This Blog's for You

I was talking (gloating, bragging, nervously spewing) about the cross Canada trip I’m hoping to take when one of my friends asked if I was going to be sponsored. After further conversation I realized she meant am I going to use my cross-country trip as a charity fundraiser.
The short answer I gave her was I’m selfish that I want to do this trip for myself. The more honest answer is I’m scared. I’m scared I don’t have what it takes to finish my trip. That half way through this trip I’ll want to quit and I will. I’m scared of having other people count on me.
I have actually thought long and hard about using this as a fundraiser. I work in a long-term care facility and I work with many residents with a variety of different disease conditions. I have also had different friends and family that have had to deal with some pretty difficult diseases. Personally the disease that makes me the angriest is MS. Like cancer every person gets his or her own unique version. Will it hit you hard or will it ease it’s way in? Will it attack your muscles or your brain or a cruel combination of both. So for three different generations of people I know that are dealing with this insidious disease, Margaret, Colin and Brianna this is for you.

The Hatter

"♫ Well, here I go again on my oWWWWnnn, ♪♪travlin down the only road I’ve ever knOOOWWWn, like a drifter I was born to walk alOOOWWn,♪♫ BAMM bum bum...." Thought I’d start us off with a little Whitesnake.
The question I get asked the most when I tell people about my grand little adventure is, “You’re going by yourself?”
The second most asked question is “Are you crazy?!!”
The short answers are yes and well yes. I’m doing a trip that spans over 9000 KM, and could possible take over three months to do.
I really do enjoy being with people but, when push comes to shove, I don’t play well with others. My maximum time tolerance with any one individual is about 72 hours. So if I take a trip with someone and it’s going to be five days long but I will only see them 8 hours a day, I’ll do fine. But… If I take a three-day hiking trip sharing meals, a tent etc, plus travel time on either end…I get really twitchy by the last part of the trip. I just need my space. It’s me; I know that’s what I am like. Those nearest and dearest to me know that too. There are two possibly three people that I could do this trip with and they can’t join me, so solo it is.
So I guess the answer to question number two is yes... I’m mad as a hatter.