It’s the “May Two Four” here even though it’s May 21.  It’s the May long weekend called Victoria Day in other parts of Canada, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birth but here it’s “The 24.”  Usually you can bank on it being raining for sure and snowing at least.  Today, however, is gently warm with a grey blue overcast.  The city is quiet because most businesses are closed for the long weekend that launches summer in this province. 

Many are off at cabins or visiting family members.  To reconnect with the amazing place I live, I took a stroll down Duckworth Street, one of two parallel roads that form the core of downtown.  Off Duckworth, rise hills that I frequently walked up carrying a heavy pack as part of training.  Each residential street sprouts the colorful saltbox houses that cuddle so close together they appeared joined as one.  I take in the familiar sights as I ramble along. 

I realized that the pots haven’t banged in awhile so I head up to Moo Moo’s ice cream for a long weekend treat.  The bovine decorated shop that makes it’s own creamy treats in flavours like “Newfie Fog,” “Turtle Cheesecake,” and “Green-Eyed Chocolate Monster” sits atop a confused conglomerated configuration of streets known as Rawlin’s Cross.  I step into the store and realize I’m not the only one who’se had this idea as the line was long to make the big choice between all of the offerings.

A young man is just ahead of me in line.  He says, “Have you gone on your trip yet?”  I answered, “I’m just back.”  He tells me I spoke at his school and that I told the story of how when I was first training for Denali, I hadn’t been a runner.  I started of running one minute and walking one minute for 20 minutes.  Eight months later, I ran my first half marathon.  He said there was something in that story that touched him as he’d always gotten down on himself about not being a runner.  After the presentation, he began running with a more compassionate view and he told me that he’s lost 30 pounds, is running 8 kilometers a day, and has committed to running the Tely Ten (the premiere running event of the summer-a 10 mile race).

I thanked him for telling me of his journey and congratulated him on taking on his own Everest.  It was a good day to hear a story of some impact the climb had beyond my sphere. 

Four more of my teammates summitted last night and the last few are trying tonight.  They have been blessed with good weather and I hope it continues for all the remaining climbers who wish to attempt the summit.

A doc friend gave a listen to my cough and the good news is we think it is viral and will pass.  I was worried that I hadn’t totally cleared the bronchitis infection while in Nepal so that was good news.  My sleeping hours have returned to this time zone and I will continue to work with my “post partum” Everest time.  I knew from past climbs that there would be a period of challenge when returning home.

Transition has always been one of my challenges and even though I gave myself so much practice with it the past two years, I knew this one was good to be a doozey-because the experience was so big. Not only am I leaving the mountain, I am leaving the 18 months of preparing for the mountain behind. The "Road to Everest" was as full and intense as my mountain experience.

It's a bit like I'm perched over one of those big crevasses in the icefall. I'm on the ladder looking down into a large abyss. I'm actually quite safe on the ladder but it is dizzying to look down into all that space. One of my favorite sayings is "This too shall pass." I know that one day soon I will wake up and I'll be off the ladder and on the other side of the crevasse. Until then, I will clip into various literal and metaphorical safety lines, place my crampons carefully, and move from rung to rung with intention and care.

Thanks for your support and thoughtfulness as I share the coming home part of my Everest experience.

TA