Does my bruise look big in this? The problem with an outdoor lifestyle

Does my bruise look big in this? The problem with an outdoor lifestyle

When planning a trip to the home of the bungee, Kia laments the impact of an outdoor lifestyle

I turn 36 this year, and if it hadn't been for the shocking discovery that cellulite also extends to the stomach, I might have continued my diet of sugary snacks and drinks forever. Instead, I pay a little more attention to the things I eat. There are still desserts and ice cream, but slightly less overall.

The fact that staying in shape now requires more effort isn't a huge surprise; After all, that's what beauty magazines have been telling me for about two decades. What's surprising is having to think about how I treat my body in different ways.

I run an outdoor blog, so of course I do outdoor stuff - which doesn't always end well for a girl who grew up in the city. There were some extreme things like jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet, but it's the more prosaic things that hurt me.

alt=”Kia prepares to dive into Tonga”>Atlas & BootsReady to dive in Tonga

Peter and I joke that I've fallen off my bike in the most beautiful places in the world, including Bora Bora, the Galápagos Islands and the French countryside.

Things stopped being funny in Cambodia when I hit my head on concrete and my forehead grew to the size of a golf ball. I remember the shock of the fall and the harsh iodine splashing on my wounds: a cut on my left eye, a cigar-shaped abrasion on my right hand, a plum-sized gash on my left arm.

Days later, as the fluid drained from my head, I developed two black eyes and ended up looking like this on my long flight home.

alt="Swollen forehead and black eyes after a bicycle accident">Atlas & BootsSwollen forehead and black eyes after a bicycle accident in Cambodia

Today, 18 months later, the impact point still hurts if I rub too hard while washing in the morning. The cuts to his eye, hand and arm all left scars.

alt="An abrasion covered with iodine. This left a scar.">Atlas & BootsAn abrasion covered in iodine. This one left a scar.

A year after the bicycle accident, I was riding in Montenegro when my horse slipped and took me with him, partially pinning me underneath him. It was more shocking than painful, but the resulting bruises weren't pretty.

This is what a fall from a horse looks like

Shortly afterwards I was kicked by a horse that was protesting with another. (Note to self: Spend less time around horses.) He caught me on my lower back just below my dimples and also hit the back of my leg. That floored me. I shot up to avoid being trampled, and as soon as I knew I was safe, I felt my legs collapse and my head feel weak. A kick like that could have paralyzed me.

The bruises (below) have healed, but today when I sit strangely I still feel a sting where I was kicked in the back.

alt="bruises on the back of my leg">Atlas & BootsBruises on the back of my thigh and leg after being kicked by a horse

And then there's my right ear, which I think is fine now, but was popping for months after a dive as I struggled to equalize the pressure. Every time I swallowed I could feel my ear crackling like a faint static charge.

I'm sharing this now ahead of a trip to New Zealand, the home of commercial bungee jumping. Of course I have to do one. I love the thrill of heights and the feeling of free falling. I love the way my stomach turns when I think about jumping off that ledge. I love the prospect of doing something scary.

So, yes, I will do bungee in New Zealand if everything goes according to plan, but I will also pay more attention to how I treat my body. Scars and stories are more interesting than beauty, but I prefer to keep my limbs and abilities.

What does this mean in practice? I will still venture out of my comfort zone and embark on risky trips, but I will make sure I train and prepare more thoroughly, wear recommended safety gear, and speak up if I feel uncomfortable. I am healthy, fit and productive and would like to keep it that way.

Mission statement: Dreamstime

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