One Step at a Time

Wowza! I had an incredibly lovely time …. here are the highlights:

I clinked glasses and swapped cards and shared hugs with people I re-united with, and truly wasn’t playing a schmoozing game to do so. I got to tell F., the Mentor, how much she meant to me, and it was no less than a magical moment when we met up. I was so happy to see J., an old University friend and an amazing RT, and … a recent finisher of the Boston Marathon! Lots to talk about there! I also ran into M., another old friend from university days, one that I never expected to work as a recreation therapist. She really touched me with some things she said. Those three were the highlights; I connected with many people I had not seen in a long time, and that was just awesome.

I got to be alone for a bit. Sis-in-law didn’t fly in until Friday, so I had two nights alone, and one day on my own in a city made for moving around in! I realized I need to build more alone time into my life; (hah!) … it was quite refreshing. I had an incredible 120 minute massage with Robert, and I quietly sat in the spa afterwards in my robe, drinking my cucumber water and eating my trail mix, just reading. I felt like Pretty Woman in a strange way, but without Richard. And his credit card. And I was OK with that.

I learned loads. This conference reinforced for me why I love what I do, and further ignited my passion for teaching it to front-line staff. Good and inspiring; the way conferences should be.

I spent time with my sister-in-law. That’s been a big goal of mine for about 2 years, one not quite fulfilled until this weekend. We were together; we were not rushed; we had time to talk. That was superb.

I ran my first race.
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Was your mouth gaping? Tell me, c’monnnn….

It wasn’t an organized race, silly! I’m sorry, that’s probably the cruelest RBF-ish practical joke one could play. Let’s re-phrase. I did run the seawall. And I ran 5k. And I was pacing myself with a group of people that actually looked like runners to me. As I was doing this, I kept thinking, holy cow. I should stop. Whoa, girl. And then the other little voice in my head (I think it was the seaside air, personally) kept on saying: keep on. Knock yourself out. I ran 5k, and during it, I thought, this feels like a race. There were so many people along the seawall, running, that I truly got caught up in the energy of the group. When I was done, and cooled down somewhat, I sat on a log and just looked out into the sea. I had tears on my cheeks, and I really don’t have words for why, yet. Just in awe that I have re-visited an exact spot that I could barely walk very far during one part of my weight-loss journey. I guess I was also thinking, I wonder how far I’ll be able to go the next time I’m back here. And that this place would be my marker. And then a homeless person came up to me and asked me for a cigarette. Ahhhh, Vancouver!

If you’re ever in Vancouver, go to the seawall via Denman Street. When you look directly at the ocean, you’ll see rows of massive logs, for pondering on , I guess. Third log from the left when you’re facing the sea, in the front row, on the sand. It’s a great place to look at life from!

Another highlight: coming home. The hugs you get from children when you return should be bottled up and made available to the world. Incredible.