So, life has been challenging this summer. My back has not been playing nice, which means my house is a disaster, my productivity has been dismal, and my blog neglected. But, I just finished six weeks of aquatic physical therapy, and my body is feeling so much better. Of course, then my husband gave me a cold, so another week got lost, but it’s almost run its course. Life, right?
So now that I have less pain than I have in a good year and a half at least, the next challenge is to continue the program on my own at my local community center. The cold isn’t helping with that, but I did go once in the last week and have it scheduled for Friday. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. (Yeah, motivation is not my default setting, so I’m going to need a lot of visualization!)
I keep thinking that I wished I tried aquatic therapy sooner, but that leads me nowhere. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as helpful at another time. There is no way to know and no way to redo that past, so I’m leaving those thoughts and focusing on how well it worked this time.
And remembering how good my body feels after most therapy sessions. I’ve got to be realistic, though: there’s always one now and again that doesn’t go smoothly. If I pretend otherwise, which I like to do, I am going to let the disappointing sessions wear down my resolve to keep at it.
To help me stay motivated, I created two goals that I really want to achieve. First, I want to be able to go hiking again. I realize that 10-mile treks might not ever be possible again (but who knows!), but if I can do three or four, that would be awesome. I particularly want to be able to hike to a waterfall about an hour outside the city I live in.
Second, I want to attend a week-long camping festival with my friends. I have not been able to camp comfortably for some time, and I’ve avoided dealing with this issue because until the past year, I’ve been unwilling to admit to myself that I am, barring a new medical breakthrough, partially disabled for life. So instead of avoiding the issue, I am embracing it.
A little research showed me how far the “glamping” movement has brought tent camping. I was raised as a super rustic camper. Campgrounds were for wusses. No electricity or running water for my family. We dug our own bathroom site or found a log. The stream was our shower. This caused an inherent disdain for glamping within me, which was another hang up to get over. But I’ve done it.
I got a nice, supportive raised air mattress on Amazon Prime day for a steal. I tested it out and it was pretty comfortable and definitely much easier to get into and out of than my traditional air mattress bought nine years ago.
Turns out that Coleman now makes tents that have hinged doors. This means I won’t need to stoop down to unzip a tent door, which is a movement that is difficult, especially when I’m still in the morning or after a day of a lot of activity. Several models are now on my watch list.
And there are other accessories to make camping run smoother. Solar showers, raised camp stoves, solar power devices, etc.
I’ve got my wishlist and my vision. Now to keep working out in that pool.
Suicidal Tulip 