Overall, it was a sporty year personally. I was fortunate to attend a few world class sports events in different parts of the world - the Monaco Grand Prix, the American League Baseball Championship Series and the Rugby World Cup. I also ran my own first marathon (see, not just a spectator), climbed a mountain, and will have scaled the heights of the Peruvian Andes. So - a sporty focus to my year absolutely, and for that I'm grateful - the opportunity and ability to do this aren't lost on me.
It was also a year of extensive travel, with some new countries for me (Honduras and Iceland) and many visits to old favourites. I was able to spend time 1:1 with the people that mean the most to me in each of France, Japan and Iceland.
Based on all that, it was a very good year. I also took on a new role at work myself, and saw each of my favourite people flourish and succeed in their work and lives. Proving themselves, applying themselves and being selected for new challenges and responsibilities. There were moments that weren't all positive though too - people I love getting injured and the various ups and downs that are present at any time. However electing to focus on the positive, here are my own top 12 personal moments of 2015 in no particular order..
- A memorable lunch in Saint-Paul in the Cote D'Azur at La Columbe D'or. A stunning day with wonderful good friends, and my love, in perhaps the most fantastic restaurant ever. Lunch lasted hours and hours, the rose flowed and flowed and we were surrounded by fascinating locals and celebrities alike. An absolute once in a lifetime assembly of good fortune made this a truly spectacular day. The game of boules that followed was surely a lesson for all to see in people enjoying themselves. What a day, what a trip.
- It's special when the time presents itself to do something that you've always wanted to do, and with someone you think so highly of. That was August this year when my son and I were able to spend 10 days exploring Japan. The fast trains, great food and fascinating culture that is modern Japan. We climbed Mt. Fuji and were deeply moved in Hiroshima by the people, and its' history. Perhaps the most stirring was the Fushimi-Ianri Shrine in Kyoto that we luckily encountered in the pouring rain, crowd-free and ethereally cloudy and silent save for the chanting in the mist. An unforgettable time and a shared experience that lingers.
- In keeping with the theme of spending time exploring the world with my family, the year was capped off with three bucket list items - a first trip to Iceland, a first view of the Aurora Borealis and time spent with my daughter. In a whirlwind weekend we spanned two tectonic plates, explored Rekyavik, were showered and surprised by geysers and had an (extremely cold) Aurora experience that blew us both away. You can't predict these things and the lights were shooting across the sky, dancing with ferocity. It was wondrous.
- I had another chance in the year to travel with family, and this one happened by happenstance - making it all the better. My brother and I both happened to be in London at the same time and had a great local dinner together near Maida Vale. It was a fortuitous evening, that we both enjoyed for the spontaneity and company. It's fair to say we don't have dinner together often, and although we live in the same city, thousands of miles from London, we're each involved with our own lives. It was a great evening and one I will treasure.
- I did mention sports figured prominently, and my favourite 'event' of the year amongst a really good set of sports choices was the first game of the Rugby World Cup, this time in Wales with my friends Chris, Aine, Jonty and crew. We saw our team lose, badly even, but the entire city was in rugby party mode, and so were we. We went on to watch a few more games and travelled throughout many UK cities, but that first game was really good for the novelty, the Irish crowd and the friends. Our seats were stunning and the action was non-stop. I think it's the first time I slept on a small couch (hanging over the sides) since university. The streets of Cardiff looked like I felt the morning after too.
- Stepping away from the travel theme activities (you must think I spend my life on the road by now), one of the year's best other memories comes via my oldest friend, who I spent lots of time with, as we finished his basement bathroom (perhaps "finished" may be an optimistic way of looking at the end product), talked endlessly about his about -to-be born new baby boy, and laughed. I was also so proud of him at his retirement event from the military after 20+ years of service, where he was given honour after honour. Don't let the plumber's crack fool you, this is a guy who has looked after the freedoms we take for granted.
- Speaking of pride, my own year of physical exertion was capped by the completion of my first marathon. I'd run some "half's" before, including earlier in the year, but had also silently thanked the running gods when I got to turn left instead of right in past races indicating the finish line of my half marathon versus the half-way mark of the full tamale. But after an intense summer of training (some of which was admittedly spectacular, see below), it seemed do-able. The actual event was...fun. I do mean that too. My daughter, and a friend named Kurt and I did it together and had a great time. We laughed, supported and cheered one another on. It was hard, but an exceptional experience, and one I never thought I'd do. It opened my (old) eyes to making something happen through will-power. I don't think I've ever felt as powerful as the final kilometer where I found the energy to sprint to the end. Now I want to do more.
Another of the year's highlights is associated in a sense to running, as the soundtrack to my year was the Foo Fighters. And it still is. I missed seeing them for reasons I don't really recall when they were in my hometown earlier in the year, and in one of the business trips I had, I was close enough to see them. Off to the Ziggo Dome I went and they were everything I had hoped for. It's a good thing they were loud, as I was screaming along to every song, and judging by those around me, so was everyone else. Live music is always good, and if the songs carry an emotional element for you as these guys do for me, it turns into something the wrenches at your heart.
My remaining four best moments of the year all have something special about them as well. - but no pics. Number nine is my wife and daughter and I doing a tourist weekend in Washington in February against the wishes of the weather gods. We almost froze to death, but Washington has so much to offer, and is such a great place to visit. After repeated attempts, the seminal desired photo was achieved - a folded $5 bill of the Lincoln Memorial in front of the Lincoln Memorial itself. I recall at the time wondering if frost-bitten toes were worth it - but my family certainly is and toes grow back...right ?
I warmed up in April with a diving trip to Honduras where I did some advanced certification courses and dove to various wrecks around the island. Diving trips are always good and all the more so when almost every dive features turtles and big moray eels.
Our whole family was together visiting my son in the Annapolis Valley in early summer and that was also fantastic. We saw how put together he was, working away between university years - and also how stunningly beautiful Nova Scotia can be. You know you've raised your children well, when they research best restaurants to try, and best local cheese and ice-cream shops in the county to break up the drive back.
The last memory that pops out goes back to running, and some of the training I had to do. As you can gather, I was on the road lots for work (and admittedly some fun too) and so I had to figure out how to train for the marathon while away. My favourite training run took me around Heathrow Airport, and I did that one a couple times it was so good. I'm an airplane geek and running next to active runways and hangers with all these incredible aircraft just sitting there is a great way to not think about running. Needless to say I know my way around that airport, and the cut-ins from various local roads, and how to avoid the M5 and M4 junction roads too. No doubt amidst today's heightened security, I've also been photographed and perhaps more as a 'suspicious character'. But it was worth it, and I look forward to doing it again.
2015 has been a great year for me and my family. It's not over yet - we have one more adventure to come still, but more than where you are, more than what you're doing, what tends to make anything stand out is the time together, at least for me. I hope your year in review leads to as many happy memories of your own.
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