Houston Day 687 - little adventures

I love to travel, it's true!
I love a change of venue,
A change of menu,
The feeling when you
Meet with something strange.
I love to travel.
I love a challenge,
I love change.

- "I Love to Travel" from The Frogs (Sondheim)

Little Adventures

I only just realised over the past few days that my attitude to trying new things has changed since we've moved.  Before, it was like I had two invisible lists in my head, one titled Things That Amy Does and the other titled something like Things That Are Not Really Amy's Cup of Tea, and I knew pretty instinctively which list an activity belonged to, even if I'd never tried it before.  Going to theatre shows? Something Amy does comfortably.  Bungee jumping? Definitely on the second list.

But since emigrating, the lists haven't disappeared entirely, but they've faded a bit, or at least are open to reassignment.  I'm pretty sure that's partly due to the unavailability of many activities on the Things That Amy Does list (you try finding a Melbourne-style coffee shop in Texas: it's possible, but you have to know where to look), and partly due to being forced to make things my cup of tea that previously weren't (e.g., driving on the right-hand side of the road).  I've realised how much joy is possible by looking for little adventures, both with Lucas and on my own!

The path into Donald R Collins Park

So the adventure we went on yesterday was mountain-bike riding.  I'm totally rubbish on a bike, and the last time I rode a mountain bike was when I was fourteen on an Outdoor Ed trip through the Grampians, and I was pretty rubbish then too.  But we scored some good bikes from a colleague of Lucas' who was dumping a bunch of stuff before being transferred to Malaysia, so yesterday we went to Collins Park in northwest Houston in the glorious spring sunshine and I (pretty terrified) took to the trails.  I have the bruises to prove it! Going downhill is much more fun than going uphill, but I shall learn!