Life On The Road

Doug and I have been on the road eight weeks now. Traditional wisdom implies that habits are formed in 12 weeks (something I've never believed myself), so we should be well on the way to falling into a comfortable well-grooved rut. But, life on the road, at least as we approach it, seems to defy habit formation.

Although our days have a certain pattern – most days, for example we eat (though some days I do not), take a dump, do some kind of activity, be it climbing, hiking or kayaking, but, other than those commonalities our days seem infinitely variable.

In some ways, being endlessly on the road is easy – there is no snow to shovel, no trees to clear off the driveway or the trails, no garden to tend, and a very minimal house to clean. In other ways, it is a challenge – keeping up with friends, with banking, taxes, and watching the inevitable (and rapid) decline of your car and caravan (both costly investments) is tough.

I find the most difficult part of being on the road is maintaining healthy habits. I miss, passionately, being able to lift heavy weights, train on my climbing wall, and do yoga for an hour on the expansive floor of our old home in Nelson. I'm pretty sure I feel older and more decrepit for the lack of these activities.

Some days, I get energetic and, after the days hike, kayak or climb is done, I go outside into the early darkness and swing the gas tank around doing some semblance of a reasonable work-out. Other days, I'll do a sprint training session on the beach, or squeeze into the back of our caravan at night and do some yoga. Some days, I even think I'll make more effort keeping this blog up to date. No doubt, you can see where this is leading. Mostly, none of these worthwhile activities are accomplished, at least on a regular basis. That doesn't stop me, however, from continually thinking, “tomorrow I'll have more time to work-out, do yoga, plan the next trip, update my blog...”