I fulfilled a childhood dream yesterday. As a child, I always wanted to be one of those women who rides her bike to visit mums and babies.
My mum and her friends had talked about their pregnancies in the north of England in the 1950's and early 1960's. They described the local village midwife, riding to prenatal and postpartum visits on her bike, skirts flying. I knew that this was what I wanted to do.
That dream of cycling to visit clients (and reducing our carbon footprint) was why we moved back into town. But, it's only recently, after buying a black bike with a basket, just like those serviceable Dutch bikes, that I've felt ready to do my client visits the slow birth way.
So, one day, I had to do a few visits in Yaletown. I bit the bullet, and headed out over the windy bridge. There's nothing more satisfying than going to visits in the busy downtown core and not having to worry about traffic, red lights, or parking. I even managed a whirl on the False Creek bikeway. Between visits, I stopped at a little French bistro, sat in the sun at a cafe table, and ate my lunch while answering the inevitable (but fun!) phone calls from two postpartum mums.
Thanks to my clients who didn't mind seeing me dressed just a little less professionally...what? my blue dragonfly cycling jersey isn't totally business-like? Thanks also to my clients who didn't laugh at my helmet-hair.
I rode home from my lovely visits with a parting gift of chocolates in my basket, 30km/h (over the speed limit!) on the last bit of the bridge, past the Planetarium, under the bridge, past the Granville Island tourists, and up the hill to my home. It was fabulous! Then the phone rang again. I put the kettle on and chatted with another client. The day was an amazing realization of a childhood dream.
So, be forewarned...I'll probably be coming to see you on my bike very soon - glowing, shiny (aka sweaty) and smiling!