Navigating unexpected turns in life can be interesting and scary. This is the story of giving back to the community that may have saved our lives.

In 1998, we met on a blind date in Tribeca, Manhattan. Steve is a native New Yorker, and I consider myself the same, having lived and worked there for decades. Steve is a musician who had owned/operated several retail stores in midtown Manhattan, buying, selling and custom-building instruments for famous musicians. In the 1980s he started a new career as a technology/management consultant, with long-term clients such as Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the American Arbitration Association. I had worked as an art/photography director for Martha Stewart, Estée Lauder, and J. Crew. I am also a singer, so we had music in common; therefore, it was a match! We moved in together downtown in August 2001.

In September 2001, we got caught in the middle of the Trade Center attacks because our apartment was in the "crime zone". Steve felt the impact of the first plane and ran home from the health club, meters from the tower, to stop me from leaving for work that day. We heard the second plane zoom past the window of our apartment and simultaneously watched its approach on television, then felt it slam into the towers as our building shuddered. That tragic event led to our new and amazing life here.

During the aftermath, our city felt unlivable, with continuous truck bomb checks, and all-night jack-hammering, rebuilding under the streets. There were daily terrorism alert level announcements, to let citizens know how frightened to be each day. We brainstormed about what to do if it happened again. We also wanted children, and a safe place to raise them.

Through friends, we had a small social and business network here. We loved the area. So in October 2001, one month after the horror of 9/11, we decided to purchase land ―in the woods! We put up a yurt, so we could vacation on our new, beautiful land, and that's what we did, for another few years.

In 2005, we officially said good-bye to New York, and hello to the welcoming arms of the Laurentians. Another year later, we had twins, continuing to work for clients from our paradise, while managing the newborns.

November 2011 we opened Techspa, in Saint-Sauveur, offering technology services, branding and design. We thought about creating a bilingual online publication with an integrated communication platform that would connect all the dispersed people, municipalities, businesses and community groups, and publish their news, information, passions and projects. Finally, our dream is materializing. We are building GO LAURENTIDES and we invite you to collaborate with us.

The excited feedback from this community is incredibly encouraging, confirming our belief that this amazing region truly needs GO LAURENTIDES. To be notified about our launch date, please subscribe at www.techspa.ca/gl.