We packed for Tahoe: bike, walker, braces, wetsuit, everything for sleeping, everything for cooking… last minute I decided not to take the wheelchair. Because nobody likes packing. And maybe because I have a pretty high confidence in our combined powers: mine to be stubborn and take risks, Ben’s to carry me around. So, off we went.. my first weekend outing with the wheelchair waiting for me in my room.

I had found some “family friendly” bike paths (read: flat and separated from cars) and was determined to swim in a lake or two. And to walk. And to spend days outside, again.

Well, we magically found a perfect place to sleep in the Toaster (car), the biking did a complete and thorough job of tiring me out (twenty miles total this weekend!), and I miss the lovely woods there already. Swimming was trickier. I wanted to bike early each morning, before the heat set in. We started looking for a beach after lunch. There were the usual crowds and some access problems to figure out. On day one I ended up biking myself to the edge of the sand from the car, then Ben carried me into the water. On day two I walked as far as I could before the sand was too deep to continue. Then got carried into the lake. I miss my old bandit ways, of slipping into the water from whichever wild spot we found first. Instead we had to find parking and compete with families for access. I miss the option for peace and quiet. How do I handle limitations that always put me in the middle of the crowd?

Swimming in the middle of the day was also a mistake because it was too hot for me to wiggle into the wetsuit. I thought the water would be reasonable. I was wrong. I lasted just 10-15 minutes before shaking uncontrollably and aborting the swim. Otherwise, it felt wonderful to be in water without salt or chlorine. Next time I’ll have a better strategy for this. Swimming uninterrupted by walls and lanes is a goal right now.

I loved the trip: it also included some walking, some breweries, and the many moments that feel like adventure: problem-solving to follow laughter and inspiration. I can forget the negative aspects of my weaknesses when every challenge is welcome. It is easy to do in the setting of vacation and outdoor activity. It is hard to maintain on the day-to-day.