Today I was caught by surprise when a representative of Florence by Bike asked me if I would run for a new position as an advisor to the board of directors of the team. In this capacity I would represent le donne, the women on the team, as well as serving as a point of reference for foreigners newly situated in Florence who are interested in joining the team. The proposal for this "position" will be presented to the board for their votes at the annual elections meeting in September.
I was honored and pleased. It may sound simple, it may sound elementary. It is only a bike team. But for me, it is a significant milestone that marks another root that I have planted into the Florentine earth.
It made me contemplate the tremendous capacity we have as human beings to recover from traumas and illnesses, and it made me think of how when you really have a passion that comes from deep inside of you, that nothing can really set you back.
After being incapacitated with a serious illness and off the bike for 5 months, I am miraculously recovered and my passion for life more brilliant than ever. My life in Italy is back as though it was never interrupted. I am riding right in there again with my team of Italian cycling companions who share this terrific passion for life on two wheels. I am hard at work trying to recruit new women onto the team. I am getting offers to start guiding tours again.
I am fired up and starting to develop a more strategic plan for my future life in Italy. This is only a small step, but one that propels my passion even more.
