All about us…
We are a family four, about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. My husband, Claude, and I have been married for ten years and have a daughter, Alexa (7), and a son, Simon (5). I grew up in Nova Scotia and joined the military right out of high school to pay for my university education. This was a great move as I graduated with my pharmacy degree debt-free. However, I was then obligated to work for the military for five years to complete my contract which didn’t allow me the flexibility to take a gap year to travel like many 20-somethings do.
I was instantly forced to step outside my comfort zone with my first posting to an airforce training base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. As a maritimer, I thought I would die in the middle of the godforsaken prairies!! Luckily, I’ve always believed that one can be happy anywhere and was pleasantly surprised by how happy I was there. I made some lifelong friends, got to fly with the Snowbirds (unofficially, of course) and learned to love the beauty of the prairies, two-stepping and country music. Best of all, I met my life-partner and soulmate there.
Claude grew up in Quebec and, after completing his business degree, took a year off to backpack around Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. When he returned, he decided to join the air force in order to get his pilot’s wings. We met while he was on his jet training course in Moose Jaw.
We shared a love of the outdoors and spent every long weekend hiking, climbing or skiing in the Rockies. Claude has always been an adventurer and a daredevil and he inspired me to challenge myself. One of my favorite memories is from one of our first hiking trips in the mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. We were backcountry camping and had just climbed up to Crypt Lake, a beautiful glacial lake nestled between three peaks. We had just completed a hike that the guide books said should take 6-8 hours in 4.5 hours and, after a refreshing swim, were exulting over our accomplishment while relaxing on a rock beside the lake. Always looking for the next challenge, Claude eyed one of the peaks and said to me, “You know, I think we could make it up there without ropes.” Anxious to impress my prince charming I said, “Bring it on!” Amazingly, the scramble up the mountainside was relatively easy. It was when we were only about fifty metres from the top and I stopped on a ledge to assess the situation that I realized just how high we’d climbed. As I looked down at the beautiful variegated colours of Crypt Lake (which looked like it was 1000 feet below us), my briefly forgotten fear of heights came surging back. I flattened every square inch of my body against the rock as adrenaline surged through my veins and panic set in. I started having visions of slipping and tumbling to my death. Poor Claude had no idea what he was going to do with me. He later told me he had visions of having to leave me there to go get a helicopter to get me down. I felt like a frightened kitten stuck in a tree waiting for a firefighter to rescue me. Bless his soul, Claude patiently talked me down that mountainside one step at a time. It’s really incredible how much harder it is to go down – especially when every muscle is quivering in fear! When we reached the loose shale at the bottom near the lake, I finally relaxed enough to bootski the last 100 metres .
Once safe on solid ground again, I was overwhelmed by the sense of accomplishment and exhileration of facing down a lifelong fear. I felt like Claude had seen me at my most vulnerable and didn’t back away. Instead, he became my coach and protector and made me feel safe. I think that was the day I realized how much I truly loved him. Since then, we’ve gone on to do many more scrambles and other adventures and he has never ceased to challenge me to step outside my comfort zone.
We got married in 1996, got out of the miltary and moved to Belleville, Ontario. Claude went to work in the IT field and I joined a national pharmacy chain and became the owner of my first pharmacy. Over the next decade, we progressed in our careers, had two babies and became responsible adults. We saved for retirement, worked long hours and tried to keep up with the Joneses. I ended up owning two stores, working lots of nights and weekends, and Claude worked his way up to a management position. We were set for life!
But something was missing – Claude had felt it for a long time and was desparately trying to reconnect with the adventurer inside him that had been stifled for so long by the responsibilities of career and family. I was in denial that anything was wrong – why should it be? We had everything most people could hope for – two beautiful kids, great jobs, a beautiful home in a desirable neighbourhood … what more could we ask for? Finally, after the wake-up call of losing two close friends to illness far too young, I began to realize that life is unpredictable and far too short to waste. It was time to get my priorities straight.
Tags: About Me, Travel
tambour
Will be following your travels with great interest. You must ot gotten some of my genes. Remember I traveled 3 mos. by bus around the US in 1966. Also Bruce and I spent 2 1/2 mos in Europe. wish we had done more. Bring on retirement!!!
It’s role models like you who’ve inspired me, Rocky!
Tam
Hey, I am still trying to decide if I am jealous of you or better grounded! (*giggle*)
There is no doubt about the fact that I am proud of you though. I look forward to hearing about your adventures.
Hugs, Kisses,
Kel
Tam-I am definitely jealous of you…and proud too! It’s an awesome trip that you are embarking on and I wish you guys all of the best. I hope that we can maybe follow in your “footsteps” a bit later on in life. We’d like to go to Europe for a bit in a few years…so we’ll see.
Still working on living up to my parents! 🙂
Luv ya, Beth 🙂
I love this …. keep up with the entries!
Way to go, Tam and Claude! I’ll try to keep Grammie sane while you’re gone. 🙂
can’t wait to follow your adventure: God bless you all and be safe: but have FUN!
I admire anyone that will embark on an adventure such as this. Everyone would love to do it, but very few have the courage.
My family and I will enjoy following you guys on your journey.
Have fun.
Greg
Hi Tamara, Just wanted to say hi and hope that you and the family are doing well and enjoying your time in Hawaii. It’s pouring rain here in Belleville……summer is definitely over! Enjoy!
Just found your website..looks like a fantastic trip. I am very jealous. I hope to do the same as you someday. You are very inspirational…..helps to read sites like yours as we plan an upcoming trip to Nepal/india/bhutan with our twin 4 year olds…lets us know we are not as crazy as our relatives seem to think we are!
PS…we are from NS as well.
hi there lovely family of four!
It sivi calling form norway here.how are u???i sent simon a mail using hos simonbournival@hotmail adress,but im afraid there is no reply as of yet…but better to write here to you all.!wonderfull to read your exciting adventures!im sure youre all having a BLAST!miss u,and phi phi!and miss even more travelling some MORE…but the money needs to get in somehow,so work is on the program for some time still.hehehe
Send you all a big big hug..especially your wonderfull SIMON and ALEXA!
MVVAA….greetings from sivi..in springtime NORWAY!