How To Cycle Canada The Wrong Way

What do you do as a nearly-forty-something woman when, sat in a traffic jam one morning on the way to work, you realise that this is it. You're stuck on the slippery slope of middle age and heading downhill fast with no way out. The obvious answer of course to leave your job, home and family, buy a rusty second hand bike and a tent, fly to Canada and start cycling. The wrong way. You've never cycle-toured before and you hate camping but you've decided to do just that, to ride across a country, on your own, in a skirt. What could possibly go wrong?So this is a story about a bit of a long cycle ride across Canada. About the land and the people in it, as well as the highs and lows of one woman determined to travel on her own and have an adventure. It's about feeling lost and uncertain whatever age you are but learning to embrace the unknown. From skinny dipping at sunrise in the great lakes to nearly freezing to death in the Rocky mountains; from in-tent tussles to wrestling with mechanical failures, from experiencing utter despair to the wonderful kindness of strangers and the love and support of family. The people, the places, the wind and many, many miles, this is an adventure laid bare. Fundamentally however this is a story about relationships. Diary entries and emails give a candid insight into both the author's personal journey and the people she meets along the way. It also encapsulates the close, poignant and often hilarious relationship with her younger sister who is thousands of miles away and raising her first baby. The messages between the sisters beautifully highlight the ups and downs of taking on new challenges be it cycling solo for thousands of miles or bringing a new life in to the world. Underpinning everything are the incredible bonds of family and friendship which help us to achieve the things that matter most.