As I mentioned in my last blog post, I attended a CanTeen 'Adventure Camp' in South Australia last week. This trip was based around a lot of hiking whilst carrying 18kg rucksacks. Due to Adelaide's rainy weather we were pushed back a day in our endeavour, though we still completed 'mini' hikes until then.
Then came the big hike through what I would consider to be a bipolar-terrain (see below for some snap shots). There was dirt, sand, beach sand, rock and leaves going in every which-way direction. It was genuinely so challenging and much to everyone's amusement, I face-planted the floor after getting my foot caught on a protruding tree root. The hike was about 13kms, and with every new kilometre covered, a new level of determination took over the exhaustion.
6 hours later, we made it! It was extremely challenging and at times I think we all wanted to give up. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, and it hurt to carry so much weight in our rucksacks. It would have been so much easier to just sit down and refuse to walk but I am so proud of myself and my team that we pushed through with our would-you-rathers and hilarious stories.
Okay, so the perspective-changing advice! When we got to our next campsite there was an elderly couple who had completed the same hike. I started chatting with them and the very wise, very inspiring woman gave me (and only me) some advice which I feel like everyone should hear:
1. Always be prepared
Having the necessary items made the hike so much easier and more enjoyable. If we didn't have our rain jackets we would have been looking and feeling like wet lil mole rats, with chaffing, and soaking clothes. If I didn't pack my beloved coffee bags on camp I would have been complaining about a caffeine-induced headache and barely made it to the 1km mark. I'm talking about these examples in terms of the camp, but taking 10 minutes out of each night to ensure your prepared for the following day can really make it run so much smoother. You'll spend less time worrying that you forgot something and more time living in the moment.
2. Always take on the challenge
In this case there was literally no backing out except in the case of injury. If I had of given up on the challenge, not only would I feel bland and defeated but I would have also been a huge burden on the team because they would have had to adjust their load for me. Also, I almost didn't come on camp, but I am so glad that I did. Not only did I make an enormous physical accomplishment, but also a mental one. It’s these challenges that make us as humans stronger. They can be really uncomfortable but they strengthen every ounce of your being that feels uncomfortable in that instance.
3. Always enjoy the privilege
Oh my god! I was in pain, man - but I was given the opportunity to be there (for free!) and push my body above and beyond which felt amazing! I am so quick to say no, and this advice paired with the hike showed me that. This is when I decided that I'm going to strive say yes more - the newest adaption to my 'Give Me A Year' challenge. If I say yes more, I'll challenge myself more. I'm usually 'preoccupied' with weightless projects and when faced with opportunity I need to start grasping it with both hands and enjoying the fact that I'm even allowed to consider its possibility! I almost said no to taking the opportunity to be 1 of 2 going on this camp. I didn't know anyone there, but if I didn't go I still wouldn't know them. Instead, I met a handful of such wonderful people who I am genuinely going to miss. Due to the nature of the camp, we shared our cancer stories, which is so empowering. I mean, I've told many people my story but no one understands it like people of the same age going through the same thing. They don't seem shocked and they definitely don't overflow with pity when they hear the news. They're purely a support group full of friendly faces and it's so wonderful.
Isn't it such wonderful advice?
Comedic Side Note: Welcome to Australia with this invasive thought. This was a spider that we saw on our hike and it literally looks like it has a butt on it's face! HIS FANGS LOOK LIKE A BUTT. Imagine having butts for teeth! What an awful trait, I really cannot deal. Okay, okay, I'm done.
A x
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