Living With Cancer: May 2017

Sometimes the glass is half full, sometimes it is half empty, so when the glass is half empty, we like to try and fill it. Our preferred method is by travelling.

Don't you love the anticipation of going somewhere you have never been? Planning trips is like taking a step into another world, so many opportunities and adventures. Our most recent trip was to San Francisco where Nick had a training for work. This meant I had 2 days to explore the city and do all the things Nick didn't want to do. Number one was to take a bike tour from Ghirardelli Square across the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Sausalito then continue to Tiburon where I would take the ferry back to San Fran. That sounded dreamy to me, but when I mentioned it to Nick he about hurled. He had a bad biking experience, on our honeymoon actually. We rented a tandem bike and rode around town, romantic right? Wrong. To all you bike lovers out there, don't take a first timer on an uphill ride in the rain. It didn't go well. Long story short, he was more than willing to let me go on this San Fran adventure by myself.

This was the longest ride I had ever been on and I was a little nervous for the 22 miles, but mostly excited. In the words of my nieces, I was "nervoucited." I had planned everything out, all I needed to do was pick up the bike and be on my way. There were a lot of people on the path in the beginning, especially crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. So crowded that if my bike didn't have a bell, there may have been some casualties. Just sayin'. However, most everyone immediately turned around at the end of the bridge, but not me, I was on a mission to Tiburon. Besides locals, there were only about 5 other cyclists who continued past Sausalito to Tiburon during the time I was on the trail. And by golly, after some of those hills I understood why.

At one point, I had been winding along the coastline on a slight incline. My body was fatigued but was ok as long as nothing changed. Much to my demise I turned a corner and, voila, the hill of death. Could I make it to the top? Would my lungs burst? I tried standing up as I peddled, but my legs gave out. Just a little further, I kept telling myself. If I could just keep peddling for another 3 minutes I would be at the top. There was someone halfway up the hill walking her bike, she couldn't make it. I couldn't make it either. I accepted defeat and walked the rest of the hill. The hill of death won. Giving up is not something I take pride in. I don't like admitting I am wrong or that I can't do something. This was a humbling experience because I probably could have made it to the top, but because I had doubt in my mind, I took the easy way out.

The next hill I encountered I envisioned myself biking to the top without giving up. I didn't picture the girl walking her bike, I pictured myself at the top of the hill holding my bike over my head. But let's be honest, I was never going to hold my bike over my head. Because I was determined, I made it to the top. Although I was out of breath and my legs were barely moving, I made it.

Now I could go into some spiel about how you can be motivated and make it too, but I won't. I would rather post some pictures of our trip.