Spring 2020 was supposed to be all about traveling: March in France at a slalom camp, May in Ottawa / Montreal for Canadian Team Trials, early June in Oregon for US Rafting Nationals. And then back to California just in time to graduate from Middle School (8th grade).
But, midway through training camp in France, the pandemic was announced and borders were closing. Although I am French (and Canadian), my parents insisted that I immediately come back to the US. It was a bummer to have to leave so suddenly – I didn’t even get to say bye to my teammates.
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| Slalom at Sault Brenaz |
When I got home, I did get to have one last epic powder ski day (we live at the base of Squaw Valley Ski Resort) before everything was shut down for quarantine. For the first month or so of quarantine it continued to snow and my brother and I mostly just did school work, played with our dog, baked, snowshoed, and cross country skied.
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| It just kept snowing . . . |
But eventually, the weather improved and I have been kayaking. We have been following the guidelines of keeping it local, low key, and socially distant. So, with a small group of local teens, I’ve been really getting to know my local rivers (the Truckee River and the American River), taking advantage of every feature and doing laps on the bigger rapids.
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| North Fork with Cameron and Logan |
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| Wave 2 |
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| Wave 2 |
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| Wave 2 |
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| Maya |
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| Me and Laurel training as part of the Junior Women’s Rafting Team |
It’s also been nice to just relax at our Tiny House and do evening river laps with my little brother.
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| Chilling at the Tiny House |
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| Me and Alex on the American River for sibling laps |
I’m not quite sure what the summer will have in store. I usually spend the first half of the summer with grandparents in France and the second half of the summer at Keeners on the Ottawa. But, with borders still closed, I may just have to continue playing on my local rivers 🙂
