I grew up on Canada's west coast in an active, outdoorsy family; along with formal sports and ballet, I loved to hike and canoe. I even had wild ideas about completing a portage trip and used to stare at a map of Canada to figure out how much of the country I could feasibly see this way. A trip up to northern BC and the Yukon began a fascination with Klondike history; when my stepdad completed the Chilkoot Trail a few years later, I decided that I too would one day complete the hike.
Active in my early teens
Then I grew boobs and headed off to the tortuous world of high school. No matter what I did, no matter what bra I bought, I could not get them to stay still while moving. I became self-conscious, wore XL shirts despite a medium body, and withdrew from the world of sports. Eventually I actually became the fat girl I saw in the mirror and many of my active goals fell by the wayside.
After I graduated I travelled a bit, attended university, lived abroad, got a job, got some kickass friends, and then decided to move to Tanzania, Africa and work at an orphanage. Every morning I would walk towards the orphanage and see Mt. Meru towering in the background. I longed to climb it but I knew that in my shape it would be a waste of money. "Someday," I would think to myself. "I'll go back. I'll climb Mt. Meru and I'll watch the sun rise over Kilimanjaro."
Holding teenytiny babies really helps illustrate how large one is.
I returned to Canada and Mt. Meru became a distant goal. With the expenses just in getting to Tanzania alone, I had no way of actually setting a date for this. I needed something a little more tangible; something I could set a date for within the next few years. I'm having brunch with some friends at Shine Cafe when the topic of childhood dreams comes up. *POOF* I have my goal: my childhood plan to do the Chilkoot Trail.
It's all well and dandy to decided to do the Chilkoot Trail, but it's a trail that demands a level of fitness I did not (and still don't) have. But now I have a plan, I have goals, and I'm going after them. And if I just happen to have a few laughs and make a few new friends along the way, that will just be icing on the cake quinoa on the salad.
My favourite workout: soloing during the dundunba at the student performance.
