Serendipitous Mindfulness...

Hey, you're back! After last week's half-assed offering, I wasn't sure. Thank you! I promise this week will be better.

I'm currently heading to the airport. At least if you read this the moment it drops online, I am. Any time after that, I could be doing anything. Exciting! But back to the point. It's Monday morning, I'm about to get on a plane, and if this is scheduled correctly, you'll be reading it as I head home from my adventures. 

I've been in Canada. Largely because I love Canada. That's all that matters, right? This trip was my third visit, and ever since I returned a few years ago, I've been waiting for the next opportunity to go. That being said, the trigger was back in January this year. The TV show Heated Rivalry dropped on Sky. On the surface, it was a sexy romance about rival ice hockey players. So what? But dig the tiniest bit deeper and it was a tender love story about yearning, masculinity, and breaking free of the shackles society imposes. I binged the show when it dropped, then binged the six part book series afterwards.

The whole thing is set in North America. Like I said, Canada was on the to-do list and had been for a while. Yet it was no coincidence that I booked this trip within a couple of weeks of watching the show. I was all in. I loved being immersed in the locations via the small screen and page, and now I was going to see them myself. Whoop! Beyond that I had no plans. The flights and hotel were sorted, I decided to reread the books while I was there, and that was it. Until a couple of months ago. Now, this is where it gets interesting. 

I was going to be in Montreal at the end of September. I'd only passed through the place before, it looked beautiful, and quite a few scenes in Heated Rivalry were set there. What was not to love? At the time, I idly pondered how great it would be to see a hockey match, but how unlikely that would be? I'd no idea of when the season ran, nor whether it would be realistic. I kept thinking about the impossibility of getting a one-off ticket for Anfield, for example. There was no way. Montreal hockey matches were probably the same.

Or not! It turns out, via my online investigations, the season was starting in October, but there were a couple of pre-season friendlies beforehand. Then - in a truly thrilling moment - I read that one of the friendlies was on the Saturday night I was there. Can you believe it? I was in Montreal for five days of the year and one of them was when a match was taking place. I waited for the tickets to go on sale, saw they were non-crazily priced, so made the purchase. Serendipitously boss!

Rachel Reid

But that's not all. A month ago, I was scrolling Instagram and a post stood out. The writer of the Heated Rivalry books - Rachel Reid - shared that she was kicking off her North American tour in Montreal. Cool, I thought. Good for her. Then I saw the dates. It was two days after my hockey match. Last Monday to be exact. I could actually be there! Yes, last Monday night, I saw Rachel Reid do a Q&A in the Rialto Theatre, Montreal, alongside the guy who scored the show (Peter Peter) the actor who played Kip (Robbie G.K.) and four bands who featured on the soundtrack. It was another 'the planets have aligned for me' moment. So, SO, cool. 

Montreal Canadiens
 v Ottawa Senators.
It was a 4-2 win
 to the Habs. 

And now I'm on my way home and I haven't even told you about the hockey match or the author Q&A. I mean, what can I say? Both experiences would have been brilliant regardless of being on holiday. The hockey was crazy-fast, thrillingly brutal, and an absolute event. I loved every second. Then, two days later, the Rachel Reid night was gorgeous. Literary chat, live music from cool Quebec indie artists, and the combined good vibes of a theatre full of people who all love the exact same thing . 

Robbie G.K and
Rachel Reid.

Live sport and culture in one weekend - of course I had a ball. But experiencing them in Montreal itself? All a bit tingly and ethereal, I think. I kept looking around at my surroundings - whether that was the Bell Centre for the hockey or the Rialto Theatre for the arts night - not quite believing I was there. Maybe that's how Canadian Beatles fans feel when they visit Liverpool. They hug themselves on Menlove Avenue and can't believe their luck. That was me last week. All I know was that I've never been more mindful. Being aware of a brilliant thing, while it's happening is such a unique pleasure. Those memories have been locked in forever. 

I suppose that's the life lesson right there. Appreciate your surroundings, be mindful, and take a moment to recognise the feelings you're having while you're having them. I'm not sure how realistic that is, when I'm walking round the Asda, or driving around Merseyside. The run of the mill, mundane stuff doesn't quite offer the same tingles. Still, it's an aim. An aim that doesn't need the planets to align for it to happen. It's up to me and my own efforts. So once I'm home, I've got my plan. Look up, breathe in, and notice shit. It's always good to have an aim.

Have a lovely week, folks.