Emeric Le Morvan

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for not updating my blog throughout the trip. I had plenty of ideas, but did not have the chance to write them down at the time. Taking care of the team was a full time job, and the free time that I did have was spent relaxing or visiting communities (well actually not that much relaxing). Now that the journey is over, I have time to share with you some of my thoughts and stories from this wonderful trip down the west coast. I have decided to split it up into 5 blog entries, each of which have headings that best summarize the adventure my team and I  embarked on during that month and a half. Enjoy! 
     
The first section of the trip was not very scenic. This was due to the fact that we passed by Seattle, and therefore did not reach the coast until Bay Center. This tiny little town is located beside South Bend, the oyster capital of the world. The rainy weather also did not help. Having said that, Seattle was a beautiful and lively city. The large trees towering over the sidewalks keep the city in touch with the surrounding nature and make it enjoyable to walk in the streets. A trip to Seattle is never complete without visiting the world famous fish market. Full of energy, the guys working in the fish stands always like to put on a show and are quite entertaining. All the fish are fresh from the ocean, and their sizes are enormous! Make sure you check out the Pacific Oysters, I have never seen anything like it.

Some of the days, we rode along farmlands, and the roads were winding through the fields and forests of Washington state. One morning, the team got split up very early on, and although I knew the general direction, I must admit that I was a little bit lost. I stopped at a farm to ask for direction, but it seemed that no one was home. From past experiences, I know that farmers never really leave their land and therefore must not be very far. I looked like such a tourist with my spandex shorts and my clip shoes, but I was not ready to give up just yet. Quickly enough, I walked around and found the farmer, who was with his cows. Wanting to talk to him, I moved closer, and to my surprise, ended up stepping in a big puddle of cow shit. I cursed a little, but in the end, the farmer reassured me that I was going in the right direction. Despite the cow shit incident, stopping by that farm brought back some childhood memories that I treasure most.  

Once we reached the coast, the views got a bit better, but the rain remained a nuisance. The whole team was looking forward to the beautiful sultry days everyone had promised us. We knew those days were coming, but we did not know when. Finally, along the coast of Oregon, the sun decided to shine and the coastal scenery that I had imagined was right in front of my eyes. I remember that exact moment like it was yesterday, and the team and I all had a big smile on our faces. We took lots of pictures and soaked in the sun for a little while before continuing on with our day. 

After crossing over to California, the days gradually got nicer, although it was definitely not as warm as we had expected. During the day it was relatively hot, but at night, the cold ocean breeze took over and we were all happy to crawl in our sleeping bags. Northern California is so beautiful. Unlike the State that we all picture as being heavily populated and associate with Los Angeles and Hollywood, the whole northern part is a long stretch of wild coastline and fields of cows, horses, and endless prairies. Riding along those fields, I felt so free and far from the stressful life that I am used to. I only had one thing in mind, to run in the middle of a field and shout my thoughts of joy. I am not sure if my teammates quite understood what I was doing, but it totally made sense to me.


The day right before San Francisco, I decided to have a day to myself and bike at my own pace. A few hours in the ride, I stopped at a beach, where I decided to take a nap. It was the first nice beach we passed, so I thought it would be appropriate to check it out and soak in the sun for a while. Laying there in the sand, I was admiring the view and people watching. I was surprised to see that there were all kinds of people, kids, moms and dads, young couples, grandparents and groups of friends. It seemed that everyone was enjoying themselves. I managed to take a couple pictures, although I was not always very discrete.


Upon arriving in San Francisco, we crossed the famous Golden Gate Bridge. I must say it was quite impressive and was definitely a milestone in the trip. We were lucky enough to have a gorgeous day, and the San Francisco Bay was lit up by the sun. We had quite a few problems during the days prior to San Francisco and the team was split up for numerous reasons. In Sausalito, we were all reunited once again and ready to cross the bridge as a team. All the problems and pain that we endured until that point did not seem to matter, we were all comfortable with each other now and realized how beneficial this journey has been for our personal development. We knew nothing could stop us from continuing on and reaching our goal, crossing the Mexican border.


Laying on the beach and watching the sunset was always a good end to the day. Morroe Bay, a cool little town on the California Coast, had the best sunset of the trip. The whole sky was a combination of orange, yellow, and pink with some clouds. I was in awe. Unfortunately, we were lingering at the campsite, and not overlooking the bay, so i did not take any pictures. Instead, you guys are going to have to settle for a picture of a typical sunset on this trip. The picture below was taken at Huntington Beach, also known as "Surf City USA". I have heard of the place before, but did not realize how cool it really was. It's every teenagers' paradise and the three main activities are surfing, beach volleyball, and picking up beautiful girls. The waves are ideal for surfing, and a lot of the kids looked like pros and were just ripping it! For a lot of them, they live close by and surfing is a daily activity.

Oh and here are a few more sunsets I thought were pretty cool...


Alright, I think it's time to end this blog entry. I'm sitting at a cafe overlooking the Eiffel Tower right now, and it's time to go for a short walk.  

A plutard les amis!

Emeric

Last summer I worked for Lululemon in Banff Alberta. First off, let me tell you that the landscapes in this region of Canada are absolutely breathtaking. The vast forested valleys and endless amount of wildlife are impressive and unforgettable. Below are two pictures that my friend Amelie Bourgault took in the Banff National Park.

Anyways, getting back to Lululemon, I only worked there for about three weeks, but I learned quite a lot. I worked with about 25 girls, which sounds really sweet, but in reality, it was different than I had expected and not the right environment for me (and no, i'm not gay). You're probably thinking: "How much can you really learn at a retail store, especially for such a short amount of time?" Well, here is what I learned:

Throughout the two days of training, the store manager focused on goal setting. Although it seems self explanatory, the concept was fairly new to me. There was a study at Yale University (I think that's correct) showing that the 3 percent of the class that wrote down their goals in life earned 10 times more money after graduation than the remaining students combined. I didn't make this up, I swear.
A lot of people wander through life without either knowing what they really want, or they realize what they want when it's already too late. Since I was a kid, people kept on telling me about their regrets, things they should have done at an earlier age. Well for many of us, our time is now, so stand up and make the best out of your life. I wish I had more experience to back this up, but i don't. Like some of you, i'm still trying to figure out what career path I should take. I've spent 20 years of my life at school thinking there's got to be an end to this. I have come to realize that the learning curve is endless. Knowledge can represent the cool things you learned in biology class, your ability to solve a simple equation, or understanding Einstein's quantum theory. However, I find that the best and most useful form of knowledge is what you've learned from the people you've met, family, friends, or complete strangers.

It is important to set personal, health, and career goals. The following quote was taken from the Lululemon website:
"There is no manual for life. Who you are, where you go, and how soon you get there is up to you. Goal setting is a tool that helps you get what you want out of life. It's that simple."

Below are a series of questions that were given to me by my assistant manager. Read through them, and answer them as best you can. And don't wait till later, or you'll keep on forgetting. Do it now!

1) What are you willing to give your life to?
2) What are you willing to commit to every day?
3) What causes you do be inspired everyday?
4) If a wish could be granted, what would you wish?
5) What kind of difference do you want to make in the world?

"Dream big...even if you don't fully succeed, you'll learn so much along the way"

Emeric

For the past ten months or so, I have been working at the North Face, in Kitsilano, Vancouver. I have met some amazing people while working there, engineers, outdoor guides, athletes, moms and dads, even cute girls! Of course, there are also my co-workers, whom I appreciate and have learned a lot from, including my boss. People always complain about their job mainly because they hate their boss. That is not the case for me. My boss is easy going, caring, and a fun person who is always ready to boogie. Many of my co-workers come from different countries, yet they all share a common bond, the joy of living in Vancouver. Some are shy, some like to party, others like to play it cool, and unfortunately, some are German (just kidding Chris and Miriam, you're both awesome). And don't get me started about the Aussies, the South Africans, and the British…bloody hell!


North Face has given me a lot, although I have to admit, it is far from being my dream job. Come September, I hope to start a new job that many would say is more "serious". I have looked at and tasted  the world of Engineering, and I have yet to find a position that would suit me. I know it would make some people happy, so I will for sure continue my search. I am also looking at other fields of work, which may be of better interest to me. I think the majority of the people would agree that "serious" work and fun are two things that don't go well together. I beg to differ, there's got to be a way to combine the two. I am reluctant to give up. Having said that, I agree that life is not always about having fun, in fact, it is very complicated. There are ups and downs, moments of happiness, and moments of sadness. Plus, there is always the need to make money. Oh money, wouldn't the world be a happier place without you. Life is about happiness (right?), not generating wealth marked by the size of your wallet. The two can co-exist, and my parents are living proof, but there seems to be a big misunderstanding amongst everyone regarding the importance of being happy :)
I need to go to bed, so i'm going to stop writing. Besides, who am I to tell you about life, i'm just a kid enjoying the ride.

Remember, friends are more important than money

“Never Stop Exploring”
Bonne nuit

Emeric

People often ask me what my favourite type of music is. I always have a hard time with that question because the answer is everything. From electronic, to hip hop, to soft rock, to classical...the list goes on. Of course, I have songs that I prefer within those genres. Throughout the years, I have learned to appreciate music, and this is due to the people that surround me, my family and friends. Whether is it Tiesto that I started listening to with my good friend Morgan, Elvis Presley that my dad always dances to (it's a whole new style of dancing that my brothers and I call "Daddy dancing"), musicals that Molly is absolutely obsessed with, Jesse Cook that my older brother enjoys listening to while relaxing, Armen's inspiring tunes, ACDC which my little brother always likes to rock out to, Celine Dion that my mom sings along to with her beautiful voice, "La Companie Creole" that my awesome grandmother still dances to, or Mozart that my good friend's parents like to listen to while sleeping (Ben I thought that was weird at first, but I think it's awesome). All these moments, and many more, are priceless to me. I find music has the power to motivate, to give courage, to make us smile, and to stay in touch with our emotions. Now let me refrain what I said earlier. There is one genre of music that I have yet to appreciate, which is punk. I understand how the singers are displaying their anger through music, but that incessant yelling is really not necessary. I wonder what my grandma would think.

Singing, humming, and whistling have been a big part of my days during the past several years, and now more than ever. Whether it's in the shower, in the bus, at work, in a coffee shop, or in a club, there's never a bad time. Somehow, it always put's me in a good mood. My old housemates in Kingston would always hate me for disrupting their studying. Doruk would often have to hit his wooden sword against the ground to get me to stop humming in my room below. I didn't think I was that loud, but whatever. The best are the dancing and singing parties my housemates and I would have amongst ourselves in our tiny livingroom. I would bust out my moves which, despite what Molly thinks, are cool, and have fun. Doruk and Molly would do the same, although I think everyone would agree that Doruk's moves were worse than mine lol. Those crazy Turks!

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about taking singing and piano lessons. My voice isn't the greatest, some would even say that "je chante faux". It's time to prove them wrong. I realize that I'm a bit late, but I think now is better than never. I might even join my boss' choir.

Now before I leave you, I want to show some pictures that are top secret. I swore never to show these to anyone, but here they are. The first photo is me busting some of my moves. Now just to let you know, that was a while ago, and my skills have greatly improved since. The second picture is set in a club late at night with my little brother. It's fair to say my dancing had slowed down by that point, and there may have been some drinking involved.




Keep the fire alive!
Emeric

Several weeks ago, my good friend Pavlos and I went to see a breakdancing competition. It was my first time attending such an event, and boy was I impressed. Throughout the competition, all the different "crews" battled each other and faced elimination until two crews remained. It was incredible how strong, energetic, and skilled the contestants were. Above and below are pictures that Pavlos Lagopoulos took. He was the unofficial photographer of the competition, which helped us skip the massive line and enter the sold out event. Good job Pavlos! For all you ladies out there wondering, yes Pavlos is single. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you :)


Watching these dancers put on a great show made me want to dance even more. For the past little while, I have been taking some salsa lessons downtown Vancouver with Dance4u. The teacher Ivan is an awesome guy who really cares about his students. I like salsa a lot, but more recently, I also wanted to learn a different style of dancing, Hip Hop. I figured it would broaden my skills on the dance floor. I attended some classes at Harbour Dance Center, and started meeting some cool people who share similar interests as me. The first class was fairly difficult for me because it was very different from what I was used to. I have only been to a couple of classes so far, but feel that I am learning quickly. Plus dancing all day while at work also helps, although I think my colleagues are starting to wonder about me. Sometimes I convince them to join me, but most of the time they smile or give me a weird look. Oh well! It's such a good feeling being able to dance around without caring what other people think. And I'm no John Travolta, not yet anyways :)
I have stopped taking salsa and hip hop classes for the time being. With only two weeks away, I have to focus on organizing my bike trip, plus dancing has damaged my wallet a little bit.

Let the dance bug bite!
Emeric

Time to train! For the past month or so, i've been exercising quite a lot. I try to go to the gym 4 to 5 times a week, and I ride outside 2-3 times. Two weekends ago, the other riders and I biked to Horseshoe Bay, located about 25 km northwest of Vancouver. I put my legs to the test, and realized more training was in order. Although I am not familiar with bike touring, I have experience with xcountry racing, so I know what it means to commit to proper training. On the way back to Vancouver, I stopped by Lighthouse Park, which gives a great view of the city and the ocean (Strait of Georgia).

Since then, I have done several rides around Stanley Park, located just north of the downtown area. The scenery is awesome, and the loop is not very busy if I go during late afternoon. On May 16th, my team and I will bike up Mt Seymour and visit Deep Cove, a beautiful spot, which by the way is ideal for sea kayaking. If you're interested, check out http://www.deepcovekayak.com/. Hopefully, my team will be ready for a tough but rewarding day.

Since August 2009, I have been lucky enough to live in beautiful Vancouver, a city full of amazing people, and where the landscapes are breathtaking. Above is a picture taken by my roommate Adam Johannesson, an avid photographer who likes to kick it old school. If you want to check out his pictures, go to www.flickr.com/photos/adamjohannesson. Vancouver has a lot to offer. Whether you like to lie on the beach, or hit the slopes, there's plenty of ways to have fun and relax.

Here are some other pictures of Vancouver that I took the other day. The first two were taken from a bridge very close to my appartment. The others were taken along the beach on the way to Stanley Park.

This upcoming May 24th, a group of riders including myself are biking down the west coast from Vancouver all the way to the Mexican border. We are doing it with an organization called Global Agents for Change, which aims at raising money for great causes, microfinance and education projects. Micro financing provides small loans to low income households in order to spur entrepreneurship and move away from poverty. Education generation is an online community that provides scholarships for young developing leaders. For more info about the organization, please visit their website at www.globalafc.org. If you wish to donate to the organization, you can go to my donor page. Any donations will be greatly appreciated.