Originally Posted September 23, 2013
It was only one year. Yet a numerical value on time fails to recognize the weight of its value. Therefore by definition, it was only one year, but when defining his life experiences, this particular one is a nominal value. This word, ‘one’, with such lonely implications, singular, solitary, isolated, could not be further from the truth. Both from companionship and introspection, this unique year was anything but lonesome. In anticipation, it held the power to set the course for the years to follow. In retrospect, it set the course for years to follow. The groundwork had been laid through personal perseverance and understanding, but it was our traveler that found the world at his fingertips. It was up to him to reach out and grab it.
La première étape pour le voyage incroyable, France. In pursuing a life long dream of learning language, indescribable beauty was witnessed, no matter the tongue. From fantasied fabrications to famous finish lines, not a day was to be wasted. More and more packed into this magical month. A month made sweeter by the thankful company and support offered by another. Time destined to exist always as a month long memory.
And then, the first day of the rest of his life. Arrival found for the first time with the freedom of the future. There was nothing behind, nothing ahead, only the bare essential present. A smile made its mark on a being set for experience. Now only the making of a life, a hefty notion. Not a matter of skill or knowledge, but of determination. A difficult task accepted. Was it naivety? Or the appreciation of one falling before they can walk. Negative forces would not be enough, dodging obstacles unworthy of worry. As if by karmic delivery, the days to follow would bring opportunity, friendships and personal discoveries. A simple set of ingredients for the creation of forever. This year, will exist forever.
So we’re back. I must start by saying this has truly has been an unforgettable year for me, but I will do my best to keep this post a reasonable length. It all began with the finishing of my business degree in Canada. Unfortunately, due to difficult circumstances, I had one credit outstanding after my fourth year of university. Now, I could have stayed in Canada and finished a summer course for the credit. But then I would have had to stay in Canada and finish a summer course for the credit. Instead I felt the need to give the name of this blog some justification. First, I feel a gentleman would not only make the best of his situation, but also make something pretty classy out of it. Second, self-titling oneself as a traveler. That part is obvious. So a couple Google searches, the leveraging of internal connections and an investor power point presentation later, I found myself on a one-way flight to France. Best grad present ever. A four-week French course in Tours, France.
As most Canadians, and opposite to what the world thinks of us, I barely spoke a word of French before this course. Being a victim of Canada’s French teaching program in Ontario, I have since grown into the appreciation of foreign language and have a strong urge to learn. So I thought what better place to start up again than in France. I was joined by a friend, Vanessa, who is fluent in French and made the entire experience much easier. Not only was she great for providing help and translations, but also good for a laugh when every single French person we spoke to replied in English with a smile because they were thrown off by her Montreal/Québécois accent (Yes, you have a Québécois accent). Also, there were a number of times when a guide or professor would be speaking in French and then include an English word. Cue Pete de Vooght. Vanessa would be struggling, thinking this person said a word she hadn’t learned, and then translator Pete would be there to explain. Thank goodness I was there. At least one of us knows how to listen.
Obviously we were not in the same French classes, but outside of the classroom we were able to take some pretty incredible trips. The area of France we were in, the Loire Valley, is famous for their castles, so we were treated to some incredible day trips and weekends away. Highlights were visiting Mont Saint-Michel and seeing the finish of Le Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées. Bananas. Unfortunately four-weeks went by too quickly, but luckily neither of our European journeys ended there. Vanessa went on to travel with some of her friends from back home and I was on to London.
My loyal readers would be aware that I studied in London during my third year of university on exchange. After I returned to Canada for my final year, I was fairly certain I would be returning to London after graduating. It is an amazing city, launching pad into the rest of Europe, one of the business centres of the world and I felt like I only scratched the surface in the six months I studied there. So, easy decision, I was heading back. The French course was the excuse to get across the pond, now I just had to start my life from scratch in London. I had it all planned out. I would fly into the city just as the Olympics start, without somewhere to stay, without prospects of a job, with a couple months’ worth of summer earning in my pocket. Simple. No worries, worked out fine. Spent a week with Matt Donnelly (shout out, boom), watched the Olympics, saw the cycling race in front of Buckingham Palace and the marathon through the city centre, moved in with an English friend Christy (shout out, boom), and then started the job hunt.
As I hope you can understand, it would be extremely difficult to give a summary of my time in London. Funny stories, trips, specific happenstance (there it is again Matt), would be tough to pull out of thin air and repeat here. Hence why I should have kept this blog going in London, but hey. Hopefully I can deliver the funny in my current day-to-day traveling through Europe. For London, let’s have a speed round. Bermonsdey, sketchy, coffee shops, fixies, latte art, Brick Lane, hipsters, coffee friends, Surrey Quays, sketchy, floods, rugby, Brighton, Maple Leaf, New York Bagels, real person stuff, Tube commute, awful, Glasgow, floods, Corner Shop, Pete de Party, Pete de Party blazer, cider bags, photos, coffee shop drinks, floods, eviction, Levita House, happiness, Ride 2 Work Trek 1.2, cycle commute, happiness, mould, dusty mattresses, Ferragudo, football, concerts, Easter parents, Brighton stick shift, Vertigo 42, half marathon, Edinburgh, summer in London, drinks in the park, cycling through the city, London to Brighton bike ride midnight to four am, Rach and Bob, Brussels, open air cinemas, a year that will invoke such a personal set of emotions that will forever be impossible to convey.
I really met some amazing people in London. You know who you are and I genuinely hope we keep in touch.
So there it is. Mega-post out of the way. We’ll calm things down for the next posts and include stories involving days or maybe a week, not an entire year. Strap in for some European adventure.
This isn’t a great medium for sharing photos, so if you are interested please check out my facebook page to view the photography of my travels. Just a few will be placed within the post for the non-facebookers. Yes, they exist. Stay strong Grandma.
I hope you are all well back in the Canada…maybe there are friends/family in other countries reading this now? Let me know. Just curious.
Take care.
No Regrets.
Pete