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Blake Foster

@blakefoster7171

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Instagram #coccolobaguajira..Just trying to be happy like everyone else here..nothing deeper or more insightful than that 😝 #coccolobabeachhotel

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Over my shoulder you can see a herd of Bighorn Sheep..I remember the impact these animals made on me when we moved to Kamloops when I was seven..I encourage you to Google a video of them on YouTube: they're amazing! Last week when I arrived at my mom's house after a late night out,my car scared away a bear which was in front of our garage..I've seen countless deer since I've been here..all these things I took for granted and never consciously acknowledged before..I now also notice the topography and nature of the region, along with its fascinating cultures..When I see Indigenous people from the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc community,it has never fathomed on me how incredible it is to be part of such diversity..same goes for when I see cowboys around town.. for some reason I'm noticing all these things with fresh tourist eyes instead of the dullness that comes with familiarity.. somewhat along the same lines, while I usually don't think in nostalgic terms, I've been having a lot of prominent memories which I hadn't revisited in several decades.. previously when people reminded me of stories, I would always quickly dismiss it, while now I relive the details and fully acknowledge internally all aspects of said story.. it's quite peculiar because this sort of reflecting isn't something I usually participate in..a lot of different emotions are attached to all of this..it also might be spurred on by my thoughts on the precariousness of aging and the finite state of everything, especially in regards to the people I care for..all that darn hot yoga I've been doing is also unlocking a lot of things..as I grow older I'm getting more compassionate and empathetic.. it's easier being young and self centered.. good thing I've forgotten a lot of the crazy stories from my youth around here because I feel tremendous guilt for the indifference I once possessed..it was grounded in immaturity and self pity, but I often had no regard for the impact my actions had on others..Colombia threw me a big chunk of karma in various forms..I've lost the ruthlessness I once carried as armour, so I'm thankful to feel sincerely more humane in my heart now.my life education continues.. by @blakefoster7171

🇨🇦 This is a really beautiful part of the world..laid back Salt Spring Island has been a welcome contrast to busy Europe..I am spending some days exploring the Gulf Islands of British Columbia in Canada..though I'm originally from this corner of the earth, I'm not entirely familiar with all of these islands..big bonus to experience this with people I love..I'll spend a bit of time here and then in Vancouver before going to my hometown of Kamloops..I love living in France but I miss my family and friends in Canada..I also have great family and friends in France, but interspersed with some of the salty abrasive souls that lurk amongst the French population,so it's nice to be able to put my guard down here..population density and space are big factors in the level of intensity a place carries..I'm trying to enjoy the positive aspects that everywhere has to offer..connecting with nature certainly helps me unwind..I take a lot of things for granted and though I'm always aware of this conceptually, I feel like I'm learning this at a deeper level now..this is the path to that elusive happiness we all seek..the years are flying by so I'm trying to be present and not let everything blend into one another..I've dismissed too much..the concept is simple but so difficult to hold onto in a consistent basis..I'm standing still as everything is getting older around me..I won't see my daughters until November and they will be so different by then..it's a beautiful process to witness, though I also want to hang on to what has passed..traveling always gives the gift of providing perspective..invaluable..I've had some negative energies clinging to me and I'm learning to shed them in a graceful manner..it's my responsibility to not let anyone steal my peace..I see it clearly..I'm finally learning that I can have compassion from a distance and still be a good person..wow that was a lot of suffering involved to reach that conclusion..it's all making a lot of sense finally..so how does this work? The moment before we die all the pieces of this big puzzle come together and absolutely everything makes sense?! 😅 Ok ok,I'll keep trying to enjoy the ride until then..❤️👊 by @blakefoster7171

First day back to school..the girls were excited..I'm having too much fun being a dad..even though she's still eleven, my eldest is transitioning out of childhood and it's all going by very quickly..in a couple of years my youngest will do the same and then It'll be moody pre-teens instead of adoring children..my eldest is devoted to art so I have to accept that she doesn't want to compete with her athletic body.. it's a shame because she has quick feet and soft hands for someone her size,but alas, it's not fair to want to live vicariously through our children..we have her in a renowned art school and she's very devoted, so I'm begrudgingly accepting that I'll never see her on an Olympic podium..all the athletic pressure is on my youngest now.. whatever she chooses.. last year we had her in gymnastics and the club now put her in a more advanced group, so this will be exciting to watch.. she's nervous about the challenge.. she's so intrepid and active that she's already had several injuries away from sports..it's hard to picture her not having injury problems the way I did for my entire athletic career for the same sort of attitude.. bluster and energy instead of calculated and tempered logic.. I'm joking about athletic expectations..of course I would have enjoyed observing them navigate through a world that I was familiar with and adored..I happened to end up concentrating on basketball but I used to love all sports..they brought me so much joy.. competing and challenging myself was incredibly fun..I took it extremely seriously..too much so.. injuries and constant dissatisfaction were the ugly sides but I was addicted..my eldest isn't chasing adrenaline so my masculine, Generation X,North American mindset is worlds away from my sensitive,young, European/Latina,female artist..I have to be vigilant about my youngest though because she's fearless.. I find it entertaining but my macho side struggles with the reckless irresponsible feeling that comes up when my little girl is injured.. overcoming adversity etc is all good, but I don't want to raise someone who puts themself in danger..I used to love danger but I don't want my daughters to think like that.. by @blakefoster7171

Fontainebleau is fifty kilometers south of Paris.. this picture is in the throne room of where over thirty French kings have sat..that blows my mind and I love history..I haven't been to Chateau Fontainebleau in many years and I was glad to introduce my daughters to this beautiful place..it has an important place in French history..the girls have been learning a lot..I've been administering verbal exams in exchange for ice cream bribes and the like.. I'm mixing in a lot of fun kids stuff so they're having the time of their lives.. tomorrow my cousin is coming to visit from our hometown,which is three hours east of Paris..I really love being in Paris and it always does my soul some good..it's great to visit but when I reflect on the times I have lived here,it was always with mixed feelings because big city life wears you down with the passing years..big cities is a young man's game..later in life my priorities have changed.. sensations like excitement are replaced with family connection..everything is working out and life is taking its course.. by @blakefoster7171

I'm in Paris all of August with my daughters..friends are welcome to join us btw..I finally took them to my old graduate school from nineteen years ago.. it's changed names from École National des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) to École des Ponts Paris Tech and most recently under the SciencesPo umbrella..I completed my MBA here..we were the last class at this particular location in the Saint Germain des Prés area of central Paris before they moved the school to another location..I was happy to show the girls my old haunts and the accompanying memories of frantically studying for whatever upcoming exam or project.. before enrolling at ENPC I had recently retired from playing professional basketball..in my last years of playing I had also completed my bachelor's degree in French art and history..it was an exciting time and a new life phase.. being exposed to the affluent and educated was a totally different world from the alpha sports environment I had been immersed in..good grades combined with the prestigious reputation of the school opened up some fantastic opportunities for me after graduation..I seamlessly slipped into the suit and tie world for a few years..I had some fantastic experiences and was exposed to situations I never dreamed of ever being in..I was thriving and happy,or so I thought..it all changed when I was on the cusp of engaging in a big time business with an associate where I was living in London..on a whim, he also introduced me to a new age spirituality concept he had recently embarked on..to my surprise, this opened up an entirely new world to me and I've never returned to the business, academic,sports,or any other "ego related" pursuits since..my life took on a completely different trajectory and I've stayed true to the process ever since..It makes little sense to previous colleagues of mine, but I guess it was my destiny..I never spend time reflecting on how my life would have unfolded had I not gone to that initial new age meeting in London..I wonder what the next surprise will be.. maybe it's time to merge all of my previous worlds but with a healthier perspective.. I'm still making sense of the Colombian wrinkle.. learning.. thinking.. by @blakefoster7171

🇫🇷 Picture on the beach beside my daughter's school..my eldest is proudly wearing the Colombian national team jersey I just brought her back from Colombia..btw,we were the only Canadians cheering in the bar when we went to watch the World Cup game..as a joke I told the waitress that my eleven year old daughter was eighteen and she sort of believed me since my daughter is as tall as most women..I had a great visit to Colombia but I'm glad to be back with my daughters.. it's too bad that Canada lost but we were compensated with the France win..tonight we're cheering for Colombia..Nice is packed with tourists at the moment..swimming at the beach is a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat and crowds.. the school year just ended..I'm happy that the girls are now finally in the full rhythm of the French language and school system..both of their grades have been improving..we'll spend all of August in Paris together so I'm going to really push for their English language improvement.. I'll be running the show without any influence from their mom..my daughters seem happy with their lives so my goal is being achieved..after the summer I'll go see my parents in Canada.. family relationships has been my priority the last few years..people I love who have health issues cause me moments of anxiety and sadness..it's sometimes tough..I'm now going to start putting more energy into my Coccoloba Beach in Colombia and my overall health..my balance comes in the form of big chunks so I'm going to start attending to some different categories I've been neglecting lately.. I'm still getting weirder as I age..I don't know if it's declining mental health or if I'm the only one who sees how ridiculous a lot of aspects of life are, but I'm finding it harder and harder to relate to society, not that I ever did...ego and lack of character seem to be paramount guiding principles for many..I try to be understanding and compassionate but it's sometimes difficult to want to interact with the world..so much pettiness..or I'm whacky and finally having to deal with it.. anyhow, I hope I'm filling my daughter's heads up with more good than bad..#keepfightingthegoodfight by @blakefoster7171

I'm enjoying Colombia 🇨🇴 ,as I always do..such a vibrant place..I'm at my hotel and I have thousands of these sugar mangoes 🥭..they're the most addictive thing on earth..whenever I'm in Colombia, I am constantly smiling..when I live here,I don't smile because the negative aspects wear me down, but when I'm only visiting for a month or two, I'm always vibeing on a high frequency..it's always good times..if it weren't for my daughters and parents,I'd be here much more..on my way to my Coccoloba Beach, I always do the same routine and spend several days in Bogota, Santa Marta, and Palomino before arriving..I always stay in the same neighborhoods so I'm constantly running into people I know on the streets..it makes me feel like I belong..going to different countries and plugging into these different worlds fascinates me..my past,behavior, interactions, etc is so distinct from one parallel universe to the other..I know it sounds corny but I can't think of another word than "privileged"..I feel lucky to be accepted and embraced in these different universes..especially here where people make me feel like they are sincerely happy to see me..it's cultural conditioning but I have always found that to be such a lovely aspect of the Colombian culture: nobody would ever want to make another person feel badly..not at the surface level of a face to face encounter anyhow..the usual days here of sun and sand..relaxation and health..laughter and socializing..it's not a perfect place but it can seem so in small sample sizes..a lot of life lessons were learned here and it wasn't easy..open but cautious..never oblivious..present.. by @blakefoster7171

Today we had a great day at the Monaco Grand Prix electric car racing..it's exactly the same as the Formula One version, which takes place in a couple of weeks,minus the big names and the noisy combustible engines..seeing it live does bring a lot more excitement to the sport than the TV coverage provides..the crowd gasps when there's an accident and it's impossible not to feel genuine concern..my youngest caught a T-shirt from the T-shirt canon team..not to mention that the girls loved all the cool kids activities in the fan village... tomorrow we'll go cheer on our OGC Nice soccer team for their last regular season game..even though they have one of the bigger budgets for League 1,if they lose then they have to play a League 2 team where the loser plays in League 2 next season.. this would be disastrous for the rabid fanatic fans that we like to sit near..if we win tomorrow then we stay in League 1,so we're looking forward to this high stakes electric atmosphere.. aside from all of this, I've been taking my daughters to the library which is beside my place.. there's private rooms which are set up like a living room and you can book time slots to play different video games there..since I don't allow my daughters any kind of screen time, I thought that this was a good way to off balance the feeling of alienation that comes with not being in the mainstream herd..a controlled exposure to the hype.. I'm the boring dad who's promoting healthy and wholesome activities..it seems my babies have found their niche: my youngest loves gymnastics and my eldest goes to a good art school..they were both initially a bit resistant to the format of technical learning for something they deemed to be strictly for pleasure,but they're now enjoying the results after learning fundamentals of their respective passion.. school summer holidays are six weeks away.. we've already been enjoying the beach and will start biking around all the new bike lanes that slither throughout the city center.. the girls are happy so that's what's important to me..I feel like I had my fun and a good life,so now it's all about them...until they grow and realize that I'm not that cool..it's starting already by @blakefoster7171

Youniverso… Retiro de sanación, del 18 al 25 de marzo de 2026.
Medicina de la palabra con (Mambe y Ambil)
Turismo Consciente: Dibulla - La Punta De Los Remedios - La Guajira.
Ceremonia de Rape
Actividad Cultural (Pesca Artesanal)
Medicina del pensamiento (Tejido de chinchorros)
Medicina de contemplación (Avistamiento de Aves y Ecosistema)
Ritual de Despojo (Soltar y Liberar)
Ceremonia con plantas sagradas
Terapia Sonora y un lugar paradisíaco @coccolobabeachhotel
Encuentro con nuestro Niño(a) Interior.#retiros #sanación #colombia🇨🇴 #niñointerior #terapiasonora by @blakefoster7171

Musée d'Orsay in Paris is one of my favorite museums..it's smaller than the Louvre and therefore less overwhelming..I always force museum visits onto my daughters,along with a lot of other fun kid activities, so every trip is a mix of education and party..my eldest has been to this particular museum half a dozen times and today was the first time that on her own initiative she took interest in a painting and remembered who the artist was..it made me feel like finally all the past suffering of me dragging them to museums has paid off..they may finally embrace culture on their own without having me force feed it to them..I consider this a victory for all of us well meaning parents I see coercing their off spring through these large complexes..the painting we're in front of is by Courbet..he influenced many impressionist painters and I'm particularly fond of him because he's from Ornans, in the Doubs department in the Franche Comté région of France..his village was 20 kilometers from the village where I spent a lot of my childhood..my family has been there for a thousand years so I was telling my daughters that it wouldn't be impossible that they share genetics with Courbet, because the dating pool back then was dependent on geographical proximity..I like Courbet paintings because he always captures the light and feel of my childhood in his paintings..you can immediately tell his paintings take place in the Doubs department so it always feels like an honor to be able to immediately identify the tacit mood of his paintings..that's my turf...I'm still feeling under slept as I just got back from Canada and only had a two day turnaround in Nice before coming to Paris with my daughters.. I'm really happy to be back with them and to be able to expose them to different sorts of experiences..as usual,we have a bunch of cool stuff planned and I love watching them grow and enjoy life..they're maturing and developing..I'm cherishing these moments..years ago I decided to sacrifice my professional and financial ambitions in order to invest that energy into my children..it hasn't always been easy and I've had doubts, but ultimately I'm confident that I made the right decision.. by @blakefoster7171

I had a great visit to Canada..Vancouver is where I was born..here I am with my first step dad: Graeme..I didn't see him often in my youth..I thought he was my biological father until at age 22 I was informed that my biological father was a German named Nikolas..I feel I've talked about this ad nauseam but here we go again..until around age seven,my childhood was between France and Vancouver..at eight months of age I went from Vancouver to France..then a couple of years later I went back to Vancouver..then a couple of years after I went back to France..then a couple of years later I was back in Vancouver, where I then went to Kamloops shortly thereafter because of my second step father:Jorgen..if you think it's confusing to read this now, think how scattered I felt to have to constantly adapt to a new culture and language during those developing years..I remember being teased for not understanding whichever respective language I was trying to learn again..at around age 5,I took the plane alone..when my grandparents picked me up from the airport in France, we were once again strangers to each other..reuniting with my French mother in Vancouver during those intermittent years was equally unsettling..not only would I be dealing with the new language/culture,but also the new rules of the regime of my new circumstances,in addition to not knowing when my next deployment was going to take place 🙂..all my childhood memories are spliced together with contrasts of elaborate French desserts and tasty donuts in Vancouver..spacious Stanley Park and my quaint French village where I roamed freely..chronologically there's no order..the vibe was so different in each place but it's all jumbled together..I was a wild child and I thought my estranged big city dad Graeme was the coolest..this was further enhanced by the psychological phenomenon of craving what we can't have..he was luke warm interested in me as I was growing up (this later made sense once I found out that he had volunteered as a young man to be my father and not because of biological obligation)..my mom's guilty conscience cumulated when I was 22 and she revealed to me the truth.. confusion but finally resolution.. by @blakefoster7171

Algunas experiencias de “Youniverso Retreat”, del 18 al 25 de marzo de 2026, en un mágico lugar: @coccolobabeachhotel, La Punta De Los Remedios, Dibulla - La Guajira. Un territorio donde la naturaleza (Mar Caribe, La Laguna de Mamavita y La Sierra Nevada), es la protagonista de estos maravillosos encuentros de almas.
Una semana de sanación, limpieza y despertar con plantas sagradas. Gracias a nuestros participantes: Natalia, Catalina, Blanca, Oscar, Javier, Juan David, Sebastian y Jeferson, por abrir sus corazones y permitir la conexión con la madre tierra.#medicinaancestral #naturaleza #meditation #limpiezaenergetica #avistamientodeaves by @blakefoster7171