2024 in pictures. Where was I last year?

2024 Recap
Predictions for 2024 VS Reality
Manifestations for 2025
2024 in Pictures

Hi everyone.

I have been thinking about how to start this post for a bit now. But with January 1st coming, I just didn’t want to see it arrive so quickly. I guess I am still in denial and I will still be for a bit. “Hi everyone” seemed to be the best place to start.

2024 Recap

I really didn’t want to write this article this year. Yes, I did some amazing things. But I was also at my worst for most of the year. Even though the year is over, I don’t think it will get better soon. It will eventually, but not right now.

This year was though. It was about loosing and growing. It was bright but also dark. I have read this expression a few time now and it kind of works for me too. 2024 had some pretty low lows. It did have the high highs as well but overall, for me, I feel the lows empowered the highs.

All this blabla to avoid saying it of course. I am not ready to say it. Writing it here is like “closing a chapter” as they all say at this time of the year. But I don’t want the chapter to end.

This is a sad part of this year story. If you want to skip to the less sad part, click here.

Some of you might know but I lost my dad early last year (February 2024). It was brutal and unexpected. I was in Hawaï for a holiday mid January when he called me to tell me they found a cancer in his lungs and that they were starting chemo the next week. I was scared. For me, if they find a cancer and make you start chemo the week after, it has to be bad. They didn’t say what stage he was in or nothing. I asked if I should fly back, he and my mom told me that it was going to be fine, we can’t do anything until we see how he reacts to chemo.

The week after, he tells me the chemo went great, he doesn’t have bad reaction to it. He will go home in the following days. He could not wait to cook for himself and eat good diner. I felt so much better. He even send me a birthday gift to go see the dolphins in Hawaï because he knows I love dolphins. I send him photos and call him to tell him all about it.

A few days later, I am back to Calgary and I book a plane ticket for the week after to go to France. This is when the news came in. My mom called me and told me he was at the hospital in the emergencies. They sent him home too early and he got a lung infection and a stomach bug (from the hospital which is apparently known to everyone because everyone that stays for a long amount of time there apparently catches it).

My mom told me to move my ticket to as soon as possible. The doctors and her didn’t think he would survive the night. I managed to move my flight to the next day. And I am so grateful I could and I did. I arrived on the Friday and he passed ten days later. These were the most horrible days. I am so thankful for my sisters, my brothers, my mom and my mother-in-law. We were all in this together, with the hopes and the fears. We were there until his last moments, holding his hand.

In one month, he was gone. I still don’t realize I think. And it has been tough coming back from it. I left France the day after the funeral. I came back to Calgary where I felt alone. I do have some friends, but not a lot and it is not like what I had in Montreal. I had a hard time going back to a regular life.

Working has always been an escape, so I did. I worked my *** off to make it all go away.

There is a feeling of being misunderstood in those situations. A feeling where you are alone. You have to go through grief alone, even if you have support. I couldn’t put words on it but I found a very helpful book that is describing exactly what I was feeling – still feeling. I recommend it to everyone who is/has experiencing loss. “It’s ok that you’re not ok” – by Megan Divine

All the words like “he is in a better place” didn’t make me feel better. The “he will always be with you” neither. I used to believe in magic, in ghosts, in life after death. But I am not so sure now. It is like if I lost all my beliefs. I don’t feel a “presence” or I don’t see “signs” anymore. My mom sees signs about her brother a lot – we lost him three years ago. She sees him in the birds or in decisions she makes. I just don’t.

There was a total solar eclipse this year in North America and one of the best memory I have of him was him taking photos of the total solar eclipse in 1999 in France. I thought: “This is it, this is where I will feel his presence around. It will give me a sign or something”. But nothing. Maybe it is because I couldn’t see the eclipse because I was working, and I feel so bad about it. I feel like I failed him. Maybe this feeling will fade away and I will feel his presence in the future, but now, I just feel the emptiness.

I think I also feel guilty for not being there enough. For living so far away and not being able to help more than I did. This is the very though part of being an expat.

So yeah, low lows this year. I promise the rest of the article will be on a better note.

Predictions for 2024 VS Reality

I said the blog would be back…. That is not exactly true. I am working towards merging my business blog with my travel blog but I recently made the decision of changing my business name. This is delaying a bit the launch of my new website but I will come sooner than later.

I said I would buy a van and travel with Silas all the way down to Ushuaïa. Well, it is still in the plans but with all that happened last year, this also got a bit delayed… Well this is half true actually because I did go to Ushuaïa this year, but not with Silas! My brother, sister-in-law and I went to Patagonia, from El Calafate, to Torres del Paine to El Chalten/Fitzroy all the way down to Ushuaïa. A trip of a lifetime for three frenchies that don’t speak Spanish!

As for my photography business, it is not quite yet where I want it to be but I did grow it this year and I want to keep growing it. I had more clients (of mine) than the year before so that’s encouraging!! I also had my first ever photo exhibit in Normandy during the international fair (theme: Canada)!!! Click here to see the photos (available for prints)

Some accomplishments of mine for 2024 were that I ran my first half marathon!! And it was not something I ever thought I would manage to do. I was terrified. I thought I would never make it. I thought I would totally walk it but you know, I hike all the time, what is a 21km hike? But you know what? I DID IT. I made it! I did ran that freaking half marathon and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.

Manifestations for 2025

The only thing I know for sure is that this year I am going back to France – way too much – for family business and a few weddings. My long time childhood best friend is getting married and I couldn’t be more excited!!!

For the rest… I am going back to New Zealand!!! YES! New Zealand!!!! When I left in 2016, I said I would be back before 10 years FOR SURE. Well guess what. 10 years is coming FAST and I am going back!!!! I cannot wait for this either.

For my business now. My goal would be 12 weddings/elopements for 2025. I also want to do one elopement in Patagonia in November/December and one in New Zealand at the end of the year as well. I still have spots open so if you are planning to get married, don’t hesitate to reach out!

For the hikes, I think I want to try the 52 hikes challenge. It would be a good way to add a goal for all of my hikes. I also registered to another half marathon in October!! I couldn’t be more excited and less prepared! But I have done it last year in 3 months preparation so I believe in myself.

Another goal would be to go back to 70kg by the end of 2025. I have gain so much weight for the past year (I am at 80kg now…) that I can’t keep going like this. Put it on the depression or anything you want. I don’t think I am the laziest person (I ran a freaking half marathon!!!) but I just don’t seem to be loosing any weight. My goal would be 1kg/month. Let’s see how it goes!

Hikes total in 2024: 37 (vs 23 in 2023)

Anyhowwww. This is the recap you were waiting for…

Happy new year! Welcome to 2025.

2024 in Pictures

January 2024 Hawaï – Kauai

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February 2024 – France – Normandy

March 2024 – Alberta, Canada

Total Solar eclipse from 1999. Photo taken by my dad

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I got nominated for the White Hats Awards by the Saddledome. It is a very prestigious prize that celebrates the best of the tourism industry in Calgary.