‘click’ for instant slipstream

I check my facebook page every 4 minutes. I reopen the tab, refresh the site and let the wave of green wash over me. If I keep the page open, it’s like I’m still in the Slipstream.

Amazing things happen when a group of like-minded people comes together for a period of time in a location such as YMCA Wanakita. With none of the usual distractions or obligations, people are allowed the opportunity to be fully present. In the same way that summer camp friendships progress at warp speed, Slipstream hours are akin to weeks in terms of relationships formed and bonds solidified. Factor in that we all start with the shared reality of living with diabetes and you have a recipe for incredible group dynamics and lasting connections. Being in the slipstream is a real sensation. The energy is tangible. (Just read the other blogs!)

This year’s event was truly a team effort. Jen and Chelsea worked tirelessly in the months leading up to the weekend, ensuring everyone was registered, organized, well packed and had flights and rides that aligned properly – no small feat. Mark Davis joined the team this year to challenge us to approach our learning edges and push our limits with confidence. In the first moments, he helped us to recognize our similarities and identify important connections. Who knew a common toothpaste brand could bring people together? Bazza from Abbey North Drummers had us walking to the beat of the same drum within hours of our arrival. He helped us shed our inhibitions and start to break down the barriers that inhibit us from putting ourselves out there by soothing our musical traumas with his assortment of percussion instruments. An educator to the core, Jen improved everyone’s diabetes knowledge and understanding as well as fitness, with a redesigned version of Diabetium. Chelsea ensured that everyone looked, as well as felt, part of the team by heading up the merchandise table. Hank was, once again, behind the camera, documenting our every move in unique and meaningful ways. We explored the trails, lake, and frozen forests of Wanakita by snowshoe and cross-country ski. We hung out, tested our A1C’s , experienced what it was like to wear a CMG, ate ExtendBars, drank low carb Molson 67, tried out our new Contour USB meters and stayed up way too late. Jason came from New Brunswick to share his compelling story about life before and after receiving an islet cell transplant. Julie and Saci shared stories and experiences of marathons raced, Ironman’s completed and Death Races to be trained for. The entire crew shared their knowledge and expertise during hot topic breakout sessions. And Mark continued to keep the flow and the theme of pushing limits, continuing to creating safe spaces for us to challenge ourselves at high ropes, trust one another by catapulting people into the air on the Inuit Blanket and bringing our ideas and 686 years of experiences full circle. As the weekend drew to a close, we were reminded that this really was a beginning, a launch point for an incredible year of change. Written on the road, the words WE R CONNECTED were written in the snow, a reminder to everyone that they were now part of a community, a network, the Slipstream.

I stood outside on Sunday morning, waiting for the team to get into CIM gear for the annual photo run. It was a crisp, cold, clear, bluebird day. Hannah commented that if you closed your eyes and turned to the sun, it almost felt like you were on a beach. I was reminded of my mom. Ever since I was little, on the last day of a vacation, she would sit with me, wherever we were and tell me to close my eyes, smell the smells, feel the textures and temperatures, listen to the sounds and feel the entire rhythm of the place and time we were in. I’d memorize it, package it up and store it away, deep down in my chest so it would be there should I need to call on it when I returned home and got back into the swing and regular stresses of life.

Click. New tab. Refresh page. I am back in the CORE. I hear the banter and buzz of energy, I feel my cheeks flush, warming after being outside in the cold. A mug of hot chocolate steams in my hand, I see flashes of green, hear laughter, pumps beep and pens clicks. I’m sitting on a wooden bench. Never in my life have I felt so comfortable. I’m back in the Slipstream.

As more days fill the gap between Winter Slipstream 2011 and the present moment, know that you can do the same. With one click, you can be back in the Slipstream – connected to an incredible community of supportive people who reach out their arms in a welcome. They are excited to see you again.

Thanks to our Winter Slipstream 2011 sponsors and supporters:

Medtronic of Canada Inc.

SPIBelt

Bayer Diabetes

MedicAlert Canada

Dex 4

ExtendBar Canada

Molson