This week has been rough, and it’s just barely Thursday. It seems like there’s way too much unhappiness and strife and stress for an otherwise lovely week in October. Well, what better way to cheer up than with the classics? Here are some memes from long ago and not-so-long ago to help us make it through until the weekend.
First, the Chanel of memes: the classic “hang in there, baby”.
Yes, that kitty has been hanging in there since the 70s. Good job, kitty!If you need the power of the meme while on the go, you can get the hanging kitty on a T shirt.
Then there’s one of my favorites, from Sandra Boynton.
Don’t let the turkeys get you down (another throwback, this to the 80s). Yes, there’s merch, too– get a mug to keep you cheery AND caffeinated.
And then there was you got this.
The penguin knows that you got this.So does Ryan– hey girl…
At Fit is a Feminist Issue, know that anytime, anywhere, we got you.
We got you, babe. Even if the rainbow is a little faded.Even your bathroom toiletries got you. In a good way.
Apparently, today is National ‘Just Because’ Day so this is your official permission to do something you’ve been waiting for a good excuse to do.
For example, for my own amusement, I can post this picture of my nephew’s Guinea pig, Powder, in full drama mode.
Image description: my nephew’s white and black Guinea pig looking through the squares on the side of his cage. Powder has his front paws on a ledge and he is looking slightly to the side. His long hair is flipped back over his head so his large black eyes seem to be emphasized and he looks oddly dramatic and glamorous.
Maybe you can use today as a reason to eat your lunch outside.
Or as a reason to text a friend to join you for a walk/for a new class/for an afternoon on the beach.
Perhaps it’s an excuse for extra rest. (Not that *need* an excuse but it can sure as hell feel that way sometimes.)
Maybe you can spend extra time reading.
Perhaps you can challenge someone to a race or to a dance-off.
Maybe you can try a new-to-you meal or play your favourite music or watch a movie you love.
Or you could spend extra time playing with your dog (technically National Dog Day was yesterday but let’s be realistic here, every day is National Dog Day!)
You could say you’re going to meditate ‘just because.’
You could journal or draw ‘just because.’
On Saturday, my friend Mary and I represented our community arts organization and hosted a table at a local art crawl held by an artist-run gallery. A lot of people took us up on the invitation to try squiggle art…just because! Image description: two monster drawings on index cards taped to the side of a red box that contains markers. The box is sitting on a purple tablecloth in the sun.
Whatever you decide to do on Just Because Day, I hope you have a grand time with it.
Because you deserve some ease and some rest and to have the joy of moving your body and you deserve to enjoy a challenge and you deserve good things.
Last week, my brain got stalled on a couple of projects and just flatly refused to be coaxed into action. I tried all my usual tricks and none of them worked.
Since none of my ‘get to work’ techniques were helping, I decided to turn to my ‘get your writing done’ techniques. Once I started journaling about not being able to get my brain in gear, I quickly figured out that the problem was that none of my projects felt fun. (An unfortunate situation for someone who is trying to reprioritize fun.)
And, yes, yes, I know that I was trying to WORK and work isn’t inherently fun but my stalled ADHD brain wasn’t interested in that kind of logic. It just wanted me to make the projects seem more interesting and it decided that fun was the missing factor.
But the projects were what they were and I knew that they did not have fun baked into them so I asked myself “What would make these tasks MORE fun?” – as in, they aren’t fun now but is there something I could do to move the needle towards fun, to make them fun-ish or fun-like or to add a bit of fun to them?
Now my brain had a challenge!
So, since I couldn’t change what I was working on (those things had to get done), I realized I had to change HOW I was working on them.
I had to make them feel new or interesting or challenging or very, very small or make my working conditions more fun.
So, I started by making a little chart of the tasks – with sections to fill in when I finished a task. (Visual evidence of my progress is always fun for me.)
Then, for each task, I asked myself “What would be a fun way to get this done?”
Sometimes the answer was challenging myself to do it in a set amount of time )or in a series of small chunks of time), sometimes it was to play loud music while I worked, sometimes it was to involve someone else (shoutout to my sister Denise who is always helpful when I need a virtual body-double), and sometimes it was as simple as using a different colour pen or standing up while I worked.*
None of things made the work any different but they all changed how I felt about getting started. They all made it easier for me to get my stuff done.**
So, Team, I’m sure this is the part where you are thinking, “This is all grand, Christine, but what does this have to do with fitness?”
Well, my friends, I’m wondering what would happen if you asked yourself “What would be a fun way to get some exercise today?” or “How can I make these stretches more fun?” or “How can I add something fun to my meditation?”
And, yes, I get that those things aren’t necessarily ‘supposed’ to be inherently fun but adding a layer of fun might just make them easier to do.
If you added some new songs to your workout playlist or if you invited someone to exercise with you (in person or just simultaneously in separate locations), you might feel encouraged to get moving.
If you listened to a podcast or alternated between stretching and working on a crossword puzzle, you might bring the fun levels up to an acceptable range.
And you might find meditating more fun if you picked a moving or drawing meditation or if you wore a cape to wrap yourself in instead of just using a blanket.
The key here is that it is worth adding fun to just about any activity, especially if adding fun makes it easier to do.
Why not give it a try?
And, as always, here’s your gold star for your efforts to add fun wherever and however you can.
Image description: a drawing of a gold star with a smiley face against a background of green lines.
*Just in case you’re interested: I also felt a bit stuck on the day I wrote this post so I made a numbered list of work tasks and fun things to do and then rolled a 20-sided die to pick my next task. The fact that my next task *could* be a fun one was enough to keep me rolling.
** Obviously adding fun by changing my approach is not an original idea, it’s a combination of personal experience and of watching/reading approximately 85 million videos/articles about ADHD.
On a recent sightseeing trip to northern, central, and western Turkey with 5 friends, I hiked the gorge in the Saklikent National Park. Numerous travel websites like this one describe (and warn) about what to expect:
The first one or two kilometers can be covered by everyone including the children. However, going deeper into the canyon, there are more and more obstructions. Further on, one has to climb up with the aid of ropes hanging on the walls at certain points. After a few kilometers it is almost impossible to go any further. […] While touring in Saklikent National Park, it is necessary to wade in hip-high waters from time to time. In other words, there is a price to pay for visiting such a beautiful location: Getting your clothes and shoes wet. It would be beneficial to take along flippers or rubber shoes for those wishing to go deeper into the canyon.
Photo by Kimi Maruoka. Me early in the hike, dry and sitting overconfidently on my rock throne. Things would shortly change.
This description is pretty accurate, except there were no ropes. Instead, there were Turkish guides (all young men) who hung out around the halfway mark of the gorge, waiting for intrepid hikers who might need help. Although we had come prepared with good shoes and dry bags, as six mid-life women-identifying Canadian tourists we were exactly those hikers. Ali did not offer to guide us: he just joined our group and started showing us the best ways to place our feet to hoist ourselves over and through each wet, rocky impasse. Near the end, Ali even used parts of his own body (upper leg, knee, even ankle) as our steps. But we were all treated at the end of the hike to a deliciously strong and cold rushing waterfall.
Our hiking group of 6 and our guide, Ali, at the end of what was passable without rock climbing gear. When Ali left us partway out, we paid what he thought was a good tip for his services.
Then, we turned around and went back the way we came. Climbing out, we were the very image of the soaked, happy hikers that had made us curious when we were first heading in. We stretched our bodies afterwards but were still pretty sore the next day. A few bruises came out. Although we remained on the gorge floor, my friend’s phone app said we climbed the equivalent of 23 flights of stairs.
Photo by Lisa Porter. Me at the back of the line as Ali helped each of us up over the wet rocks (then would run ahead to assist us with the next obstacle).
The steps count and the website description above fail to capture my experience hiking this gorge. It was astonishing to move through the deep caverns, see the shafts of light falling on the walls, hear the echoing rush of water. Early in the hike I thought about the many people who journeyed here before me and the thousands of years prior that led to the gorge’s formation. I was awestruck and, at one point, moved to some tears by its beauty.
Video by Lisa Porter (00:22). As Lisa pans the inside of the gorge, I’m making a comment to no one about how I’d noticed hard hats were available but optional at the entry turnstiles.
My pause for taking an emotional moment was necessary because I was otherwise fully absorbed: it took total focus to wade through pools of uncertain depths and scale slick boulders with and without Ali’s help. Every step and turn required careful foot and hand placement, as well as weight shifts, to avoid falling or getting hurt.
Photo by Lisa Porter. Me coming out of the hike, with a low stream of water on the gorge floor and high rock walls on either side.
So, to call it a workout, or even a hike, does not fully express the total engagement of my body, my mind, and my heart in this stunning and memorable natural environment. I think I want to find more of these places to hike: they make my muscles and my heart sing.
Photo by Lisa Porter. Me wet, muddied, and so happy.
FIFI readers, please share an activity or experience that moved not only your body but also your senses, your emotions, or your spirit. Where did you go, what did you do, and what was it like!?
Yes, I know the joke in the title is ridiculous but I couldn’t resist.
Let’s just roll with it, shall we?
I find goal setting a tricky business overall.
The process of breaking things down into small steps and prioritizing is valuable but my brain does NOT want to do it. In fact, that type of thinking is my brain’s least favourite thing.
It likes to generate all kinds of extra factors and complications and ideas and it wants me to account for EVERY SINGLE ONE so I can PROVE that this goal/plan is the ONE RIGHT WAY to get where I want to go.
Is this helpful?
It is not.
Can I stop my brain from going into that loop?
No, I cannot.
Can I try to find a workaround?
I can try!
In order to work with my brain and ensure that it won’t fight me every step of the way, I have to find a healthy combination of specificity and flexibility – specific enough so that my brain registers the idea as an actual thing that is happening and flexible enough that my brain won’t revolt at the idea of being trapped in a plan that past me made.
This kind of sums up my brain’s feelings on a lot of my plans. image description: a screencap of a tweet by Marly (@VerbsRProudest) from Oct 3, 2014 that reads ‘I hate to cancel. I know we made plans to get together tonight but that was two hours ago. I was younger then, and full of hope.
And while I bristle at the idea of ‘making the most’ of summer (or of any season or event, really – the pressure! Ugh!) I do like the idea of making each season feel a little different by doing things that feel like they belong in that time of year.
So, to summarize (summer-ize? ha!) I want to do some seasonal things to kind of anchor myself in the moment, I want to have loose plans that help me actually do those things, but I want enough flexibility in those plans so my brain doesn’t get cranky and stubborn.
Here are a few categories of fun/ideas/goals/plans that I am playing with at the moment.
Cycling – I’m looking into buying an ebike but it’s not in the budget quite yet and I also want to make sure that I will actually use it so I am trying to use my regular bike more (and yes, I see the conundrum here – an ebike would increase my likelihood of riding more but…yeah) But the vague goal of ‘use my bike more’ is not helpful so I need to get specific – two 20 minute rides per week for the next three weeks and then reevaluate?
Patio Yoga – I love doing yoga on my patio either in the sunshine or in the evening with the little patio lights on. I want to say that I will start or end each day with yoga on the patio but I also know that I will get thrown off from this plan. So I think I will aim for daily outdoor yoga but with the idea that 3-5 times per week is more likely.
Hiking – I’m not inclined to do long hikes at the moment but perhaps that will change. For right now, I plan to do two short hikes (2 hours or less) in July and 2 in August. At least one of these hikes will involve a picnic and some reading in the middle.
Swimming in a pond – Last summer, I only managed to swim in a pond 2 or 3 times. This year, I am conspiring with a friend to ensure that I am going to *at least* double that.
Hula Hooping – I really *want* to be good at hula hooping but I never practice consistently enough to get the knack. I’m committing to bringing my hoop outdoors with me every time I hang out in my yard to write and I will practice for at least 5 minutes per writing session. Will this help me improve? Maybe, maybe not, but I definitely won’t improve if my hoop stays propped against the wall downstairs.
This photo is from a few years ago but it’s the mental image that arose when I thought about bringing my hoop outside to use when I take a break from writing. Image description: a blue, green, and gold hula hoop rests against a long table covered in a blue table cloth with an ipad and some art supplies on top. The table itself is on some long-ish grass under some trees and there is a mix of sun and shade.
Deep relaxation – I’m going to follow daily, deliberate relaxation practices and hopefully get some of this lingering stress out of my brain and my muscles. (I know this one isn’t summer-specific but summer is supposed to be relaxing, isn’t it? Let’s say deep relaxation is thematically appropriate )
Sounds like some fun stuff, right?
Specific but not super-detailed?
Now as long as I keep below my brain’s ‘Oh hell, no!’ radar, I’ll have a great time this summer.
The photo below is largely unrelated but it made me laugh all over again a few minutes ago so I thought you might like it, too.
Yes, the joke in my title is kind of recycled. I made this card during my first year doing the Index Card A Day challenge. I’m not sure what the prompt was bears? summer? summer bears? Hawaiian shirts? It could have been anything. All I know is that in brainstorming the prompt, my sons and I ended up saying ‘Summer bears (and summer not)’ which kept us laughing for ages. That should tell you a lot about our sense of humour, right there. Image description: a drawing on an index card shows a brown bear in a Hawaiian shirt and a yellow bear in a green and white jersey standing on either side of a round container filled with ice with glass bottles of drinks sticking out of it. It’s a summer day and there are puffy white clouds in the blue sky.
In case you can’t tell by the title of this post – I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I confess, though, when I first got an email offering me a review copy of Tough Broad, I thought it had been sent to me by mistake.
I mean, I can be a pretty tough broad but the book’s tagline ‘From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking – How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age’ did not seem to be relevant to me at all.
I like being outdoors but I don’t consider myself to be particularly physically adventurous.
Is that a weird thing for a martial artist to say? Maybe. But TKD is just part of my routine now so it doesn’t register as requiring much adventurous spirit at this point.
When I thought about it, though, I realized that I was probably just the right person to read it for the blog. I’m not adventure-seeking but I’m not totally averse to trying new things and maybe this book would help me consider being a little more adventurous.
Gold star for Caroline Paul and Tough Broad! Image description: a photo of the book Tough Broad leaning against my monitor stand. There is a metal gold star ornament on the white desk in front of the book and the word Fun can be seen on a small piece of paper to the left of the book. The book’s cover features the title, the author’s name (Caroline Paul) and the tagline ‘From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking – How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age’ as well as a photo of a person in a harness standing atop the wing of a small plane.
That being said, I was expecting to enjoy the book but to have to dig to find connections to my own life. I assumed that the women Paul profiled would be VERY different from me, inspiring as all hell, sure, but they would probably be lifelong adventurers, wired for being outdoors and for staring danger in the face.
Instead, Paul’s excellent writing offered me instant connections, showing me a range of women who were adventuring at their own level and facing challenges in very relatable ways. Sometimes she’s introducing her readers to women just like them, making adventures seem like something they could start right away and other times she is showing those adventures as just out of reach right now – but definitely possible with some focused effort.*
And Tough Broad is not just a series of examples of inspiring, adventurous broads. Paul weaves key elements of research on aging into each section, making herself and the various adventurers examples of the research results in action. It’s much easier to understand how the value of play factors into the aging process when you’re reading about a 97 year old boogie boarder than when you’re just thinking about it in the abstract.
I took over 16 pages of notes, connected so many dots, and had so many insights while reading this book that I am going to have to write separate posts about different aspects in order to keep my ideas organized. For now, though, let me say that if you think you want to shake up your activities a bit and try something new, Caroline Paul’s Tough Broad is an excellent place to start.
Personally, I’m already considering what more ‘outdoor adventure’ might look like for me right now. I have no plans to become a daredevil but Paul’s book has me fired up to find ways to get outdoors to have even more fun even more often and, as she recommends, to do it completely on my own terms.
*To be clear, she’s not suggesting that we all can or should run out and learn to skydive or do other intense adventures. She clearly recognizes and states that we all have different abilities, capacities, and resources, and that everyone’s adventures will be different. But she IS reminding us that adventuring is not just for the young and she’s inviting people of any age to be open to finding their own adventures.
When I sat down to write this post today, my mind went blank.
I typed ‘Go Team! 2024:’ in the title bar and then realized I didn’t know what to say.
So, I grabbed a small piece of paper and started drawing stars until one of them seemed ‘right’, then I coloured it and decorated the background.
And then I knew what to write about.
When I first started these posts a few years ago, I used to include photos of star decorations in my house (I have a lot!) or photos from online and that worked out fine but it didn’t add anything very much to my daily practice of reaching out with an encouraging post.
So, at some point, I started using star drawings instead (I have a lot!), and then I began drawing stars specifically for each post.
Sometimes I draw stars inspired by the post’s content and sometimes I use the drawing process as a ritual to help me write the post.
Sure, I guess I could say that drawing a star is part of my Go-Team-post-writing routine but calling it a ritual sounds fancier, magical, and more fun to me.
And it does feel more like a ritual than a routine.
It does feel like I am drawing (ha!) something out that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to access.
And given that I know I can rely on my ritual to help me write, even if my mind is blank at the start, I’m wondering if a ritual would be helpful for your practice as well.
What kind of activities or actions could help you switch from another task to your habit-building task?
What small rituals can make your practice feel more fun or more magical or fancier? (if fanciness is appealing to you)
If you have to bundle up before going on your daily walk, could you consider donning your hat and mitts as a ritual? Could you add something to the process to make it more fun/magical/fancy?
If you plan to do some meditative drawing, could you start by lighting a candle or by laying out your supplies in a certain way or by putting on specific music? Would those changes make it more magical, a little more special? Would they help soften the sense that this is something you *have* to do and bring it closer to something you *want* to do?
Anything that you want/have/plan to do can be enhanced by a ritual, whether you add extra elements to the activity or “just” reconsider how you approach it.
(Putting on your mitts can be just putting on your mitts or it can be a step in the ritual of preparation, depending on how you look at it.)
Is this all silly? Perhaps a little.
But adding a little silly fun can make a big difference and help you shift from thinking about doing something to actually doing it.
And having that ritual, that process, has its own momentum that can ease you forward to the next step without overthinking it.
I’ve often seen trainers advise people to put on their exercise clothes first thing in the morning or right after work so they will be in the ‘gonna exercise’ mindset.
I think the same thing applies to an ritual you attach to your practice. Aside from adding fun, it makes the practice almost inevitable.
Sometimes, it just seems to be easier to start a ritual than to jump into a practice.
And I’m all for anything that makes things easier.
And we don’t have to get precious or prescriptive about our rituals, we all know that we *can* do our practices without doing a ritual.
I could have also come up with a post (a different one, obviously) by making some lists, looking at past posts, using writing prompts, or just typing until something started to make sense but the ritual felt easiest today.
(In my case, it also helps that the drawing is part of the post so my ritual isn’t just about getting me started, it’s also getting me closer to done.)
So, a ritual is really one tool in your toolbox to help keep your practice going. It’s one you can use regularly, when things get challenging, or, if it doesn’t seem useful, you can just leave it to rattle around at the bottom of the box.*
And ritual or no ritual, here is your gold star for your efforts today.
I wish you ease, self-kindness, and peace of mind. 💚
A photo of a gold star drawing resting on a wooden table. Each section of the star is filled with thin black lines that follow the shape of the section (i.e. the pentagon in the centre contains smaller pentagons, each inside the other, the triangle points have sets of lines that each meet at a point.) The overall effect is kind of like sets of nested triangles that meet at a set of nested pentagons. The background of the drawing is a bunch of small dots and the edge of the paper is trimmed in green.
* In my imagination, your habit building toolbox is one of those red metal toolboxes with the removable tray so the rattling makes sense to me. If you have a more orderly toolbox in mind, feel free to choose a different end for that sentence. 😉
To help you celebrate, here are seven Halloween-themed workouts for you to choose from.
Why so many?
It’s like my new favourite T-shirt says ‘Witches Gotta Have Options’
A close up photo of the front of an orange T-shirt that has been place on a flat surface. There are the silhouettes of six brooms of different styles and below the brooms there is black text that reads ‘Witches Gotta Have Options.’
(If you don’t celebrate Halloween, you might find these fun anyway.)
Bu the way, these videos are NOT about ‘working off your candy’ * they are about maximizing your fun.
So, don’t be scared, just pick whichever one appeals to you and do as much or as little of it as you want.
A Halloween workout video with dance choreography set to the Addams Family theme song. The still image is a blonde woman standing on the left side of the image facing to the left with her arms crossed. She’s wearing a black lacy shirt.
Next up, a waking workout to Halloween music from Kyra Pro
A walking workout from Kyra Pro. The still image features the instructor in the center facing forward with her arms held out in front of her in a ‘zombie’ pose. The background is mostly orange with a yellow moon in the centre and black bats all around. The word ‘Halloween’ is written in black at the top.
This is another fun workout from Wheelchair Wellness 4 U . She has a whole Halloween playlist too.
A Zumba dance workout from Wheelchair Wellness 4 U. Still image is the of instructor from the shoulders up, she has long blonde hair and is wearing a tank top that says Zumba in pink letters. The edges of the image are decorated with cartoon Halloween things, spiderwebs and a Haunted House.
And here’s Bride of Plankenspine from Yoga with Adriene – bonus points for a kooky name!
A yoga workout for back pain from Yoga with Adriene. In the still image, she is in yoga clothes doing a side plank and her hair is in ‘bride of Frankenstein’ style – stuck up high on her head with a white streak down one side.
A set of Halloween themed movements from Pediatric Therapy Essentials. still image shows a cartoon image of some kids in costumes (dinosaur, ghost, skeleton, mummy), black cat, and a dog in a ghost costume. There are three cartoon pumpkins in the centre.
This video from Dance Along Gal is a seated workout to Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett. Still image shows the blonde instructor seated on a chair surrounded with cartoon Halloween images of pumpkins and bats.
Yo-yo’s Halloween Freeze Dance for kids is pretty cool, too.
Halloween Freeze Dance from Yoyo. Still image shows her in front of a Halloween image of a full moon and a spooky house and in the foreground there are a variety of goofy cartoon monsters.
I hope you had fun with these.
Gertie the ghost is offering you this gold star in celebration of your efforts:
A cartoonish drawing of a happy ghost holding a gold star with a speech balling above their head that reads ‘Go you!’
I’m in the middle of writing several think-y posts but none of them are quite done yet so, instead I offer this:
While I care deeply about all kinds of important issues, on a day-to-day casual basis, I am known for being strongly in favour of three key things:
I am pro-snack.
I am pro-nap.
And I am pro-fun.
These photos from two recent walks with Khalee fall in the latter category.
Go Team Fun!
Here we are as shadow creatures. No, nothing is lurking behind Khalee, that’s just a gap in the trees below that looks like a monster with outstretched arms. Image description: a photo of mine and Khalee’s shadows taken as the sun is setting. We’re standing on a sidewalk that is higher than the path below and our shadows are falling onto some trees next to the path. Our shadows are clearing outlined and behind Khalee’s shadow is a gap in the branches that looks like a very short monster with its arms sticking out to either side. And here we are as creatures of the night. For the record, we are not actually vampires, it was just too warm to walk her during the day. Image description: a nighttime photo of my shadow, Khalee, and her shadow being cast on the sidewalk ahead of us by a streetlight behind us.
I’m in Charlottetown, PEI, for a week! With a day to myself I could do a self-guided tour with a rental car, walking, public transit, or e-bike. By my title, I think you know which I chose.
Probably inspired by other FIFI e-bike posts, I rented an e-bike for the first time in hilly, windy Wellington, New Zealand a few years ago. Here in PEI, where it is flat and the weather has been warm, the electronic motor was more of a luxury!
Elan is on her way. Rental from Rising Tide eBikes in Charlottetown, PEI, which I recommend!
It’s been long enough between rental e-bike day tours that it was good for me to plan ahead and review some self-reminders, which I’ll share:
Read some research/reviews on the e-bike rental store first, and read the waivers before you rent.
Pack hydration, some money, and a layer, as you would when you’re out on your own bike.
Take the time to ask questions about the e-bike. I reminded myself that although I ride this bike wasn’t mine. The store staff want renter safety and they love to answer questions about e-bikes.
Find the bell in the store. I yelled “on your left” at people for hours. The staff showed me where the little bell was hiding when I got back.
Pay for add-ons that will make your trip comfortable, if affordable. In my vanity, I didn’t want a basket at first, but it turned out to be incredibly convenient.
Resist the urge to leave right away for familiarization and to ensure the e-bike works properly. I used the gears and brake in front of the store first before I would need them on my journey.
Always helmet. Always lock.
Have an idea of where you want to go as well as where you shouldn’t go. There was a fun downtown boardwalk on the map, but e-bikes aren’t allowed on it. There were also some busier streets I was warned about by staff. I stuffed a print map in my sports bra for quick review en route.
People can be surprised by the speed of approaching e-bikes. I tried to be extra sure folks knew I was coming.
Keep safe. Ride during the day and on recognizable roads. Bring a charged phone. But skip the trip if you are solo and worried about your personal safety.
A small detour riding the Island Trail!
It’s always good to follow traffic rules and ride defensively. But compared to my hometown, I noticed here drivers were much more courteous to cyclists. Nearly every driver gave me the right of way, even when it wasn’t my turn. So, be aware of the vibe of your touring area when you e-bike.
Overall, if you have the time the weather is decent, I highly recommend renting an e-bike while traveling and touring! You can go further than on two legs, get some outside time, and make some unexpected discoveries along the way.
The entire PEI Island Walk trail. Great signage here!
FIFI readers, what would you add to my list? Where in the world do you recommend e-biking?
