What a whirlwind this January was. The clouds seem to clear for the first time in very long, and the future is looking bright as hell. Such an unexpected 180 turn, it makes me dizzy just thinking about it. My heart is full of gratitude and renewed strength. Bring it 2025. đȘâïž
Pictured above, such a pleasure to be back on stage yesterday at the Comedy Clubhouse for Midweek crisis comedy! Set #11 and counting!
As we reach the middle of this Transgender Awareness Week, today marks two anniversaries: two years since I started transitioning and one year since I came out socially. To say that I was fortunate would be a vast understatement: the reactions from my family, friends and colleagues have been and continue to be overwhelmingly positive, and my now-not-so-new job (another one year anniversary!) has been incredibly supportive and kind.
Even though I regained the pounds I lost during that first year (Iâm working on it okay?), I have never felt so in tune with my body and my feelings. Everything feels ârightâ. I wonât say there are no ups and downs, no moments of doubt, no occasional dip into darkness⊠but I increasingly come out of these stronger and more determined to stay the course, because I know itâs the correct one. I look in the mirror now and I see me, the real me, no longer a glimpse from the corner of my eye, but real and defiant and looking back, as if to ask whatâs next.
Whatâs next? I donât know. But the journey so far has been profoundly validating and meaningful, and joyful too. And to be able to share this joy and validation, and my deep gratitude, during this week, is a privilege.
Thank you to all my family, friends, colleagues and allies who supported me, and support the community, in these uncertain years. You make a difference.
Itâs never too late to be yourself.
Love,
Chel
It is with great sadness that I learned today that Bernard Chabbert had passed away, aged 78.
Chabbert was a legend in the European aviation scene, a pilot, a journalist and writer, but most of all an incredibly talented storyteller, and a staple of many airshows for decades, captivating crowds all over Europe with his stories, his anecdotes, his passion for flying machines and the men and women who build, maintain and pilot them.
Back in the 90’s, he created and presented a TV program called PĂ©gase, and it was through this show that I learned about the incredible adventures of how the 747 and the Concorde came to be, or how some guy in Spain was building his own plane from scratch in his garage, that I discovered the Waco, probably the most stylish biplane ever made (the footage of a red Waco taking off from a grassy strip on a misty morning is burned in my memory…), that I watched gliders soar over the Alps, powered by nothing but wind and air pressure… and so many other things
I listened to him tell his stories in so many airshows… the Rassemblement International dâHydravions de Biscarrosse show in 2012, Flying Legends at Duxford in 2015, our very own FĂ©ria de l’Air in NĂźmes in 2015 which I helped organize, the Temps des HĂ©lices at FertĂ©-Alais in 2018, Air Legends in Melun in 2021… But I only had the chance to meet him once, when he was signing, along with illustrator Romain Hugault, his book about Saint-ExupĂ©ry, at that last meeting in Melun, in 2021. It was, in every sense, like meeting a childhood hero. He signed my book and we exchanged a few words, then the same happened with Hugault, and I walked on clouds for the rest of the day. It’s no exaggeration to say that airshows won’t be the same without him.
I was hoping there would be more opportunities. I will cherish the one I did have.
Blue skies, Bernard. And thanks for the memories.
So the secret’s out, at long last! No, this is not a joke. The time has finally come for the world to know.
My name is Rachel, I’m transgender. I have been quietly working on transitioning for several months now. What does this mean? It means that, while I was born with a boyâs body, I have always felt like a girl wearing an ill-fitting âboy-suitâ. This is something that Iâve been feeling on some level for my entire life, even though it took me until my late 30s to realize what those feelings meant.
I won’t go into the details of transition, but starting HRT last year was a like a fog lifting after a dark night. It was as if I could suddenly see everything in a bright, clear new light. See in full, bright colors, after years of grey. I suddenly cared about my body and what I put into it, about my health, and appearance… Iâm happier in my own skin now than I have ever been.
What does this mean going forward? Well, to start with, there will be the obvious adjustments in names and pronouns when talking to/referring to me. My name is Rachel Louise Relat. You can call me Rachel or just Chel, feel free to find whatever is most comfortable and easiest for you to adjust to. My pronouns are she/her.
Other than that, Iâm pretty much the same person Iâve always been, just happier and more open about myself. I still like writing and photography and video games and reading and old planes and sailing. I’m still working on the Uncertain War trilogy and on the third book in the Ascalon series (and way behind schedule on both!). I’ll need a bit of time to get the listings updated on Amazon and I haven’t quite decided if I’m keeping the site as is or if I’ll change it, but that’s about the only small delays I can foresee…
Most of all, Iâm glad to finally have this out in the open so I can start 2023 as myself!
If you got this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. If you want to find out more about Trans people in general, check out this website http://transwhat.org/confused/, or feel free to ask me!
Love
Chel.
Some pretty big changes are coming this week that are going to shuffle things around quite a bit, be ready to update your bookmarks… and maybe some assumptions! It’s something that’s been a long time coming and I’m very excited to finally be able to share it!
While my current focus is chiefly The Uncertain War, I’m happy to say I’ve also completed the basic outline for The Commodore’s Gold, the third installment of the Ascalon Circle series. I’m not quite sure when I’ll start on the first draft, but that’s neat. Also defined a few of the planes that will make an appearance alongside the titular Commodore…
As things stand right now, I’m looking at a late 2023 release for TCG. (I’m writing the TUW trilogy as a single unit, and I anticipate coordinating everything will take most of my time in 2022).
But hey, progress is progress, right?
This weekend, I shut down my historic domain freylia.net.
I first opened this website in August 2003, during an internship at the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg. I was making progress with HTML/CSS and I had grown tired of the limited confines of Geocities-hosted pages… The site started as a System Shock and Deus Ex fan site; it also exposed many elements of what is now The Uncertain War, the main draft of which (currently undergoing heavy rewrites) I wrote during the 2006 or 2007 edition of NaNoWriMo.
I also hosted several sub-sites for a while, ranging from walkthroughs to fan projects, some of which I participated in. From gaming, it evolved into a file repository, then a portfolio of services, from Translations, to Photography, to Desktop Publishing.
It went through many lives, but even when it was occasionally on hold, there was always a plan to bring it back. This is the first time since 2003 that I take it down indefinitely. My focus, as far as websites are concerned, is now firmly on presenting and promoting my books. This is not the only change I have in mind, as this is part of the process I alluded to in my last post; But this is the first, and its symbolic significance to me is pretty deep.
The simplest thing is, freylia.net was created when I was a different person, and as such it belonged in the past. It is time to close this door now, and look towards the future.
Starting immediately Iâm taking a break from all social media (Twitter, FB & IG) indefinitely to take care of myself and focus on my mental health (and the WIP).
I don’t plan on returning any time soon this time so as before, follow this space for news and updates.
A quick note to inform you all that I have pushed back the release date of “The Kerguelen Cat” two weeks, from May 1st to May 15th, 2021.
This slight delay is caused by certain marketing requirements. Work on the book is still going fine, I’m currently going through the last rounds of edits before being professionally reviewed. After I pass it on to my editor next month, I will be finalizing the paperback cover design, and begin work on the typesetting for both ebook and paperback format. Then, it will be the final checks and proofreading before release, followed by the elaboration of the Ascalon companion booklet.
Announcement: Building healthier habits is one of my 2021 intentions. As a result, starting immediately Iâll be taking a break from all social media (Twitter, FB & IG) for the next thirty days, to take care of myself and better focus on the new job and the edits.
Follow this space for news and updates!