As I begin this article, it is November 2nd and I have reached the end of the four months off that I promised myself I would take. It is with great gratitude and compassion that I write to you tonight. While I always live at 100 miles per hour in my daily life, I rarely take the time to be grateful for myself. And ultimately, to be a little kinder to myself. That's the magic of these adventures I'm sharing with you. They force me to step back and appreciate my life more, quite simply...
On the agenda for these months of September and October: adventures, hikes, camping, landscapes, again and again. Shall I take you along?
FROM ADVENTURE TO ADVENTURE...
Climbing, hiking, camping, canoeing, ... the advantage of this weather with the colours of global warming is that, here too, autumn took its time before showing up. So I spent as much time as possible outside, well aware that the rain and the grey sky would soon make their appearance again.
At the beginning of September we went to celebrate my friend Heather's birthday in Gwilim Lake. This was one of the hikes I had not yet been able to explore due to lack of time last year. We set off in the early hours of the morning and reached the trailhead at around 11am. It was in a light and friendly atmosphere that we started the hike. It had been a long time since I had been in a small group like this and I must admit that it was a bit like summer camp for us up there.
Once we got to the top, we set up camp, had a quick dip in the icy lake water and started our pot luck dinner. We continued the evening with games, music and lots of laughter. It was a full moon night and I can tell you that the energy was at its peak. Certainly one of my best memories of this summer!
In September I also went back to see Gimli Peak, which you had seen last year on this blog. It was a good opportunity to spend some time with Kristy, my roommate from my early days in Nelson, whose belly has become much rounder since then ^^ and to take some nice shots with Nadine and Maria, at the top.
Later in October, we went to Arrow Lake to explore Saddle Mountain. You might say, all the views are the same in the Kootenays. Since the lakes are so big and the roads are so bad, despite the 2.5 hour drive appearing on the GPS, you still end up seeing the same mountain ranges and often the same water.
It was still an awesome hike ! We could FINALLY see some autumn colours (because we waited a long time for them this year!) while enjoying a still very warm sun, for the season (you'll see, I regretted not having brought my pair of shorts ^^)
In Nelson, we had to wait until mid-October before we could finally enjoy the warm autumn colours. A good excuse to go back to Whitewater ski resort, to reach this time the White Queen summit and its flaming larches. A beautiful day to enjoy the landscapes and to initiate Jodie to nude photography in the wilderness. It was so nice to be able to guide her in this new experience for her, and to capture pictures each one more dazzling than the other. Her verdict? Once the discomfort of the first few minutes had passed, it was a feeling of freedom and re-connection with herself that took over :) Feelings that I share and a good way to celebrate our bodies that have been so denigrated / hated by the past! (and no, you haven't seen the last of my butt! :p)
Finally, if not every day was good for long excursions, the advantage of living in the mountains is that it offers many micro-adventures, just next door. Canoeing on the lake, climbing in Nelson and Castlegar, many climbs up to Lyons bluff (a short hike with a view of Nelson), mountain biking, mushroom picking, walking along the lake, ... I have to admit that when I can spend at least half of my week outside, I am the happiest...
FRIENDSHIP, LOVE
When I returned from Quadra Island at the end of August, I was still a little overwhelmed and confused by my return. The intensity of life in Nelson compared to my small island home left me a little shocked. Between the nightlife, the sports activities, my friends who wanted to see me again, my not wanting to go back to work, not to mention the fact that I ran into my ex everywhere in town (it's the first time I've been in the same town as one of my exes and I'm not running away from him...) I felt completely overwhelmed by my emotions. That's why I decided to leave so quickly to visit the Rockies (here is the article).
To be honest, at first I was on the verge of leaving and starting my life over somewhere else again. Then, when I got back from Banff and Canmore, I took a few weeks to try and find my feet. And that's when I realised the circle of friends I'd made in two years. There have been faces on this blog that you don't see anymore, there are others that you see more and more. There are some new faces and it is with a heart full of love and support that I write these lines today. It would have been silly to leave, just because my emotions are sometimes too intense for me to handle. In the end, true friendships are the ones that help you get through these moments, without judgement. The ones that feed you so much love that you finally understand that there are other ways to feel loved, and that the love of a love relationship is just a bonus in life.
COCO's ADVENTURES - NEW SEASON
As you have surely understood by now, my intention behind these 4 months Off was to reconnect with myself, to take stock of my life, my desires, and to continue this inner journey that I started a few years ago.
I don't know if it's the context, the newfound freedom, something about the order of the planets or the stars, or if it's just something that clicked in me, but I feel like in July I started a new chapter in my life. A bit like the new season of a series that I would deliver here on this blog.
I feel this time that I am doing things with the right intention. To live my celibacy in the best way. To feel alive and light and to ride my waves of emotion with impunity. I don't have anyone to tell me I'm too this, or too that. And in the end, I find myself so much more balanced, light, happy, alive and free.
I've taken on a few hours of work in a café for fun and social contact. I'm trying to work in graphic design for France from Canada and I've enrolled in a training course to become a life coach. And despite all the reservations I had, given the reputation of this profession among the French culture, I must confess that I feel in complete osmosis with this decision. It's been a long time since I've felt so in tune with myself, so in tune with my decisions, and so made for a job... I am experiencing a new little revolution. But I'll save the details for a future chapter of Coco's adventures!
In the meantime, take care of yourself,
Love,
Co.
Comments