|
His breath is short, he clumsily skis towards me. I'm right there, behind the finish line. He stops, takes an inhale and whispers "let's get married". I freeze. We've been together for 7 years now, living on adventures one after the other, and it seemed that Yann was ready for the next one. I say "yes" almost mechanically, "let's do this". |
|
 |
 |
|
After 5 years in Quebec, Yann finishes his first cross country skiing marathon and proposes on this chilly sunny day of March. Our life now is so different from what it used to be, back in Paris, filled with new outdoorsy challenges and discoveries. We've come a long way. |
|
When we first arrived in Montreal, our love for outdoor adventure was rather limited. Transposing our Parisian urban life here, we enjoyed wandering in new trendy neighborhoods, testing new concepts of cafes and restaurants. |
 |
 |
Quite quickly though, we spent most of our weekends in the surrounding mountains, hiking and cycling in summer, and skiing in winter. And then, as we got more and more addicted to the wilderness, we tried camping. First, within walking distance from the car. Then, we would find ourselves carrying away our newly-bought camping gear by canoe, foot, or bike for a couple of days. The more lost in nature we were, the more fulfilled we felt. How exhilarating it was to come back to work on a Monday, completely disconnected and somehow different, after a weekend lost in the woods! I don't think
|
|
I don't think anybody is born adventurous. I believe our inherent curiosity expands our playground day after day, and makes us get out of our comfort zone to try new experiences, and discover new capabilities as we go on. I now realize that we've accomplished things that I never thought being within reach. I need new outdoor adventures to satisfy my excitement. And now, what's next? With our vows being pronounced in intimacy at an Italian town hall over the summer, we prepared diligently for our crazy honeymoon: we would fly from Montreal to Lima early September, and would cycle up and down the roads, with no other pre-defined plans than a return ticket to Montreal from Buenos Aires at the end of the year, going through Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina in the meantime. |
|
We felt the need to experience a new kind of adventure. In my day-to-day life, I'm constantly fighting against time. At work, as a Project Manager, it's part of my job to be efficient and meet tight deadlines. When there's almost no time left, when the pressure increases, that's when the adrenaline kicks in, when the fun begins. In the past few years, this behavior has quietly spread to the other sides of my life. Waiting in line at the supermarket cashier? What I am going to do with those precious 2 minutes? I'm pulling out my phone from my bag and start typing on it to quickly add a smiley to a Whatsapp conversation. |
 |
 |
I wanted our 4-month-trip to be on a different beat. Rather than attempting to squeeze in as many sights or cities as humanly possible, I wanted the luxury of time to explore each destination thoroughly and experience the local culture.
|
And what best means of transportation than a bike like this! |
 |
|
We would have all the time at hand, and would be autonomous, with all our necessities on the bike, ready to camp, eat and enjoy the ride whenever we feel like it. I was so thrilled about this new challenge, although a bit nervous too. |
 |
|
"Make sure your seat is in upright position and your seatbelt is securely fastened". The air hostess grins. I eagerly look by the window. The adventure begins... Story and Photo’s courtesy of Yann Masset and Laura Beeharry. They both live busy lives together in Montreal. |