Quebec Update

I was relieved to finally be back in Canada after Turkey. However, unlike most athletes I was not home. David Greer and I are staying in Quebec for the two plus weeks between Turkey and the National Championships here in Quebec. This gives us a good opportunity to adjust to the conditions here and not to mention we saved some extra travel costs.

David and I are both staying at Mireille Belzile’s (Alex Harvey’s mom) house. For a skier in Quebec it couldn’t be in a better location. We can literally ski from right outside our front door. It’s a five-minute drive from MSA and a five-minute drive from the ski chalet.

Living here is very comfortable and easy. The fridge magically refills its self and for the most part dinner is waiting for us at 6:30 pm. Life is a breeze, but life is also boring, or at least right now it is. The past week has gone by very slowly. With nothing to do, not even cook dinner, I am ashamed to say that Dave and I have past the time by playing Age of Empires (currently level 18).

I don’t know what it is about flying over seas, but it seems for me, more often than not I get sick. When I was young I could chew a piece of gum off the sidewalk and I’d be healthy as ever, now I can’t even walk into an airport without getting sick. Long story short, I’m still sick. It has just been one sickness after another. Right now I’m on round two of sore throat.

On top of being sick for real, I can pretty much say for certain I’m home sick. Not home sick like most people for their mom’s cooking (although my mom is a good cook). And not home sick for my bed. I hear people say all the time “I miss my bed”. 90 percent of hotel beds are better than the one I sleep on at home, I can tell you that. I miss the mountains and fresh air. Nothing compares to Yukon. Turkey has mountains, but no trees and the air is toxic. Quebec is close with trees, and fresh air but there is only one mountain that you might as well call “Hill-Saint-Anne”.

I shouldn’t talk down Quebec right now though because the skiing lately has been amazing up until now (It rained all last night). But don’t worry National athletes; it would have to rain for a week straight to melt all the snow here. The last week has been spring skiing at its best. Beautiful. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to take full advantage of it, being sick and all.

I have been resting and resting. I am just desperate to get healthy by Nationals. As Excited as I am for Nationals, I am almost more excited to get the season over with and go home to the Yukon. It’s been way to long since I’ve been on a Yukon camping trip but plans are already in order!