Reality Check

I grew up in the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest and returning to nature remains my favorite activity. A walk in the woods never fails to remind me of the core, consistent life lessons that nature provides. This summer, the Canadian Rockies served as my classroom.

Taking a break from biking to straddle the Great Divide between British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Lesson: Closing the gap between any divide in life starts by taking one step.

 I didn't go it alone - my family joined six other families from all over the country on a "deluxe" camping trip designed by Backroads.  (Deluxe means they pitch your tent, cook for you, and give you a ride if you are too tired to hike or bike - the only way to camp!)

Lake Louise, Banff, CA National Park. Lesson: Humility.

The week's weather forecast called for sunshine and warm temperatures. What a surprise when we endured unrelenting downpours, thunderstorms, and hail! Isn't life like that? We expect one thing and many times get another. During one four hour hike into the mountains above Lake Louise, we started with sunshine and it quickly turned to hail. A reminder that change is constant. It doesn't matter what we want to happen. How well are we equipped to deal with the reality of what is in front of us? That's the difference between resiliency and being stuck.

View of Lake Louise after hiking two hours. Lesson: Change is constant.

Soaking wet after hiking through sun, rain, lightening, and hail. Lesson: Uncomfortable is not unbearable.

The biking portion included options of up to 40 miles per day, and the guides were clear: there will be hills! Just like life - not all of it is a flat, easy ride. But, by being willing to exert some energy, I proved to myself that I can navigate the ups and downs.

Taking a break after biking one very long hill! My reward was seeing FOUR black bears in the span of one hour. Lesson: Be patient.

Despite the weather challenges, there were plenty of blue skies, singing around campfires, and instant bonding between all the kids on the trip. Without any electronics (and no cell phone reception) the kids passed every evening by playing flash light tag and hide-and-seek. I was able to connect and hear the stories of my fellow travelers. Being in nature has a way of slowing everything down.

Scaling my first glacier! Later the same day, I went white water rafting on a river created by glacier run off. Lesson: Everything is connected.

It always amazes me how nature is one endless loop. One thing affects the other and all are perfectly created to work together. As an extension of nature, that means that every thought, intention, and action I have causes a ripple effect. Nothing we do can truly be in isolation.