A Dream Come True

Have you ever felt really, really good after doing or achieving something that you have worked for or planned for a long time? I remember my elation when I submitted my PhD thesis and never had to look at it ever again - it was a huge relief and like a heavy weight taken off my chest. Or when I received my postdoc fellowship - I opened the letter right in front of the mailbox in the hallway and danced up the stairs to my apartment and couldn’t wait to call and tell my parents. And when I eventually lived in Princeton, it was so cool, it sometimes felt unreal. And then all the things that happened last year when I was travelling and dancing and hiking, there were moments when it felt like a dream come true.

Last week I had a dream-like experience of a different kind. It was more like a nightmare come true. Whenever I cycle into town (look at me how British I’m becoming, using the word “cycle” instead of “bike”!) for the most part I cycle along the Union Canal which has a nice cycle path along one side. Using the canal cycle path naturally avoids all the ups and downs of hilly Edinburgh, and at one point there even is a pretty cool aqueduct, where the canal leads over a big road and the Edinburgh river, the Water of Leith. Since the aqueduct is rather old, the cycle path, which is shared with pedestrians, is cobblestoned and only maybe one or one and a half meter wide for the whole length (50 - 100 meters) of it. Especially during rush hour, it is quite common to encounter other people on the aqueduct coming from the other side which makes it necessary for one party to press itself to the railing on the far side of the canal path to let the other party pass safely without falling into the canal. Falling into the canal at this position has been a nightmare since the very first time I crossed the aqueduct on my bike. Usually, when the path is clear, I would just stay on my bike despite the narrowness and the rough cobblestone - it is just so much faster. However, it is a bit scary. The water looks murkily dirty and you cannot see the ground. Here (click) is a picture of the canal a mile further down - it looks quite friendly, and it is actually pretty when there is no litter floating around (for more pics on Google click here (click)).

To cut to the case: Last Friday, a beautiful, warm summer day, I, my bike, and my backpack took a dip when I failed to grab the railing to my left after stopping my bike to let another person pass, and then, falling to the right towards the canal, got my right foot stuck in the little foot holding basket-type device attached to my pedal. I fell to the right onto my knee, my bike fell on top of me, and the momentum made me roll over, head first into the canal, the bike landing on top of me. 

The water was quite nice and refreshing, and surprisingly not smelly, which I could actually appreciate once I was done swearing and had been pulled out by the guy who I had made space for. I also started to find this whole thing hilarious (though not just a little embarrassing when a little crowd began to gather), and I was truly sorry no one had filmed my salto mortale. My bike was alright and cleaner than before. I felt fine and only later discovered bruises on legs and bum where the ground and my bike had hit me, and how badly I had scraped my knee. My phone wasn’t happy though. Once I got home I tried to reanimate it without success. The whole phone story and what NOT to do after liquid damage will be in a different post. Also, some information about the healing process of scraped knees (no pics, I promise). 

That night, when I was out dancing and been asked what I had done that beautiful afternoon, I had a good story to tell.