It’s July 4th, why am I still sitting in Ottawa?

I was up early this morning, really early!  By 5:45am, I figured it was time to make a cup of tea and sit in the hot tub.  Now there is nothing unusual about doing that (except that I normally hate to get up early), but I found myself thinking that this is possibly the first time in almost 10 yrs that I have been in Ottawa during the summer.  Normally, Leon and I would have packed up our camper Roadie by now and made our escape as soon as school was done.  School ended last Friday around here.

But this has not been a normal year by any means.  You may have noticed that I’ve been rather quiet on here for many months.  Much of that is due to illness.  Nothing to panic over.  It’s just what one might call neuropathy in my legs and feet.  A worsening condition that left me little option but to take a long term sick leave and try to sort out my health.  After months of insomnia and countless tests, I decided to try naturopathic medicine.  This led me to major changes in my diet and produced some improvements in my general disposition.  That battle is ongoing.

In the meantime, my trusty partner in crime, Leon, became fascinated with our political process and decided to throw his hat into the ring and become a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada.(If you open the link, you might find Leon in the picture, standing on the right in a red golf shirt.)  The only twist is that he is the candidate for Langley-Aldergrove, BC.  Talk about your long distance relationships!  So Leon and I have purchased a home in BC, which was meant to be our retirement downsize in a year from now.  The new house is located in a great community with schools on either side, mountains in the background and a great community rec centre where I plan to start aquafit and yoga once I get out there.

You might remember that we spent all last summer in BC, roaming up and down the coast to interview potential towns where we might want to retire to.  In the end, Langley was our unanimous choice for its proximity to mountains, ocean, big city Vancouver, family and friends.  Of course affordability was a big factor as well.  I always wanted to live by the sea, but if I can’t can afford that, then I may as well live in a great town that offers me all the amenities I am looking for.  We figure we can join a boating club and go sailing in the gulf islands in coming years.  That will satisfy my longing for the ocean.

Of course, should Leon get elected as a member of parliament, we will have a home right here in Ottawa too.  But at least we will be able to share more time together.  This long distance stuff is for the birds.

Lots more surprises are in store as I enter a new chapter in my life.  I’ll write more about it when I can.  For now, I am looking forward to a girls’ weekend with my lovely daughter.  We are off to Quebec City for 2 nights.  That little trip includes taking the train, a most civilized way to travel.