Little Trooper, Isle of Skye, Scotland 54 miles

I am always relieved to be in the company of someone that is layed back as much as myself. Layed back I mean not letting little bumps, ripples in life get you down. Not sweating the small stuff, the glass is half full and not half empty. You can usually tell a layed back person by a phrase they say when things get a little tense. I say' "It is all good", and Ruben says, "no problem". After this you can feel any stress dissipate. I have not always been this way. The exact opposite actually. I was a worried that only found relief if I planned for the worst. This characteristic made me a excellent multitasker, a excellent employee, a sucesfull student; but a miserable person. I though every possible direction, good or bad in life, could be planned. I learned the hard way that not all things in life can be planned. All the energy put into woring would do no good. Your reality can become a nightmare that spirals downward leaving you grasping for stability, normality.

Traveling, you learn that planning can be a pain and most of the time is better to go with the flow. I am glad Ruben is a "No problem" kinda guy. It has made my travels with him some of the best days with a companion that I have ever had. I think half of it is my new outlook on life, and of course, his way of life. This was evident as we started the Day in the Isle of Skye. At this point we had been on one very short bicycle ride. I looked at him, pointed to the map, and said, "well how many miles to you want to do". He pointed to the road that lead up the Northern pensula and then back round to Portman. I kinda giggled and said, I think that is about 54 miles and very hilly. He said,"no problem". Hmmmm....... I thought. Ruben admitted said he has not exercised much this summer except for an occasional run, has not ever spent much time on a bike. I compare this to someone asking me if I wanted to run a marathon without any training. Yes I could do it, only because I am that stubborn, but the event would be absolutely miserable. Ruben was cheerfully volunteering to go through possible misery. He just said," if I cannot do it, I wait and you go and get the car, No problem". So we did it with no problem. I must say that the pace was a leisure one, stopping for highland cow kisses, Stopping for a snack on the side of the road Stopping at every possible vision of beauty for a picture. I saw things differently this day. Saw things I do not think I would of seen if Ruben was not with me. Usually, I would of had my head down for a majority of the time, moving in and out of la-la land, and focusing on my breath as I pushed myself until my legs burnt. The mind set of a racer getting a rush off of what a bicycle can do for you; now that is beginning to learn to love her bicycle for the places it can take you. Only if you remember to look up..... Ruben's best quality, always looking up at life, seeing, being open, absorbing, reflecting, analyzing, and always learning. So this day me teacher reminded me of how to look up at life and always believe that nothing in life is impossible.
Amor, Katelyn