months in Canada, there are quite similar ! An expatriation alone takes much longer, requires much more courage and confronts you way more with yourself and your loneliness. Patience is the only secret and strangely enough, I never realized how impatient I could be with myself!
I still love the area I am in, the town of Nelson, the people. I can't wait for spring to arrive but I'm also starting to realize that I only have one month left in the resort. So I try to enjoy the last snow, the last ski sessions, the last hikes in Narnia landscapes before it all goes away.
In the last couple of months I have started reading more and have been getting back into yoga which I had rather hated in the last few months. I am starting to prepare for the summer by buying all the camping equipment I will need. I still have so little time to write, but I am enjoying my outdoor life so much that I am finding some balance. I'm starting to set much more viable goals for the coming year and with the arrival of my thirties I have to admit that I'm facing a lot of questions about my future.
I am slowly starting to shape my desires for my next job as the Whitewater season will be over by April 4th. You may not believe me but I have spent the last three weeks saying out loud how much I would like a more creative job, how much I would like to work in a studio/workshop because that's the kind of place I feel good, how much I would like to do something with my hands again... The problem is that, despite my creativity and my own little projects, I have no professional experience in any particular craft or manufacturing area. Not to mention the flexibility I need in my work to feel good and the fact that Nelson is a small town, lost in the Kootenays... So it is without the shadow of a hope that I have spent the last 3 weeks checking out the online ads. And then, last Friday, I found the job advertisement of my dreams. All my criteria were there, right in front of me. I spent hours redoing my CV and cover letter which I sent on Monday morning. I have no idea if my profile will be selected but one thing is certain, it gave me back a lot of hope when I thought about finding a job that makes a bit more sense to me! Some people call it luck, others call it the art of manifesting. For me, it's one more proof that approaching life with patience and full awareness makes all dreams, even the most utopian, accessible and achievable!
So, stay tuned! :):)
Love,
Co.
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