Timeline

As a single parent, my life is forever on-the-go. Every day, I have to take care of all my chdilren’s needs. I make sure that they eats the right food, wears comfortable clothes and enjoys school. I do all that I can to keep them safe and healthy. I make sure that they feels and knows how much she is loved. On weekends, we spend as much time as we can together, but there are also times when her father picks them up for their own fun time. It is during these days when I get the chance to do what I like best: go on extreme adventures with friends.

My friends and I love the outdoors. Instead of going to bars or clubs; instead of watching movies and partying, we spend time doing all sorts of outdoor activities like rafting, hiking and kayaking. Of all these activities, hiking is closest to our hearts because it allows us to enjoy the outdoors and spend time talking and catching up with each other’s lives.

When we first started to hike, we had a guide with us. He taught us all the basics of hiking, including the importance of choosing the right gears and hiking stuff. On our first hiking adventure, he noted that we all used ordinary backpacks. While this was all right, he said that it did not prepare us for unexpected weather changes, like the rain. He advised us to invest on a good waterproof backpack. We did and it made a lot of wonderful difference for all of us.

Our waterproof backpacks have made our hiking adventures more fun and memorable. And since I plan to someday bring my daughter to one of our fun backpacking adventures, I have also invested on a good waterproof backpack for her.

I wrote previously about becoming healthier and trying to be more active. I have always had a problem with my weight. Back in my high school days, I was extra shy because I did not have enough self-confidence. Everytime someone wanted to befriend me, I would hesitate because I felt that I was not worthy enough. In college, although I excelled in academics, my social life was lonely. I sailed through college pretty much the same way that I did in high school. And all of these were because I was too conscious of my weight. I was not really overweight, but I was on the borderline.

It was when I started working that I finally found the courage to do something about my problem.

A weekend spent with co-workers turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We played volleyball one afternoon and although it was my first time to do so, I did exceptionally well. I eventually took up volleyball seriously and trained for our office team. I began to lead a more active life. I started working out, mainly because it helped improved my game. And I began eating healthier food.

I love the life I lead now. I have everything I need – especially my confidence and my friends.

More than a year ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes. It came as a surprise because I was never really big on sweets. My doctor told me it was because of family history. Although my diabetes is not the serious type, he still advised me to take it easy. Obedient patient that I am, I took his advice to heart and made some changes in my life.

I started to eat more healthy food. I have always been careful about the food that I eat, but I switched to an even healthier one, completely eliminating food that was too salty, too starchy, too oily and anything with fat. I continued to stay as far away as I could from sweets. And I started to become more active.

Instead of spending my weekends eating out with friends, I started to spend more time getting into sports. I spent early mornings running in the beach, which was just a few minutes’ walk from my apartment. I played volleyball and swam regularly. I am proud to say I have been able to continue with my new lifestyle. The changes have been great and I feel better two times over.

Just recently, I discovered the cranberry juice detox diet. And although I am not really into diet and similar stuff, I tried it. This particular diet is different because its main aim is to detoxify or cleanse your system. Cranberries are also good for cleaning the urinary tract, which is a common problem for people with diabetes.

After only a few days of drinking 100% pure organic cranberry juice two times a day, I observed a lot of positive changes in my system. I now feel lighter and better. I don’t get easily tired anymore. At 48, I am now more active than ever!

I had a friend who once told me about her teenage daughter. Unlike other teens, her daughter’s weekends were spent exploring new places, trekking, camping and hiking. She spent a lot of time on the beach, too, and on practically any body of water.

I told my friend about a kayaking weekend my husband and I had with some relatives. Although I was quite hesitant at first, I had a grand time. I figured that if a woman my age (mid-40s) can enjoy an extreme adventure like kayaking, then a 19-year old adventure lover will surely have a grand time as well.

Kayaking is a fun activity that any nature lover would love. It is relaxing, calming and definitely rejuvenating. Somehow, the clear blue waters soothe the mind and soul, so much so that you will sometimes forget where you are. There were times when I felt like I was flying freely.

For my friend’s daughter, I recommended an inflatable kayak. Inflatable kayaks are lightweight but sturdy. They’re made of high quality materials, and they perform extremely well no matter which body of water you choose to go to. Teenagers won’t have a difficult time handling an inflatable kayak.

Since my friend’s daughter travels a lot on weekends, the inflatable kayak is perfect because it can be easily disassembled. This means that she won’t have a hard time carrying them or moving them from one place to another.

On our kayaking adventure, my husband and I used an inflatable kayak. Contrary to what I first thought, I had no problems with it. Everything went smoothly and I felt comfortable and secure knowing that my kayak had excellent resistance to impact.

My friend’s daughter eventually went kayaking. And she used an inflatable kayak. She has been hooked to kayaking ever since.