19 Nov, 2023

I don’t get sick.

I tell that to people a lot.

In fact, I said it to someone last week.

Right before I got sick.

I can’t remember the last time I was ill. I mean, there was the inevitable faux-illness following the first Covid vaccine. But actually feeling feverish from a real pathogen? It’s definitely been longer than the six years I’ve lived in Canada. It’s not fun.

Maybe visiting five countries in ten days took more out of me than I thought.

Or France has more powerful germs.

Like their onions.

I don’t cry cooking with onions. Except, here I do. Every time I chop an onion it gets me. Boom. Crying. It’s intense!

Anyway, back to the sickness.

Of course, the day’s I felt the worst were over the weekend, while the sun shone on the fresh layer of snow that had settled in the mountains.

My appetite disappeared for days. While my friends went in search of fresh tracks, I went in search of painkillers and sugary drinks, just to get some calories in me. Not reading the french cans properly, I accidentally bought the low sugar option on my first run. For two days I struggled to sleep properly. Too hot, too cold, too sore. But as the week went on I felt better. A week later, I still feel like my stomach is half the size. My fridge has been a rotation of half-finished bowls of porridge and chickpea curry.

The most frustrating part was wanting to re-energise with junk for, but having no good options. When you live in a ski town during off season, everything is closed. There are no takeaway options, and no fast food joints. I couldn’t even get a pizza from the grocery store because my apartment lacked an oven.

It’s left me feeling exhausted.

I’m not sure if it’s the lingering apathy from watching hours of films every day to pass the time, or something bigger. Either way I’m finding it tough to get back into my usual productive self.

Still, it was good to get out for the first ski of the season yesterday. I coughed and spluttered my way up the mountain after a group of very fit locals. The snow was better than expected, given the warm rain we’ve been having. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like any more snow is coming anytime soon. Turns out Chamonix gets about 1/3rd of the snowfall of North America. Whoops.

In other good news, my whirlwind trip around the world seems to have paid off. My driving licence arrived at my sister’s house this week. Now she just needs to remember to bring it to Christmas.

Finger’s crossed.