Croissants and Whippers: travel

Saturday, 3 January 2015

Killing the Dragon...

I wrote the following blog about 3 weeks ago but was unsure as to whether or not I wanted to post it. Since then I’ve learnt that one of my nearest and dearest may be quite ill and it’s made me think about things a little more seriously and so I have decided to share the post.

I had a really positive response to my last blog and for that I would like to say a big thank you. It has been a massive year. Full of ups and downs, ins and outs and for the most part, super positive. We have learnt, grown, made some fantastic new friends and had some downright rad experiences. Looking forward to 2015, I am really excited to see where our path leads us next. New adventures, different places, stronger bodies and minds and my health will be my number one focus this year.

I have decided that 2015 will be the year I get off my meds and reverse the two autoimmune diseases. If I am going to spend my time on this earth as a dirtbag climber, and believe me I intend to, I can not be restricted by illness and medications. I know that Hashimotos can be reversed and I am just praying that I have not done too much damage to my fingers already to reverse the Raynauds also. It is going to take a lot of work and regular monitoring but I am confident I can make improvements.

It has always worried me that during our adventures there will not always be a chemist around to fill my script nor a doctor to give it to me so I need to start getting serious about recovery. Ultimately I would love to go to Thailand and do a 28 day fast accompanied with cleansing, yoga and massage. That however would require about $5000 that I currently do not have so I would like to have a crack at getting well here at home first. Unless of course anyone has a spare $5K they want to donate ;)

My main goal is just to get my fingers in the best condition they can be. Every climber knows and understands the importance of this. We are currently working a training program to increase finger strength which has been awesome and the results so far are insane. All of this is pointless however if I lose the feeling in my fingers mid climb and I can’t even bear down.

These past few weeks have reaffirmed the absolute importance of staying healthy. Without our health, everything else lacks substance. You can have all the money in the world but if you don’t have the body to hold up to any of your dream adventures, what’s the point? In the same breath, people work 50, 60, 70+ hours a week to go on one great holiday or put away for their retirement fund; but if at the end of the day you don’t even have the energy to enjoy it, again, was it really worth the stress? I urge everyone to make 2015 the year of living for you. It is not selfish to put yourself first and look after number one when it ultimately means that you can then be a healthier, stronger minded, more focused and committed person. It is win win, because the more you look after yourself, the more you can offer others. Do the things you want to do, that make you happy and get you excited. Be productive and proactive. Revel in the good, learn from the bad. You get one body and one crack at this crazy thing called life so use it or lose it. It’s your choice, choose you.

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Good Times, Bad Times

Ok, so it has been a while since our last post and for that I apologise as a LOT has happened since Verdon. First of all, we realised I had misunderstood my rights in Europe and I had to be out in a month or risk deportation. So we promptly headed back to Font to tick some ‘unfinished business’. On the way we got got robbed. The single most violating experience of my life. Luckily, Rich happens to be a ninja mastermind and he managed to scare the living heck out of the guy and leave him with a very sore head and all he scored out of it was an iPod shuffle. Lesson here was no matter how full the truck stop is and how brightly lit, you can still become a target. Consequently, we now have a van that is rigged up like Fort Knox... No one is getting and no one is getting out. (Thus no more bedtime tea for me...ha ha) We were just very lucky he didn’t find our wallets or phones before Rich found him.

We met some great new mates back in Font. Our last couple of weeks were spent ticking problems, slacklining, talking until midnight, chasing wild boars, sipping on wine and just having a generally rad time. We headed to Germany. We drove to a picturesque little winery town. We showered for the first time in weeks. We got engaged. Happiest day of my life. Headed to Amsterdam and got nailed by seriously bad weather. Such a shame as all I wanted to do was ride my bike everywhere in this famously flat country. We hung out for 3 days then decided to head to Belgium. Arrived in Brugge and the weather was not too different to Holland. Had a great day walking the small town, hindered only by the masses of British footballers who thought it imperative to chant in chorus everywhere they went. Funny for all of 2 seconds then just down right annoying. We shared mussels “Brugge Style” and then had possibly the most amazing desserts of all time. We walked past a random patisserie school that sold their daily masterpieces very cheap so decided to try something each. I don’t even know what Rich had and to be honest I didn’t even care, as I was in a sugar trance from my own delectable treat. A chocolate and pear torte that surpassed any dessert I have ever had, flavours that will stay with me forever. I know I sound like the biggest fatty right now but I don’t even care. This thing was ridiculous, nothing will compare and I no longer need to try any other dessert. Ha, until I walk past my next patisserie!

We headed for the border and got stopped in Calais as it is apparently unbelievable that two people could have travelled without working for 4 months. Confused yet happy to finally have my stamp we dove onto the ferry and headed back to Wales. It was so nice to come back to a lovely clean house and have long hot shower that I didn’t have to wear thongs in for fear of some mad bacterial infection. We popped a bottle of Verve with La and Carl to officially celebrate our engagement. Now it is time to try and get some work and extra qualifications to better prepare ourselves for our next european stint. Oh, and I have a wedding to plan...... :)