No new weight loss to report this week, since I’m nowhere near a scale, and won’t be, for a few more days.

The view from my seat

I’m writing this week’s blog from the banks of the Arkansas River, where we’ve been camping for a few days, and will finally pack up and head home on Sunday. We bought a pop-up camper roughly a month ago, and this is our second trip out, with many more trips planned.

I’ve been a tent camper for most of my life. I was raised in a scouting family; my brothers were Boy Scouts, my parents were volunteer scoutmasters. When I came of age, I became a Camp Fire Girl, and later, in high school, I joined a high adventure Explorer Post (now called Learning for Life).

I’ve always been an outdoors person; I grew up in a small town, on a lakefront, and just about every activity with my friends was outside. From ice skating to hockey to swimming to boating, our lives were on the water or around it. I walked to school with my friends. I worked on the other side of the lake, and walked to my job, roughly two miles away. I rode my bike everywhere; around the lake, to friends’ houses, to neighboring towns.

I still love the outdoors, and my soul demands a view of the water to be at peace — but I’ve let obesity rob me of the simple joys of being outside. I’m still more of an observer than a participant, but returning to things like hiking, swimming, scuba diving will come in time. For now, being able to get out and about, enjoying the glint of sunlight on the water or bursts of stars in a night sky, is another important step toward balance.

Yes, I’ve had some issues; while I’ve been fortunate over recent months to not deal with my knee locking up, it’s done so twice while camping. I’ve been prepared, though. It’s a small setback. It’s also a reminder that I have lots of work still ahead of me. I will need knee replacement soon, and the more weight I lose, the stronger I become physically, the better off I will be.

This journey started off as yet another attempt to lose weight, with hope that I wouldn’t give up in a week. Over time, though, it’s become much more about finding that balance in my life, restoring those things that are at the core of me, than simply dropping weight. Feeding an adventuresome spirit is another facet worth shining.

Enjoy the sunshine and springtime, friends!