Marion left for Vancouver, Canada on July 24th, I left for Vancouver on December 28th, why the large time gap? Good question. We knew in early March that he would have to go to Vancouver for a large chunk of the year because his Netflix show, Avatar The Last Airbender was a success, and was quickly renewed for two seasons, that would shoot back-to-back primarily in Vancouver, and since Marion is both the Visual Effects Supervisor and a Second Unit Director on the show, vital roles that encompass pre-production, principal photography, and post-production, he was needed in Vancouver for the better part of 2024 and 2025. Gulp. I was invited to go with him, he wanted me to come, and I wanted to go, until I didn’t, and when his departure date finally arrived in late July, I decided to stay in LA.

Therefore, we devised a schedule to see each other every three weeks. That schedule initially worked out. He first flew home that third week in August, and we had a great time, but it was excruciating. The reality of living apart as a married couple who really like each other is not fun, and kind of dumb, honestly. Why suffer on purpose? In simple terms, I stayed because I didn’t want to be trapped in an environment where I couldn’t do what I love that makes me, me, and consequently drag him down, during the most pivotal point in his career, with my negative energy. What good would that do for either of us? But when I was hit by the car, my point of view about staying in LA changed, and the choice to suffer apart switched to the decision to be together as soon as possible.

However, as soon as possible meant months of healing alone.

Before I could travel, the tendons in my hand needed time to heal from surgery, followed by many sessions of occupational therapy, and concurrently talk therapy through somatic methods in an effort to resolve symptoms of PTSD from the trauma I endured during the crash. In essence, I was doing the work.

I was always befuddled when I heard people say, “doing the work”, because they never explained what the work is we were meant to be doing? However, I quickly learned that you know what the work is when you’re doing it, and I can assuredly report that during the Fall and early Winter of 2024, I was doing the work, and it worked.

As time passed, I was able to reintegrate running into my life, fear-free, and reintegrate my whole self into the world; humbled, scarred and scabbed over, but stronger and more content than ever.

My amazing Occupational Therapist, Aimee Aguillon, from Keck Medical of USC on my final day of hand therapy. My fingers were reconnected via one-tendon, hence why they look staccato, but they are functional, I CAN TYPE!! Overall, my left hand (pictured) has made tremendous progress.

Then on Sunday December 22nd, five months after Marion left for Canada, he flew home, the grueling chapter apart was over, and our little family was back together again.

A moment captured minutes after Marion walked through the door after his final flight home.

Next, we celebrated the holidays with family, packed up what supposedly makes up my life and drove north toward Vancouver on December 28th.

Celebrating my favorite Christmas Eve on record with our daughter, Hannah, on our boat in Marina del Rey.

We took three days to cover the journey with stops in Redding, CA, and Vancouver, WA, and then rolled over the Canadian border to Vancouver just after 3P on Monday December 30th. We are staying in a comfortable apartment in the Fairview area of Vancouver, which is a very walkable/runnable part of the city and reminds me a lot of San Francisco. I like it.

Post Sunday lunch-date stroll with Netflix’ finest VFX team: From left - My Husband Marion, Adam Chazen, and Jared Higgins.

Naturally, I’ve spent the first couple of weeks getting my bearings of our new neighborhood, embracing the crisp and damp climate, cheering on a zillion football games, walking Blue on countless loops around the block, spending time getting to know Marion’s friends/co-workers, and watching from afar our beloved Los Angeles burn.

During a run on Saturday standing on the Sea Wall near Stanley Park pointing south toward Los Angeles.

Our house is still standing, it is about ten miles away from the current closest fires, but the destruction to Pacific Palisades, Alta Dena, Malibu, and surrounding areas has been devastating. I feel guilty being here, away from the flames, smoke, sadness, and frustration that is overwhelming our city, but I am grateful that I am not still home alone. I am grateful that I made the leap to leave my comfort zone and move to Canada to support Marion and to let him support me; even though the catalyst was a near-death experience I could’ve done without, the crash shook me to my core, realigned my priorities, and however painful it was, (physically, emotionally, spiritually) I am grateful for the outcome because home is wherever we are together.

Before the song and video of the week, I wanted to share that I was honored to be a guest on two podcast episodes released last week hosted by teammates of mine from Biscay Coaching, Ciara Stockeland from the Two Gens Tri podcast and Joy McAdams from the Waterfall Racing podcast:

The Two Gens Tri podcast and The Waterfall Racing podcast.

Finally, the song and video choice this week is a tune that became my anthem as I was re-learning how to use my left hand, and the crescendo of being able to put my hair up in my signature ponytail. Enjoy.