5 Years Nomad - Chapter 3
Winter 2021
It’s a very special winter for me on the Islands.
It’s the season when I fall head over heels in love with the woman of my life, Émilie. Her sense of humor, her wonderful energy, and her go-getter, ambitious side completely bowl me over.
We meet new friends, Claudia (nurse) and Yorick (respiratory therapist), a couple who come from another agency; they’ll be on the Islands for at least the whole year with their dog Jackson. We quickly become friends with them, on top of having a great time with Jeff and Léonie, whose place I’m staying at during the season.
Spring 2021
The weather turns milder, and we visit Entry Island (Île d’Entrée) in the heart of spring. Without meaning to, we’re there on the same day as the funeral of an Island resident who was a well-known patient at the hospital.
You have to understand that Entry Island only has a few dozen residents year-round. So all the inhabitants were at the ceremony; we were able to glimpse it from a distance, while leaving them their moment and enjoying the little pebble beach until the late-afternoon ferry back.
I take off on vacation at the end of spring with Émilie. We take the chance to empty out and give up our respective apartments to officially become “no fixed address.” A real Nomad life.
Goodbye Vickie & Hiroshi & the 2587! So many beautiful memories!
We stock up on mountains: camping on the summit of Owl’s Head, the cliffs of Charlevoix, and even a linear point-to-point trail crossing with my friends in the Laurentians.
Summer 2021
Without taking anything away from the previous summer seasons, 2021 was my favorite summer.
COVID (mostly) over, and with 2 summers under my belt, we were able to make the most of it and make friends for life! The summer 2021 batch was very colorful, and we had unforgettable times. #partyàlacormorandière
My running training has its ups and downs. With my 80 km trail race in the fall in mind, I decide to complete the 230 km of the Vents et Marées trails. It’s a 13-stage route that winds across the entirety of the Îles de la Madeleine, a bit like a Camino de Santiago.
Usually, hikers take 10 to 14 days to accomplish the task. I decide to take it on in just 3 days and to raise funds for the Fondation Santé de l’Archipel. It was quite the team effort and, above all, quite the adventure! Ups and downs, like my training and like life. I hung in there, and even though I couldn’t run on the 3rd day and the weather was atrocious, I saw my goal through to the end.
A new limit of my mental barrier had just been crossed. I’m convinced it will serve me in every sphere of my life.
After nearly 3 years on the Islands, the time had come for me to set off and discover other regions of Québec. Calling myself a Nomad on one hand, but staying at the same assignment location on the other… It was time for me to step out of my slippers, which had maybe become a little too comfortable.
It was a hard decision, but definitely the best decision for the future of Agence Nomade.