Reflections

I have been meaning to write this blog for days, but it is only materializing now.... I don’t know where time is going........remembering of course that we are in a period of ‘time without time!”

I am back in the UK now and the flights all went well albeit a bit expensive with excess baggage fees for the bike and taxi fares from the airport, but all good. I am back working at Grayshott Spa in Surrey, and I have to say that is good to be working again. It is wonderful to be able to say that and I suppose it is a testament to my chosen profession, namely Massage Therapy and Acupuncture. There are so many people out there just doing a job that they don’t particularly resonate with because they have to earn an income. I am just reading a book at the moment by Caroline Myss exploring the concept of finding one’s Life Purpose or Soul Contract for this Lifetime and the importance of finding our individual purpose.

It was a great departure from Nashville airport with live music courtesy of Joe West doing some busking and made me want to pick up my guitar and do the same - perhaps in the future. Talking of Soul Purpose, I had a chat to him and he was a Department Store Manager and had a heart attack, so made a pact with himself to only do what he loved to do from then on, which was music...and preaching!

Thanks Joe for the inspiration.......and the great music!

Family

It was fantastic to see family again in Chicago - my sister and her husband, and my niece. (As mentioned earlier, unfortunately my nephew was on a training seminar in Connecticut so we missed seeing each other, which was a great pity). Now at 50, what really struck me was how important family is, and the need to stay in contact. Over the past years, I have been a little distant from them and the reconnection was very moving and powerful. Thanks, Sarah, Emma and Geoff - love you lots, and hope to see you all again soon.

The Trip

Some reflections on the bike trip. The first words that come to mind are “truly amazing!”  And if you ever get a chance to do something like that, do not hesitate. Go for it! But retrospect is a funny thing and time tends to soften the memories of the hard times. And hard times there were...but then the word ‘hard‘ is just a perception! It wasn’t hard - it was “truly amazing!”

Yes it was way short of my initial plan, but that is fine and I am OK with that! In spite of the situation back in Zim with the tenants pulling out of the contract, and the resultant shortage of funds, I had been thinking for a while on the road that I had had enough......for now! 

And to be able to call it a day and be at peace with that was a huge step for me - especially with something physical. Normally, I push through when it comes to physical challenges, as part of me has always felt that it is a sign of ‘weakness’ to quit. The ‘ego’ can’t quit. 

While I do believe that pushing through and completing physical challenges (and any other challenges!) provides the opportunity for tremendous personal growth, resilience and strength of character, there are times when it is equally appropriate to be able to say, “No, this is not for me, or no, this is no longer for me!” I think wisdom is the key to know when to stay and when to move on or change! Why stay with something that has run its course and no longer provides one with joy - be it a planned trip, a job, a relationship!! As Ramtha says, ‘once boredom sets in, it is time to move on.’ 

But this trip wasn’t about pushing through to the end no matter what. I have done the army training, the marathons and ultra marathons, the triathlons and the Ironman and I took up bike touring to get away from the competitiveness of the above, but still enjoy physical exercise. I took it up as a hobby. But there were times on this trip mainly through environmental factors, where I was pushed as hard as in any of the above....if not more so....and I still saw parts of me that I had never seen before, and grew in many new ways, for which I am truly grateful.

I guess though I still tend to push myself quite hard (again especially with something physical!), but again, as already stated in another blog, there were times when geographically or environmentally one had to push through and continue going. Perhaps the next cycling adventure will be with a group of friends!!

So what now?

Well, get a bit of cash behind me to start with. My dear friends Sharon and Mario in Zimbabwe have been absolutely wonderful in looking after the property when the tenant moved out, and we think we have another tenant interested in taking on the lease from September 1st. And they are prepared to look after the dogs which is fantastic. Nothing signed and sealed yet but will see what happens over the next week.

I will stay on here at Grayshott for a while and think I will slowly move into Private Practice. I don’t have any desire to go back to Zimbabwe, and may decide to sell up and move to Europe. Will be going down to Central Portugal in a few weeks time to have a look at some property there, and get a feel of the place.

Exercise wise, I think I have talked myself into running a marathon in October. Silly idiot!! Jeff, who I was staying with and running with in Nashville, is coming over to the UK to run a Marathon in Chester with another friend of his who he ran with in Malawi, so I have twisted my own arm to maybe run with them. It is a long time since I have done any distance running, so I hope the body will hold together - the mind should be strong enough after the cycle trip! So I am out trail running on the common three mornings a week and absolutely loving it, so will slowly increase the mileage weekly, and hopefully have enough miles in the legs for the marathon on October 7th. Am still out on the bike every other day for a couple of hours and in the gym 4 or 5 times a week, so keeping moving.

Feeling great in Mind, Body and Spirit!

FOR MOTHER EARTH

..on Fire and Water..

"May we open our eyes, our ears and our Hearts to hear your calling and act!"
I Love You!

   

Full Circle

It was a long way back by bus from Chetumal to the USA, but I got a good 2 1/2 hour ride from Belize back into Mexico before sitting on the bus for an age. No problems at the border between Belize and Mexico, and then basically three days on the bus to Matamoros. I decided to take the Mexican bus line “Tornado” from Matamoros through to Nashville, as there was no extra charge for the bike and equipment. When I googled Greyhound from Brownsville (USA side of the border), they charge for extra bags and the bike, which they said had to be boxed. This would have meant finding a bike shop in Brownsville and stripping the bike down to get it on the Greyhound and being charged for it. With Tornado, the bike simply went on its side in the hold. Anyway safe and sound to Nashville and then a short bike ride back to Jeff and Kara. A far cry from 2 years and 50 000km but it was still a moving experience cycling back into the driveway, and I met Kara finishing her run. It was really good to see them both again. 

Trail running with Jeff early the following morning - it was really good to ‘move’ again after four days on the bus and the ankles were quite swollen again with oedema, but the run soon sorted that out, and then basically put my feet up for the day. A 3.00am start on another bus (this time Greyhound, but without the bike) up to Chicago to see my sister for the weekend.

Really good to touch base with family again - it has been 5 years since I have seen them and it was a very special weekend. My niece was 7 when I last saw her and what a change to see her at 12. Unfortunately my nephew, who is now 22 was on a training seminar in Connecticut, so I missed him which was very sad, but c’est la vie.

Another 10 hours back to Nashville and a fantastic trail run again this morning at 5.15 with 95% humidity. Went off to the bike shop to get a bike box, so today has been stripping and packing the bike and equipment for the flight back to the UK tomorrow. So much traveling - will be happy to get back to Grayshott Spa and have feet on terra firma for a few months.

Still no new tenants for the house in Zimbabwe, so fingers crossed that Sharon and Mario will find someone soon. I am really worried about the dogs, but trust that all will be fine with them for a few months to get some cash together before heading back in November. Would love to go back now but just do not have the cash at present. Again, c’est la vie.

So it seems that the circles are closing on themselves - Nashville, UK then Zimbabwe - and then perhaps a new journey begins in Mozambique. We shall see.