As Christmas 2021 approaches, I just wanted to update my travel blog with what the past year has bought. Although not what I had envisioned I’m sure many of us can say the same about 2021. I guess like many I had made tentative plans to travel again if Covid restrictions had eased enough like many of had expected but an unpredictable year required us to make changes to any plans.

Looking back and reflecting on the last year, it has had its positives and unexpected moments. I’ve been back living in Toronto since the end of June as I felt I needed to return to spend some time with my Mom who has been in hospital for most of the past year (not related to Covid), It has been great to be able to see her although not in an ideal situation but at least she is now out of hospital and currently in a long term care home where she seems much happier and settled than she was in the hospital.

It has been good to see family and friends back here in Canada although there are many I’ve not been able to visit yet, I have had the added bonus of meeting my 2 year old great nephew Samuel for the 1st time and look forward to seeing him at Christmas.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get a place downtown and reconnect with some friends in the running community in Toronto, it’s one thing that has helped me during the lock downs and lack of travel.

With Christmas coming up soon I will miss family and friends in the UK, especially good friends that I spent nearly 18 months and the first lock down with (Thank You) and my kids who are both busy working back in the UK (Love you Hope to see you in the New Year).

As for any plans for the New Year (As this was always intended to be a travel blog) although people are travelling again things are still very uncertain so any plans may need to change with these new variants of Covid and some countries starting to lock down again even before Christmas, saying that I have booked to go to Boston in April to do the marathon having fortunately run a qualifying time before I left the UK but I’m not really looking forward to training for it though a Canadian winter ( when I was here in 2018/19 winter I vowed that I wouldn’t spend another winter in Canada, but here I am again). It would be nice to be in Rotterdam in July for the World Police Fire Games this year but I’m not going to get my hopes up, further ahead in the autumn I have an place in the Chicago marathon hopefully with some friends from the running community here in Toronto, and I should hear soon weather I have a place in the Berlin marathon which is 2 weeks before Chicago. It would be nice to get back to some real travel later in the year and I would love to be able to spend 5 to 6 months in Nepal, Obviously this is all depending on what Covid throws at us so I expect my year could look very different to how it is envisioned at the moment.

Well I think I’m going to leave it there for now but want to wish anyone reading a great holiday and a Happy New Year. Lets hope for a good one.

Till next time

Regards Chris