Good luck Charlie!

As I organize my notes and recipes for my exam tomorrow, I keep checking in on a friend in the middle of an exam of his own. Charlie, a friend from Iowa, is swimming across the English Channel. Right now. The last update I saw, he was two miles into his frigid 21 mile swim. If he makes it to France as planned, he'll be the 4the person in the world, and the very first American to complete what extreme athletes refer to as the "Peak and Pond." Mount Everest being the peak, English Channel the pond. Crazy, I know.

Even crazier is that when he reaches the French beach later today, he'll also have completed the first leg in his own personal world triathlon. It's an 11 month challenge he dreamed up where he swims the length of the Thames and crosses the Channel. Bikes and runs across Europe to Nepal. Then he climbs Mt. Everest. No, I'm not joking. It's amazing, and really difficult to wrap my head around. But his challenge and crazy goal is inspiring. It's exciting to follow along and cheer him on. My parents said he's all over the local news. An Iowa hero.

I posted good luck wishes on Facebook the other day and suggested he started eating pain au chocolates to gain weight. Apparently if you swim tens of miles every day you have trouble keeping weight on. I wouldn't know. Anyway, Charlie replied saying they're looking for a chef for the expedition! Ohhh, what fun! But no. I'm not exactly the right candidate for the job. A vegetarian pastry chef? Not sure my cuisine would sustain. Weight gain, yes. Endurance, not so much. But for two seconds I was picturing myself stirring a huge pot of pasta at a base camp in the mountains. Just for two seconds. I joked with Nate about the idea, but he didn't laugh. He knows I'm a sucker for a trip and probably didn't know if I was really joking. He's ready for me to come home. And I am too. No worries.

Anyway, good luck Charlie!

If you'd like to follow along or watch some of the entertaining little shorts, the site is TheWolrdTri.com

Now back to breads and cakes.....


Update: He did it. Congrats!