Chew every bite

The beginning of September provided an opportunity for my husband and I to get some time away. We had had a very busy summer, jam-packed with lots of great things, but also some stressful things, so we were certainly due for time away to rest and recharge!

Our goal, what we had been working endless hours on over the summer, was to make this September trip the maiden voyage in our semi-converted van aptly named, “Roger C. Morley” the FIRST (more on its name another time!), but sadly it did not end up being so. “Roger” needed a major repair (STRESS!!) and as upsetting as it was, all we could do was make the conscious decision to make the best of our trip no matter the circumstances…not easy…but we tried…and succeeded…I think?

Our original plan to go on a simple trip, sleep in our van in random department store’s parking lots and then go backpacking for a few days, ended up a trip full of grand adventures! We brought our tent and stayed at campgrounds we’d never been to, met some super friendly backpackers on the trail, toured parts of rural Quebec on beautiful, scenic roads, got to see an amazing cycling event in Quebec City, swam in crisp rivers and thoroughly enjoyed a weekend with our kids at a cottage near the mountains…oh…and we slept SO deep and SO long…aaaaahhhh…must have been the mountain air!

The trail we chose to backpack was the Traversée de Charlevoix. The trail originated as a cross-country ski trail in the 1930’s, through the Laurentian Mountains near the village of Saint-Urbain. It is now a ski, bike, snowshoe and hiking trail hosting a series of cabins all about a day’s hike apart which you can pay to stay at or register to pitch a tent at on one of the three tent sites surrounding each cabin. The cabins are all near beautiful (and safe) water sources and even have mattresses and a wood-burning stove! Luxury!! Haha! We stayed in our tent all but one of the nights as it was forecast to go as low as 1 degree Celsius…brrrrrr…so yes…we opted for the cabin. We met some incredibly friendly hikers who we continued to meet along the rest of the trail…and in fact have become “insta” friends as well LOL. 

The Laurentians are nothing like the Rockies or the Whites, but they have a majesty and beauty of their own. They are draped in various deciduous trees (including sugar maple!) so you can imagine how beautiful the views were becoming even within the week we were there…reds, oranges, yellows…so lovely! We found the trail to be much less technical than many we have been on in the past, which meant we finished our day in the early afternoon, even with taking regular, extended breaks during the day.

Pacing ourselves on the trail has been more of a focus for us over the last few years. Yes, yes, we are getting older and it’s not just that (ok maybe a little LOL), but similar to our lives OFF the trail, where we push, push, push, we tend to naturally push, push, push ON the trail too!! So, we are trying to take more breaks, stop if we see something interesting or beautiful to take in…and making a point of trying to be more present…in the moment we are in…listening to our bodies and giving our minds the rest and breaks they also need. Makes sense?

You might have guessed this, but I get hungry on the trail. I mean…hunGRY! It doesn’t help that I’m probably burning an EXTRA 2000 calories per day, and although I do my best to keep up with caloric demands while I’m hiking, let me tell you…when supper time rolls around…and I know I get to eat a hot meal (translation: a rehydrated something-or-other)…look…out! What started to happen this trip, was I would be so eager to eat, I’d just gobble up my dinner in seconds flat…and still feel hungry…and not even the least bit satiated…bummer. So, I tried something. I tried to slooooooooow down and savour each and every mouthful of my rehydrated “Forever Young Mac and Cheese,” slowly scoop each and every mouthful of my fortified “Mr. Noodles avec veggies,” and then deliberately chew, swallow and pause before the next spoonful (I know this sounds like rudimentary stuff) but do you know what happened? I was present. I “felt” satiated. I don’t know if it makes sense, but I was far more satisfied with my food, and lo and behold I could actually have a conversation between bites! LOL 

This got me thinking…

What am I missing out on? Am I rushing through life at such a pace that I’ve become unaware of my surroundings…or perhaps more importantly, aware but unwilling to make the time to savour them? (replace surroundings with family, friends, nature, pets, art, music, etc.) Do I neglect my body’s need for rest and refreshments so I can get one more thing done in the day? #guilty Or how about this? Am I looking ahead to what’s next, or wish away my current circumstances, thinking that what’s coming will be better…rather than leaning into what today has to offer?

I’ve had a chronic illness now for about 15 years. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in remission for the majority of that time, and if I’m honest, have probably taken that for granted. Yes. I’ve been able to do so much – raise my kids, have a career, travel, hike, play sports – but I’m learning a new lesson about the importance of “slowness”…or maybe it’s “pacing”…or maybe it’s “savouring”…call it what you will, but I want to BE PRESENT. Stop. Focus. Saunter through life LOL.

This doesn’t mean I don’t want to grab onto opportunities as they come or resist change, it means I want to fully engage in the opportunities that come my way, learning to embrace what they teach me and to discover new things about the world…and about me. I want to see the beauty that exists in the friendships and relationships I have, remembering they take time to grow (and so do I). I want to have the courage to lean into the more difficult steps and more technically challenging paths I’m on so as not to miss what I might learn along the way (as hard and humbling as it can be).

It is impossible to know what is around the next bend in the trail. Will it be a steeper climb, or will it open up over a beautiful valley with a breathtaking view of the surroundings? Is it time to push hard to get to camp or is there plenty of daylight left to swim?

What challenges lay ahead for me? Will I be able to continue working in my current capacity for the next 10 years? Will the medications I’m taking keep me in remission? I don’t know. But what I do know is this. Today. Today I can and I’m choosing to enjoy it…savour it…be grateful for it. Today I remember that I am loved…and am capable of love…and so I choose to respond to others in that way. Today I believe I have something to contribute and so I will. Today I am choosing to savour the beauty in my life, deliberately choosing to focus on all the “cans.”

Basic stuff right? But SUCH a good reminder. SUCH a good goal for living. SUCH a challenge LOL

May your day fill slowly with moments full of pause, time to stop and listen, time to take in your surroundings and of course…full of delicious, savoury bites!