Okay folks, I just was looking at my stats for the past couple of days and a look at the search listings made me realize that I need to sit down with you guys and have a serious heart to heart talk. See, at least one person searched “Sage Todd Tyrtle Divorce” this week which on the one hand is funny and on the other hand makes me realize I may not have explained what’s going on very well and as a result at least one person is speculating. I almost feel like the parent who has to explain to his kids about what is and is not indicative of a relationship problem. “No, honey, just because we aren’t living together at the moment doesn’t mean we don’t love each other very much.”

Okay, so here’s the story. My job involves consulting within the pharmaceutical industry. I’m not going to bother explaining because I still haven’t figured out how to explain it easily and concisely to folks like border guards and relatives so I’m not even going to bother. Let’s just leave it as I go to various pharmaceutical companies and help them stay compliant with FDA regulations, OK? I work for a company that is contracted by the pharmaceutical companies to help them out. Sometimes the projects are quick - a day or two, sometimes they are long like my 18 month job in New Mexico. Often they are local and I am home every night. However, every once in a while, my skills are in sufficient demand outside the local area that I have to get on a plane and go to visit the client.

The job here in Quebec is one of those cases. They’ve sent me out here and paid my expenses to stay here and help my client. In addition, Sage and Paul have been able to visit about once a month and I’ve been visiting them some as of late. We’ve also been hanging out online via skype video/audio chat every night. Being virtual daddy isn’t the optimum but it beats email or the phone hands down.

Yes, we could be upset about it and bemoan our misfortune at having to be apart. But we choose to look at it as a great opportunity. I get to practice my French. Sage and Paul get to come and visit and have a place to stay (there’s lots of history and culture to be seen here in Quebec). On top of that, as I’m paying for expenses on a credit card that turns dollars spent into air miles, we have a plan that Paul and I will take a long, probably international trip when this is over. On top of that, the extra effort is helping me save up ‘banked hours’ that should amount to a month or more extra vacation time by the time I’m done. And most importantly, it’s temporary. This too shall pass, and I’ll be back in Toronto and meanwhile we’re enjoying what we can of it.

I think of it as maintaining a balance. Sure, it would be great to be home every night but that isn’t possible in the path that we’ve chosen. The path, however, has led us to some great things we do want (including eventual Canadian citizenship, learning new languages, living in Toronto, being able to be car-free). It also is a balance in that while I may be away now, I am very often able to work from home. In fact, from October until February with the exception for a couple weeks that I traveled to Pennsylvania, I was working from home nearly every day.

So worry not, folks. I haven’t moved out or anything weird like that.