If you have to fall…

“If you have to fall, fall uphill.”

Words of wisdom from my brother as we navigate twists and turns, roots and rocks, on a mountain bike trail. I am far out of my comfort zone, being rusty on two wheels and generally not a fan of the bumpy terrain.

Falling over the edge on the downhill side would be pretty disastrous as the tumble/ slide down would be a doozy. But tipping in the other direction, uphill, would be considerably less impactful.

I have a choice, not only in choosing to come on this crazy adventure, but also in how I can respond to the upsets in my path.

Obviously, I prefer not to fall at all, metaphorically or literally. But when it inevitably happens, I’ll try to find the grace to fall uphill.

I’m happy to be back at home this morning. It was great to sleep in my own bed and have my tea just the way I like it. I find Michigan to be most enchanting, outside of the 10’ snow drifts come winter. The Upper Peninsula (UP) is a delightful mix of big sky, lots of trees and vast water. I’ve enjoyed all of my visit there, AND it’s also really nice to come home.

It’s amazing all the pieces that fell into place organically on this trip. The weather was ideal; the one rainy day coincided perfectly with my baking plans. Other people’s schedules shifted in ways to make get-togethers easier. I missed a day without Wi-Fi service in Philly (love when inconvenient issues occur but I’m elsewhere and not being inconvenienced).

Not everything went the way I wanted to it. Things went the way they were supposed to and I did my best to wobble and pivot. And when possible, I chose a soft spot to land when falling became imminent.

I’ll leave you with a few pics of land and sky and lake.