Where’s William Now? He is adjusting back to his original life on the Monterey Peninsula. I returned late Tuesday night, used Wednesday to get settled, and Thursday was set aside to help my youngest son move to Walnut Creek. Currently, I’m sitting at one of my favorite spots, Earthbound Farms in Carmel Valley, having my favorite hot latte. It’s nice to be home. This will be post #40, and it will serve two purposes: (1) share my final evening in Toronto, and (2) announce my immediate plans for the Where’s William Now blog.

After 81 blows at Toronto Golf Club, Charles and Sera picked me up for my final night in Canada. Both of them are very social and connected, so they generally choose hip, unique places to show me. They also don’t hesitate to ask their hip F-1 Monaco daughters for suggestions. The genesis of the F-1 Monaco daughters’ nickname originated as a part of a larger story, which will not be shared here to protect the innocent. However, my favorite piece of that story is when a nightclub bouncer swept them out of a long entry line and into the fancy club–right past Ed Sheeran and Post Malone. Suffice to say, these girls are ballers.

We ended up at Pai for dinner, which is a hole-in-the wall Thai restaurant with Michelin star ratings and a celebrity clientele. There were photos on the walls featuring the owners with Drake, James Harden, LeBron James, a host of actors/actresses, and various Toronto Maple Leafs, who are the REAL celebrities in Toronto. We had a one hour wait, but I enjoyed the hustle and bustle around the bar. I am an operations guy in golf, so I noticed how well the Pai staff was handling the controlled chaos around them. I didn’t see one worker hurry, appear stressed, or behave like they didn’t know exactly where they should be in every moment. It was like watching an orchestra, and each staff member was contributing their own musical notes. Dinner was the symphony and it was spectacular.

Next stop was BarChef, where drinks on the menu top out at $45. An understated entry makes it hard to find, and the interior whispers dark speakeasy with an apothecary vibe. We had 6 different cocktails between us and each one had a distinct glass, color, temperature, and taste. We were also each gifted a strange spoonful of something that contained alcohol and some kind of boba that melted on the roof of your mouth. It was accessorized with a steaming pot, which had no purpose other than making it look more weird. Not my jam. But when you’re in Toronto with Charles and Sera, you do what the cool people do. I was still slightly buzzed when Charles dropped me three hours before my flight, which proved some of my personality quirks will never change. I absolutely MUST get to the airport and the golf course WAY too early because my two worst fears are missing a flight and missing a tee time.

For the remainder of October, while my next chapter is in limbo, I’ve decided on sharing 10 of my all-time favorite golf stories. This will take the Where’s William Now blog to a meaningful round number of 50 posts. At that point, I may continue to travel/blog or I may put it on hiatus. Just like my future, who knows? But just like my travel adventure, I’m leaning into the discomfort of not over-controlling the outcomes. I’m immersing myself in the process of life and trusting it will take me to where I’m supposed to be. That means being more present and committed to where my feet are in each moment. Thanks for sharing this life-changing experience with me and I hope you decide to stay for the Intermezzo.

Bill