I’ve had moms and motherhood on my brain lately—starting with two weeks ago when a friend asked me to babysit his ten month old son. He was in a pinch and I had a lot of tasks to do that day from home, so I hurried over to his house after my 5 am practice.  Luke was a gem of a baby-but it was a lot of work! Between changing diapers and making sure he was fed-I had to sprint through my to do list during naptime to get everything done. I called my mom that night (with the time change I’m pretty sure I woke her up…) and thanked her for being my mom.  Her response was, “and just imagine having another one running around while you’re trying to put that one down for a nap.” Then I remembered what a brat of a child I was-and thanked her about six more times before we hung up.

This past Sunday I went to a baby shower for my cousin Courtney, hosted by my cousin Cheryl.  As a team we kept Cheryl’s three-year-old daughter, Mia, occupied on Saturday night before the shower as we frosted cupcakes and prepped for the party. I knew Cheryl had a lot to do-so I tried to take on entertaining Mia for the night-including reading about twelve bedtime stories. I fell asleep on Cheryl’s couch as soon as my head hit the pillow-that kid tuckered me out.  I can handle three workouts a day-but a three year old? That’s a workout.

And if those events weren’t enough of a sign that I needed to write about my mom, Sunday night I went to a performance one of the ROW ladies was in, “Listen To Your Mother” (listentoyourmothershow.com). Every single story was touching and left me in tears. Fourteen women and one man shared intimate stories about their mothers or being a mother- some were funny, some were sad, all were heartfelt and touching. I left not only feeling inspired to once again call my mom (yep, I woke her up, yet again), but also to write and share about my mom.

So how does my mom handle having a crazy adventurous daughter who puts herself in dangerous situations and occasionally gets arrested? Well, to sum it up real quick: she’s pretty much awesome about it. When people ask me about my rowing trip-someone always asks, “ So what does your mom think about this?”

The answer: My mom has always been supportive of the goals and dreams I’ve had for my life. It’s not to say that I grew up in a house that lacked the word “no”, it just that “no” didn’t exist when it came to following your heart.

My mom’s father was also an adventurer – I think that has helped my mom understand me as well.  My Grandpa Sherm started the first skindiving club in Michigan-spending weekends exploring new bodies of water in and around the Great Lakes.

Grandpa Sherm

I have always (even as a child) been headstrong with a natural tendency to lead. Finding a way to be supportive of someone like this is a unique gift, particularly as a parent. Why? Because once I get an idea in my head and it’s clear—I start going for it at 100 mph. It’s like the time I wanted to make a mobile book report for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  She knew that the best thing to do was to take me to store for supplies and then just leave me to my own devices on the kitchen table with the scissors, hangers, yarn and markers. I’ve gotta say—it was a pretty kick ass mobile.

My mom isn’t a loud person-and in many ways she’s a pretty private person. I’ll probably embarrass her by dedicating this post to her but I felt it was necessary. She inspires me and supports me by always being there- even at some ungodly hour when all I have to say is “thanks, and I love you”. But really-isn’t that what everyone mom wants this Mother’s Day?

After the madness of leaving my job and committing to the final two months before this challenge-I needed some time away.  Yes, I went on vacation! And it was super secret. Why? The next 6 months of my life are about to become very crazy and very public. From the things I eat, to the way I feel-to how I miss my dog and Law & Order reruns on my couch.  A quick vacation away from the hustle and bustle of the city was long overdue. I tried as hard as I could to not think about the trip.  When you’re planning something like this-you live it 300% of the time.  Everyone knows about it. Everyone. From the people you work out with to the people you coach, old friends from college to cousins and neighbors. Everyone asks me about the trip every single time I see them. Without fail. So yes, I needed to get away. I needed a trip alone where no one knew that I was one of Chicago’s Top 40 singles or in Fitness Magazine or leaving on a rowing adventure.

Naturally, I did some handstands.

London on the Thames

Colosseum Handstand

What did I discover while I was on vacation? I have so much to do before I leave!  Somehow being on vacation was a lot harder on me than I thought it would be.  I had a wonderful time and got to see some old friends-but it was also very emotional. Plenty of emotions that I don’t normally allow for in a normal day came up. While in the thick of this giant project and goal- negativity, anxiety and uneasiness linger-but but they never get my  full attention. When I’m having a bad day or feel scared-I have so many other things to distract me.  Not to say I spent my vacation feeling sad-I just allowed myself to fully go there in my mind. It was healthy, it was hard, but it was good.

So, all in all- here’s where we are at the moment:

Liv: She’s almost ready. We need to install a Raymarine unit that pieces together many of the electronics on my boat. Oh yeah-and I need to learn how to use it! The underbelly of the boat is being painted pink!

Water time: I’ll be spending a lot of time in Liv in May. Days and nights of getting to know her just a little bit better before I leave.

Fundraising: The Send Off Party invite is up! Join us on my last night in Chicago until August.

Stops: They’re coming together! We have some great volunteers working to make sure I’m safe on the Lake. Rebecca, the Row4ROW Port Master is piecing everything together beautifully. It’s going to be an exciting and eventful row.

This weekend I’m headed to Grand Rapids to speak at the Mid-American Collegiate Rowing Association’s Championship Regatta. I’m speaking Friday night and then Liv and I will be at the regatta Saturday. I look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for your continued support of ROW and this trip. If you’d like to sponsor a mile of my adventure, take a look here to donate $100 in support of an amazing cause and effort. 

GO ROW!

-Jenn