What A Year

Well. It’s been a while, eh? My last post was on January 8th, 2020 and it feels I’ve lived a thousand lives since then. Or at least some metric of time that’s WAY longer than 12 months.

Life Update

Back in January 2020 I was only partially employed (working part-time at the restaurant I worked at in 2017-18), and Mac and I were still living in his parents’ basement. Flash forward to March: Mac got a full time position doing technical sales at a company in his hometown, and we signed a lease at a lovely 2nd floor apartment in the historic neighbourhood of said hometown. We were all set to move in and have an epic housewarming party at the end of March. Needless to say, we’re still waiting for our house to be properly “warmed”. Despite not having a firm career plan, I was able to take on some volunteering at a local non-profit which eventually turned into a full-time position (for which I’ve been extremely grateful to have during this pandemic). That initial contract turned into a position promotion and additional contract extension and I’m really thrilled to be part of such an amazing organization doing such great work in the community.

Black Lives Matter

So much has changed since my last post, and not only with the pandemic. After the tragic death of George Floyd in May (and the countless murders of Black men and women since then) I made it a priority to educate myself on these injustices and the systemic racism that exists. It’s an ongoing learning adventure, but I’m committed to practicing anti-racism in my daily life and having these tough conversations. Some books and resources I’d highly recommend are:

Non-FictionMe and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib How to Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo Lodge

Fiction Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams From Scratch by Tembi Locke The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Also a movie on Netflix) Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Embracing Home

Like most folks during the pandemic, Mac and I were forced given the opportunity to embrace our own backyard. I tried (again) and failed (again) at growing herbs in the garden. (You should have seen the sheer amount of effort I put in to nurturing these little seedlings! Alas, my black thumb struck again.) I brought some larger plants home in an attempt to brighten up our home, and only 2 have died so far! (Not a great track record, I know. I’ve learned to set my expectations realllllll low). Fortunately, our landlady is a more skilled gardener than I am and I was able to appreciate some beauty in our yard.

Mac and I took to the many trails in our new city and actually found some hidden gems! We also went on a summer hike with my parents in my hometown and found a conservation area I’d definitely love to revisit.

A new hobby I gained during COVID is learning to crochet! My mom and I are currently working on identical blankets through a block-of-the-month kit club and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. So much so that I’ve now crocheted myself leg warmers, a headband, and I just finished working on the hugest blanket ever (it’s queen sized and exactly the size I wish all blankets were).

Exploring Ontario

Precautions in place, Mac and I were able to take some long weekends and hike into the wilderness. We explored a new-to-us area near Minden in the Kawartha Lakes and it’s a place we’ll definitely be going back to. It’s all Crown Land camping (meaning no reservations, no facilities, but AWESOME scenery).

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Over Thanksgiving, we spent the weekend at Bruce Peninsula National Park. The fall weather was awesome and we had a great hike along the Georgian Bay coastline and around Cyprus Lake. The clouds even cleared in the evening making for some awesome stargazing!

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Some Good News

Despite everything that happened in 2020, Mac and I had some cause for celebration – we got married! He proposed on our camping trip in the Kawartha Lakes, and we planned our wedding in the following three weeks. On a warm and sunny weekend at the end of September, we said “I do” surrounded by our parents in the backyard. It was intimate and lovely, and a surprise for the rest of our friends and family!

Future Plans

For the first time in a long time, Mac and I have no plans to travel anywhere anytime soon. The pandemic is obviously the main reason for that, but we’ve also really enjoyed settling into our new home and community. We’re working hard to make our apartment feel like a home, and we’re both focused on developing our current jobs. After so many years of being on the go, I can’t tell you how nice it feels to finally have a weekly routine and a comfortable bed to sleep on each night. We’re happy to ride this current wave for the time being.

In blogging news… I’ve been writing here at atasteoftrace.com for more than six years (which seems bonkers to me), and while I’ve enjoyed it immensely, I have to admit that I just don’t have the same drive for it that I once did. My current website hosting plan is valid until this summer, and I’ve come to the decision that I won’t be renewing it. I have one or two more posts up my sleeve for the next few months, but I’m comfortable with my decision to step away from this blog. If you’ve followed along with our travels over the years, thank you so much – your comments and support really inspired me to keep posting. I loved being able to share our adventures with you.