What an Adventure!

This past weekend has been an adventure, to say the least. It has been challenging, exciting, and exhilarating. I have been pushed to my limits in more ways than one, and have proven to myself that I have more in me than I thought. It all started when I dropped my kids off for the weekend with their Grandma.

I have been away from my five year old several times. She stays with her Grandma for a few days every summer, and I am never anxious about it. I have never left my little one for more than a day though. This weekend, I left her for two whole nights. Thinking about it all week long made me burst into silent tears at moments. I would miss my girls terribly, and I am still nursing my baby, so I was in knots wondering if I had expressed enough milk to last her the weekend. Another thing that made me anxious was the fact that she plays strange with everyone except myself and my husband. She doesn't like other people to hold or sometimes even touch her. When I'm around, she screams if I give her to someone else. I was worried she'd scream all weekend long. She also doesn't sleep through the night yet, and I wondered how she'd do in the middle of the night without me. Turns out I stressed out for nothing! She was fine (of course she was). She went for a nap as soon as we arrived at Grandma's, so she didn't cry when I left, and apparently she was fine the whole time. She ate well, but wouldn't take any bottles. She didn't drink a drop of the milk I sent, the little stinker! She was fine though, and didn't seem to care either way. So, I have successfully left my littlest one with Grandma, and we both lived. Excellent.

The next part of my adventure was the best part! My aunts, cousins and sister all got together to go on a bike trip in Kananaskis Country. When I say bike trip, I don't mean motorcycles. I mean bicycles. I haven't ridden a bike for a good ten years. I don't even own one! I borrowed one from a friend, and didn't get on it until the day before we left on this trek. I forgot to mention that not only were we biking in Kananaskis, but we were biking to Kananaskis. We left from Black Diamond, just south of Calgary, Alberta. The trip was 40 km. The first three km were a bit of a moment for me. We rode from Black Diamond to Turner Valley to meet the rest of my family, and I was certain there was no way I was going to make it. There were some little hills on the way that I had to get off my bike and walk up. Pathetic! I was so not going to be able to do this. I still had like 38 km or so to go! What on earth was I thinking. The only thing that made me keep going was the fact that I had made a commitment to go, and I needed to see it through. It helped that my family was there, and I wasn't the only one with qualms.

After waiting for flat tire to be changed and taking a bunch of group pictures, we were off. This trip was a nostalgic journey for my aunts, and an eye opening one for me. Sixteen years ago, all of my aunts and my mom took this same trip. Since then, both my mother and my oldest aunt have passed away. This trip was sort of a way for us all to remember them, and for my sister and I, a way for us to walk in our dear mother's footprints. I wanted so badly to say I had done it too, so I pushed through the pain in my legs and bottom, and kept going. Then I got into a good groove, and was really enjoying it! After a while, I was able to look around and see the foothills change from relatively flat country to great hills and valleys, with trees and flowers and all sorts of beautiful sights. I was able to talk with people as we rode together, and I was feeling good. As the hours wore on and the kilometers went by, I began to feel fatigue, and again questioned why on earth I was attempting this. There was no turning back now! We stopped for lunch a couple of hours in, as we readied ourselves for the last leg of our journey. We had 10 km to go, and a huge hill to traverse. I won't say I was looking forward to it. I won't say I was happy about it. I won't lie and say I actually rode up it. I walked. I still made it. That last 10 km was by far the most difficult for me, and even though I walked the last couple, I made it to the end. I was the last one to stroll into the campsite, but I got there! I've never pushed my body to its limits like this before. I've done a lot of hiking in the past where I thought I didn't have anything left, but this time I really didn't have anything left. I was pushed to my extreme limit, but I am amazed at the capabilities of my body. After having two kids, and not ever really being an active person before three years ago, I rode (and walked) forty kilometers. Amazing!

I was pushed to my physical limit on the bike trip, pushed to an emotion limit leaving my kids, and then on our way home my patience and driving skills were tested too. We drove south on highway 22 to pick up my kids on our way home. It's a winding road that usually has a lot of traffic on weekends. It's also a single lane highway with little room for passing. On our way up, we dealt with a lot of traffic and impatient drivers. On our way home, we dealt with the worst summer storm I think I have ever seen. I have only been driving for two years, and I haven't driven in a lot of extreme conditions. This winter was my first experience with winter driving. I've driven in the rain a couple of times, but not like this. It was pouring so hard I could barely see in front of me, but that wasn't the worst of it. It hailed. Thank God it didn't hail on us, but we had to drive through the aftermath. Cars had pulled over to the side of the road because they couldn't get up the hills that were now rivers of ice and water. There were accidents. We were going about 20 km/hour. The trip that should have taken an hour and half took three hours. I had to pull over to the side of the road once because I couldn't see in front of me. It was scary, but we made it safe and sound. It was slow, and the hail piled up on the road like snow. I could feel it scraping the bottom of my van as we drove. I am so thankful I have a new vehicle with all wheel drive and new tires. We didn't slip or slide once, and we made it in one piece. Phew! I was so relieved when we turned off highway 22 onto highway 3 to get my kids and get home. We dealt with more rain all the way, but the worst was over.

My entire weekend was an adventure, and I am so glad I did it! I pushed myself harder than I have ever pushed, and ended up victorious. I was tested in more ways than one, and made it unharmed. I got some time away from my kids and didn't feel guilty. I spent some amazing time with my amazing family and beautiful sister. I was sore and exhausted, but I am still here, and all the better for it. If I can do all this, what can you do? If I, an overweight mother of two who only started getting into shape a few years ago, can bike ride forty kilometers in the foothills, what can you accomplish if you set your mind to it? You might be surprised at what you can get through if you try.