A year back in Toronto

A few thoughts on leaving Toronto

It’s been over a year since I arrived back in Toronto and although the winter seemed to drag on at times it has gone quite quickly especially the last couple of months.

My reason for spending the year here was so that could spend more time with my Mom who had spent a significant amount of time in hospital after a fall and had deteriorated and lost a lot of mobility whilst there. It was difficult to see her pretty much confined to bed when she had always been a fairly active person even in her 90s. Eventually she was able to be discharged but because of the extra care she needed and being confined to a wheelchair it was no longer possible for her to be looked after at home which my sister had been doing for a number of years. Luckily the long term care home that she went into was very good with caring staff and after a period of adjustment she seems happy and well cared for there and although Covid still has its affect visits are easy to arrange.

I’m grateful to be able to spend this time with her and will miss her when I head back to the UK but a least I know the she is in a better place now than when i arrived here.

Since arriving back in Toronto I’ve been lucky enough to live back on the waterfront which is always a nice place to return to and my preferred place when back here. Although Covid restrictions has made things more difficult this time with many facilities and businesses being closed for a lot of my time here I have still been able to connect with some friends and running communities here which has kept me going though the winter here.

I’m grateful to friends at Kardia down here who have keep me going though a tough winter of marathon training on my way to my first Boston marathon and other races along the way as things have gradually got back to some sort of normality. It now feels like Toronto is moving forward again with summer finally arriving and people enjoying being outside with patio season in full swing.

In just over a week I will be heading back to the UK and will miss the best parts of the Canadian summer but will be able to meet up with some friends from here in October at the Chicago marathon so it’s not good bye as i will always return here. Saying that I do look forward to my return to the UK as I have my children living there and very good friends that I have obviously missed while i’ve been out here.

Looking forward I am looking to get back to traveling again in the not too distant future with thoughts of spending some time in Nepal after Christmas and still needing to complete the Pacific Crest Trail that was started in 2018. I do have a permit for the trail this year but it coincides with the World Police Fire Games which starts in Rotterdam next month which was cancelled due to Covid so I’m looking forward to that, perhaps I can get back on the trail next year.

Well that is all for now. I just wanted to put in a little update and thank everyone here in Toronto for the last year

Take care everyone Safe travels

Chris

love this
Toronto skyline
Boston done
Proud Dad moment

Mom and myself

Update 2021

As Christmas 2021 approaches, I just wanted to update my travel blog with what the past year has bought. Although not what I had envisioned I’m sure many of us can say the same about 2021. I guess like many I had made tentative plans to travel again if Covid restrictions had eased enough like many of had expected but an unpredictable year required us to make changes to any plans.

Looking back and reflecting on the last year, it has had its positives and unexpected moments. I’ve been back living in Toronto since the end of June as I felt I needed to return to spend some time with my Mom who has been in hospital for most of the past year (not related to Covid), It has been great to be able to see her although not in an ideal situation but at least she is now out of hospital and currently in a long term care home where she seems much happier and settled than she was in the hospital.

It has been good to see family and friends back here in Canada although there are many I’ve not been able to visit yet, I have had the added bonus of meeting my 2 year old great nephew Samuel for the 1st time and look forward to seeing him at Christmas.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get a place downtown and reconnect with some friends in the running community in Toronto, it’s one thing that has helped me during the lock downs and lack of travel.

With Christmas coming up soon I will miss family and friends in the UK, especially good friends that I spent nearly 18 months and the first lock down with (Thank You) and my kids who are both busy working back in the UK (Love you Hope to see you in the New Year).

As for any plans for the New Year (As this was always intended to be a travel blog) although people are travelling again things are still very uncertain so any plans may need to change with these new variants of Covid and some countries starting to lock down again even before Christmas, saying that I have booked to go to Boston in April to do the marathon having fortunately run a qualifying time before I left the UK but I’m not really looking forward to training for it though a Canadian winter ( when I was here in 2018/19 winter I vowed that I wouldn’t spend another winter in Canada, but here I am again). It would be nice to be in Rotterdam in July for the World Police Fire Games this year but I’m not going to get my hopes up, further ahead in the autumn I have an place in the Chicago marathon hopefully with some friends from the running community here in Toronto, and I should hear soon weather I have a place in the Berlin marathon which is 2 weeks before Chicago. It would be nice to get back to some real travel later in the year and I would love to be able to spend 5 to 6 months in Nepal, Obviously this is all depending on what Covid throws at us so I expect my year could look very different to how it is envisioned at the moment.

Well I think I’m going to leave it there for now but want to wish anyone reading a great holiday and a Happy New Year. Lets hope for a good one.

Till next time

Regards Chris