I walked away from this meeting with mixed feelings. Maybe it is that I've been doing this for 9 years now, 5 times a year. I think I am getting jaded by it all. I was just glad to be done. Now it is on to planning the next meeting and trying to incorporate feedback from others. When I first started at this job, we would get a day or two to catch up after getting home (I was gone for a week, worked 12+ hours each day). We don't get those days anymore. To be honest, I think that is why I typically get sick after meetings. It is my body's way of making me take a break. I miss having comp days! This time around, I had a weekend to catch up, do laundry, etc., and I made sleep and exercise priorities while at the meeting. I also tried to not eat quite as much as I normally do at the meetings, but the food was so dang tasty. I'm not feeling sick after this event, so I must have done something right!
So Toronto. It is a really busy, bustling city that is growing like crazy. It has this weird mix of architecture where the old and the new are morphed together. It is unique and nice to have the past influences and still incorporated with the new. The city also has a lot of green. I think it is a mesh of NY and Boston with nice people. It is also a bike friendly city. On Tuesday, we had a half meeting day, so in the afternoon, my coworker, Lisa, and I rented bikes from the hotel and rode through the city and along the water front. It was wonderful to get out of the hotel (I literally hadn't stepped outside for a day and a half) and be part of the city. We rode for a few hours and talked. It was a leisurely ride and the weather was overcast and chilly, making for great riding weather. It was refreshing! Here's the details: Bike Ride in Toronto Details
And some lovely photos from the ride:
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| Not the best bike, certainly needed some work, but I still got 19 miles out of her. |
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| My lovely riding companion |
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| The CN Tower from the waterfront |
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| So many beautiful gardens! |
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| I loved this gate into a butterfly garden. You can see the CN Tower sticking up from the middle of the bush! |
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| Lisa all sassy! The city (about 8 miles from this point, and our return destination) in the distance. |
One thing about the ride... the helmet had no padding. But I guess that is better than lice, right?! I took time when I did a site visit in Rio de Janeiro in August to also rent a bike and ride along the beaches and the lagun. I must say, I think this may have to be a new tradition for me! In Melbourne, Matt and I rented mountain bikes and hit up the you yangs. Biking in other cities is such a fun and unique way to see the city. It is fast enough that you get to absorb so many areas, but not so fast that you can't appreciate the complex details on a building or a beautiful garden. I highly recommend this route of transportation - but would you be surprised?! :)
So now I'm back to the daily grind and the bike riding. I do have a better appreciation for my lovely bikes and live-in mechanic husband after riding one that hadn't been well maintained. Some of his knowledge has rubbed off on me, as when I returned the bike to the hotel, I commented that the drive train needed servicing.
Since May is national bike month, I'm trying to be more cognizant of opportunities to ride my bike rather than drive. Thursday night, Matt and I rode to the town center for dinner. Friday night I rode downtown to meet friends for dinner. Sunday, we mountain biked up Apex (boy was I tired)! I think if we all look at our daily life and replace one car activity with a bike, we will be a healthier nation and have less pollution. It also helps make us all more keen drivers, as you will begin to be on the lookout for cyclists when you are on the road and have greater empathy and appreciation for the sport.
