The winds of change in 2012...
Last week I ventured out for a 50km bike ride between Yarragon and Moe in regional Victoria. This certainly isn’t the longest ride I’ve done but it was easily the hardest. The ride to Moe was fine, meandering down old roads passing many a bovine with long blades of green grass poking out the side their mouths as they stopped mid-chew to witness our passing by. The picnic at the somewhat decrepit Botanical Gardens of Moe was pleasant enough, if not a little eerie, sharing the park only with an elderly chardonnay-drinking man and the whooshing past of traffic from the nearby freeway.
It was the long haul home that made this post-Christmas turkey-burning adventure resemble some kind of hell on a bike. A hot, dry and strong head wind had picked up making it more difficult for an already struggling LMM (nothing to do with the amount of champagne consumed over Christmas). I’d also chosen to leave my lyrca-bandit outfit at home instead opting for normal exercise shorts, sans padding. Quite the painful mistake as it turns out.
Around about the time that I was scheming a fake puncture, I noticed a little ladybug enjoying some time out of its own on the leg of my shorts. I have a big soft spot for these little crawlies; not only are they meant to be good luck should they graciously choose to land on you, they are also very cute. My little passenger brought some much needed distraction away from the harsh air that was coercing a steady stream of water out of my eyes and with still 10km of the ride to go.
And that got me thinking about something else.
I started to reflect on the journey that had been 2012. Like the ride, it started out perfectly fine. Many amazing people passed through, some of whom stayed and became very good friends. I spent some time in Paris to replenish the soul and enjoy my fair share of Beaujolais. But then after this little rest and half way through the journey, the winds of life changed considerably. I found myself in a position where I needed to peddle, and peddle hard, to make sure I would progress in reaching my destination. In this case though, life somehow provided a metaphoric tail wind, invisible but strong, which helped support my efforts and carry me through the rest of an exhausting year.
Today another ladybug landed on the windowsill of my apartment, just as I opened the window. And with that I find myself reflecting on the race that was 2012, and entering a new year feeling not only very lucky, but extremely grateful, for what the winds of life might bring us.
Happy New Year, with love, Little Miss Melbourne.
NB. No bicycles were harmed in the making of this post.
Last week I ventured out for a 50km bike ride between Yarragon and Moe in regional Victoria. This certainly isn’t the longest ride I’ve done but it was easily the hardest. The ride to Moe was fine, meandering down old roads passing many a bovine with long blades of green grass poking out the side their mouths as they stopped mid-chew to witness our passing by. The picnic at the somewhat decrepit Botanical Gardens of Moe was pleasant enough, if not a little eerie, sharing the park only with an elderly chardonnay-drinking man and the whooshing past of traffic from the nearby freeway.
It was the long haul home that made this post-Christmas turkey-burning adventure resemble some kind of hell on a bike. A hot, dry and strong head wind had picked up making it more difficult for an already struggling LMM (nothing to do with the amount of champagne consumed over Christmas). I’d also chosen to leave my lyrca-bandit outfit at home instead opting for normal exercise shorts, sans padding. Quite the painful mistake as it turns out.
Around about the time that I was scheming a fake puncture, I noticed a little ladybug enjoying some time out of its own on the leg of my shorts. I have a big soft spot for these little crawlies; not only are they meant to be good luck should they graciously choose to land on you, they are also very cute. My little passenger brought some much needed distraction away from the harsh air that was coercing a steady stream of water out of my eyes and with still 10km of the ride to go.
And that got me thinking about something else.
I started to reflect on the journey that had been 2012. Like the ride, it started out perfectly fine. Many amazing people passed through, some of whom stayed and became very good friends. I spent some time in Paris to replenish the soul and enjoy my fair share of Beaujolais. But then after this little rest and half way through the journey, the winds of life changed considerably. I found myself in a position where I needed to peddle, and peddle hard, to make sure I would progress in reaching my destination. In this case though, life somehow provided a metaphoric tail wind, invisible but strong, which helped support my efforts and carry me through the rest of an exhausting year.
Today another ladybug landed on the windowsill of my apartment, just as I opened the window. And with that I find myself reflecting on the race that was 2012, and entering a new year feeling not only very lucky, but extremely grateful, for what the winds of life might bring us.
Happy New Year, with love, Little Miss Melbourne.
NB. No bicycles were harmed in the making of this post.