People will call you crazy for almost anything these days.

Not because you are mentally ill, but because it’s the easiest thing to say.

Just try it and you’ll see.

Do something that’s outside the comfort zone of other people, and you’re suddenly “insane”.
Dare to go against their beliefs, and you’ll soon be rewarded with the title “lunatic”.
Do anything out of ordinary, and you’ll be labeled as the “madman” of society.

No matter what you do, it’ll never fit in with everybody’s definition of sanity.

So why cling to it?

Let your curiosity take you to places you’ve never seen.

That’s what we were about to do today, with a mind that is perfectly sound & sane.

The Snowstorm of the Decade

I asked a friend of mine whether he would like to take a dip in the river that crosses the city.
The temperature was about to go way below 0 degrees, which would make it a lot more challenging.

He politely told me that there was a code-red blizzard on its way to unleash havoc on the entire country, the worst one the Netherlands has seen in the last 10 years.

“Hmm” I said “So we’re cycling”
Such an opportunity is not to be wasted, especially when the conditions are this severe and intense.

At first, he wasn’t convinced.
Cycling through the greatest snowstorm of the decade, in the morning, only to run into the ice cold water as a finish wasn’t the most appealing offer he’s ever received.

It wasn’t impossible, of course, but the idea was indeed crazy.
Yet, when the moment of crucial decision came, he did not hesitate.

After all, who would dare to take on a challenge like this?
Not going would’ve been easy. Taking a car would’ve been easy.
There is no challenge in these.
Cycling, on the other hand, was guaranteed to temper the steel of our spirits.

An obstacle, if conquered, would a make a story that we could tell our kids and grandkids.
So the next morning we decided to make it happen, regardless of how determined Mother Nature’s “no, you won’t” would on our journey.

Bold Against Cold

I woke up with curiosity and lifted my curtain to peer out the window.
The only thing I could see was the blinding white color of endless snow.
Covering the cars, the ground, the roofs.
A cold blanket coating everything from head to toe.

The wind was blowing with such a momentum, that the snowflakes were falling parallel to the ground.
Looking up, the only thing you could see was the pale gray sky, sprinkling its frozen drops, like an untrained cook who doesn’t know when to stop.

“You up?” – he asked, sharp 7:30 on the clock.
I was very much awake, eager to step outside and conquer everything nature throws in our way.
We were the only lunatics in the country who would refuse to obey to the power of this calamity.

Before our journey would begin, it seemed like a smart idea to pre-prepare my body. Taking a cold shower, that is. Just in case the effects would last until we get to the beach, so the water outside wouldn’t be as cold as the Reaper’s kiss.

From the comfort of my room, it all looked too easy to accomplish.

My friend even sent me a message, saying that it’s incredibly difficult to cycle with a 30cm thick snow layer under you wheels.
“We can bike through it easily!” – I said, dismissing it.
Only to be confronted with it a minute later, when I tried to move as much as a step without slipping, tipping or losing balance with my fiets¹.

It took about half an hour to cycle to the park next to where I live.
Even on rainy days, it takes 10 minutes to walk there.
I was beginning to realize that it’ll take way longer than the usual 15-minute trip to the beach.

On my way toward the park, I stumbled into another brave soul, trying to cycle through the snowstorm. None of us could get any further than half a meter with each push, so we laughed, and wished each other good luck.

There were mountains of snow everywhere, not even the main roads were cleared yet.
Calling it a marvelous mess would’ve been a compliment.

Yet, we’ve already promised to make it happen. We couldn’t turn back.

When I finally made it to the park, my friend was already standing there, calm and ready to conquer.
There wasn’t a single drop of doubt in his eyes. He knew that nothing can stop us from making this happen.

At this moment I didn’t know yet, but the place where we always go to for such occasions was entirely flooded. The river rose so high, the water simply flushed away the small bridge that connected the beach to the city center.

That meant that our only other option was a place next to the cinema, which was an extra 5 kilometers.
The expected travel time went from a few hours to “Did you bring dinner?“

Tokyo Drift

With every passing minute, it became more and more clear that even walking would’ve been safer and quicker for us to get through this.

There wasn’t a single moment in the whole journey where our wheels didn’t try to slip out under our butt cheeks.

It was so slippery, in fact, you couldn’t even stand still.
Since he was leading, I could occasionally enjoy the benefit of being able to follow his tracks that were already carved out by his wheels. We were drifting through the city endlessly, and on top of it, neither of our breaks would do anything, except for more damage.

We thought the hard part would be over if we reached the center of the city; that the roads would be fairly clear from the snow’s captivity.

So, so utterly naïve.
The snowstorm has taken over everything, leaving no routes of escape.

It took a great deal of effort and energy to make it through even the main roads of the city. We were pioneers with our wheels, leaving the very first tracks on the snow-covered bricks.
Those tracks would serve as a route for all the future passengers, making it slightly easier for them to navigate through this messy territory.

At one point, out of nowhere, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
A snow plow truck appeared behind one of the corners, heading our way.

I let out a loud scream of joy, lifting my fist in the air, celebrating our hero’s sudden appearance.
We quickly jumped to the side of the road, allowing him pass and toss the snow away.
The moment before he passed, I made a deep bow from my bicycle, hand on the chest, signaling the degree of gratitude I felt for him.

I have never seen a man smile so bright on such a gloomy morning.
It was a great lesson too. Life does occasionally make things easier for you, as long as you don’t quit halfway toward your goal. It took us over an hour to get where we were right now, with at least another hour to go, but our rescue appeared on the exact route we were about to continue on.

We made our way to a big cross section – much quicker than ever before – where we caught a glimpse of a beautiful Audi on the road. They honked at us once, as if we’re supposed to cross, but the lamps were still rood². They honked again, and once more. Only then did I realize that they were my friend’s friends, on the way toward our meeting point.

“There can’t be much left” I thought.
A bridge, a brief part of a smaller town, and we would finally reach the waters in no time.

When we got to the bridge, Mother Nature’s desire to display her true power was visibly in its prime.
She wouldn’t let us pass without showing her true might. The wind began to blow with such a force, it pushed our bikes towards the edge, non-stop, while the icy snow beneath our feet would try to turn us upside down.

There wasn’t a single moment of peace on that bridge, the wind was unceasing, and forced us to cycle in a 20-degree bend, constantly trying to push the bike away, and out from under our hips.
We couldn’t let it happen – to be forced to walk the distance.

Eventually we made it to the other side without a scratch, and left the dangerous winds behind our backs.
That meant we were almost there.

On the way down from the bridge we noticed a lonely car in the middle of nowhere, standing without movement.
It was stuck, unable to free itself from the ice’s captivity.
“Let’s help ‘em” – we tossed our bikes in the snow and walked there.

When the people in the car realized that we’re there to help, a lady quickly jumped out to aid us in whatever way she can. We tossed a small portion of the snow away from under the wheels, but it was still resting on a small mountain.

Before we’d began pushing, she glanced at the driver, who was calmly holding the steering wheel.
“He is my [driver’s] instructor” – she remarked, a little louder than a whisper.
They were out practicing today, and the instructor himself drove into the pile of snow, condemning it to eternal imprisonment – except for the 2 random lunatics who appeared to change his fortune.

Imagine studying under this guy, learning the tricks and wits of driving.
Certainly not the best way to market your skills.

We made a couple of attempts at pushing the car out of its binding, and by the 4th or 5th, the snow gave in. They were once again free, and we could all go on with our business.

The Test of the Spirit

Little did we know that the hardest part of the journey was just about to begin.

It presented itself in a form of a virgin suburban terrain.
There was absolutely nothing that would make it possible for us to get through the snow sea.
It was deep enough to swallow your boots with each attempt to step through it.
The wheels didn’t stand a chance for a moment of easy roll. We had to push our bicycles, that was our last option.

It required all the remaining effort we had in us to carry ourselves through the snow. The best part is, we were so convinced that at this point of the day we’d be long done, we skipped breakfast for the sake of fasting a little.

I’m not saying we were hungry, but such a draining battle against the elements of nature wasn’t the simplest thing. It took over 30 minutes to make it out of the suburbs covered in snow hills, until we saw the last road that lead us straight to the beach. Victory was near.

On the last 150 meters, for the 637th time, my wheels slipped, and the instinct to gain balance with a kick launched the chains off the cogs in a blink. My hands were too frozen to be able to put them back, so I did the only thing a man could do in a situation like this.

I picked up my bike and kept walking. Ice, snowstorm, wind. Mother Nature was throwing in everything.
It didn’t matter how hard she tried, there was no way we would let her win.
After finally reaching the parking lot of the beach, I left my bike behind to join my friends who were waiting for this moment the entire morning.

A sense of pride flushed over me as we stood there, watching the waves of the deep gray river sway. We made it in spite of everything. Not a single time did we fall or injure ourselves during the drip. Not the slightest bit.

But before we’d take off our clothes and face the greatest challenge of the day, we had to free their car from the snow’s grip. That’s already 2 cars to save, and it was barely the beginning of the morning.

To our greatest delight, our friends had their gorgeous puppy – Goku – cheering for us through the whole thing. Not just in spirit, but with a very affectionate smile and occasional playful jumps at our hips.

The car eventually got out of the trap, and that meant that the time came to put an end to today’s crazy journey. Conquering the freezing waters, that is.

The thought that we were finally doing it made me jump out of my clothes, and onto the frozen beach.
I was jumping up and down out of joy – a strange dance, almost – as my bare feet touched the crunchy layer of chilly snow with each leap.

There was no time and no point to thinking. Stopping at the shore would’ve been sensible, letting the waters gently lick your toes and give a taste of what awaits – but we were waiting for long enough since 7:30, so without hesitation, I walked in and allowed the water to fully take over me.

It was a strange sensation.
The storm was blowing with its full power, but you could barely feel the wind biting on your skin.
It was cold, but not freezing. The water was chilly, but not frosty.
I was expecting sharp pain, numbness in my hands and my feet. Difficulty with breathing. Shaking.
But none of those came to be. Our bodies were unyielding.

Given that we’ve cycled for more than 2 hours, sparing no effort and energy, it was still somewhat unusual to feel this degree of “Invincibility”

I let out a loud scream, mixed with the feelings of satisfaction and bravery. So did my buddy.
In that moment of victory, I knew that every second of today’s struggle was worth it.

Just like with many other things, fighting your way through them doesn’t always make sense until you get to the end of it. This is especially true for learning new things.

Let it be playing the guitar, training martial arts or learning a new language, it can be extremely disheartening to barely see any progress in the beginning. After all the effort you put in; day in, day out, continuously, with very little to show at the end of it.

But one day – likely sooner than you’d think – you’ll wake up, look in the mirror and say:
Thank god I didn’t quit.

PS – Here is the recording:

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Epilogue:
“Well, you’ve described how it felt physically, but how did you feel internally?“

It was soul crushingly refreshing. If your mind was a grand chalkboard – full of ideas and feelings, with little to no space for anything new to be written on it – the flow of the river was a sponge, soaked with the cleanest water from a mountain’s peak.

It cleansed you free from all your regrets of the past and future worries.
It linked you to the present moment, a sensation stronger than any sort of peaceful bliss meditation has ever brought me.

There was no reason to come out, really. It was simply delicious, mind-blowing.
It’s an experience I’d recommend to everyone who is ready to try something new and slightly crazy.

“What happened after you came out? Didn’t you freeze?“

Well, my hair did. It started to form icicles and became sharp and rigid.
Only the warmth of the car could thaw my curls back into their natural shape.

When we began drying ourselves in the cold, I tossed my wet underwear on the ground for a brief second to put on another. By the time I pulled on my pants and socks, it was frozen, glued to the floor.
I lifted it in a shape of a solid triangle. Everything around us was frozen in the snowstorm, except us.
To say that we were comfortably warm wouldn’t be true, but it wasn’t unbearable.

After the feat, still slightly cold, my friend came to the conclusion: “Nou, het is wel te doen!“

“Mad respect for you!” another friend of ours remarked, only to conquer the river the very next day. Inspiration goes a long way.

In the end, we decided to leave the bikes behind, since my hands were still too frozen to fix the chains, and it would be absolutely reckless to do another 2-3 hour tour through the city.
We needed breakfast and a warm shower…Immediately.
Luckily the car was there to save us, after we saved him :]

Disclaimer: Don’t do this at home, especially not alone.
If you intend to do so, make sure to gradually train your body in the cold, bring a friend with you and believe that you are capable.

Take care, as always.
Erik

2021.02.07 – Day 748

Writer’s notes:
[NL] Fiets¹ – Bicycle
[NL] Rood² – Red