In the quaint town of Monaco, two childhood best friends, Charles and Avianna, have always had a special bond. Their parents would bring both of them to all the kart racing and formula races. Since then, the two have trained, grown, and dreamed toge...
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THE FINAL RACE of the Formula 1 Season 2023 has ended, and finally, the off-season has come. Home beckons; I can now return to the sun-kissed-golden scenery of Monaco. People might think that during off-seasons, drivers are spending time doing their own kind of shit or doing nothing at all, but the truth is, it's a different kind of race.
Sure, there are no weekly races, pressure, intense heat, and roaring engines, but our responsibilities follow us wherever we go. Maintaining peak physical fitness is a continuous commitment for us drivers. The only difference is we can do it at our own pace without heavier pressure.
I actually have more things to do during breaks than when having an actual season. I spend more time with my family, dogs, friends, and fans. Alongside that, I also try to travel to new places and try more physical activities, which I enjoy as an adrenaline junkie.
For this week, I decided to stay at my place own in Monaco before visiting my mom so I could fully rest first before catching up with my family. I usually spend my 'me time,' if that's what you call it, 'cause I just learned it from an interview, playing the piano, streaming while playing simulators, going on road trips, and working out.
I'm not in the mood for food deliveries today, so I decided to cook my own dinner. As I opened my fridge and my food storage, I giggled at myself as there was nothing there but canned chicken breast and rice. It was as if the gods were at my side when I found canned corn and mushrooms on my fridge. I decided to get all of them, mix them, put some butter in them, add some seasonings, and see what masterpiece would be made. I'm a good chef, after all.
I couldn't stop but smile as I started to plate my dinner. I had a spoonful of it, and all I can say is this is a flavorful meal, a spectacular taste of hard work.
As I was about to return to my room, my phone suddenly rang, showing an unknown caller.
"Who's this?" I said with a hesitant voice. The caller on the other line didn't answer me, but he giggled. That's when I realized it was Lando.
"I am hurt, mate. For our entire friendship and journey as drivers, you still haven't saved my number?" he said dramatically. "Are you in Monaco, mate?"
"Yes, I am. Why did you ask?" I asked him back.
"I was wondering if we could meet there in the next three days. I am also going with Pierre 'cause we have something to attend to and meet with." As he talked, I was already checking my phone to see the calendar and schedule just in case I had prior commitments.
"Yeah, sure, Lando. Just text me whenever."
My routine went on for days. Eat, sleep, piano, simulators, workout, and so on until the day of the meetup with Lando and Pierre arrived. As planned, Lando sent me the details about where we will be having our dinner, and it turns out that it will be a local restaurant here in Monaco, near where I am staying right now.
