I wake up to my alarm clock and race to find the button that will shut it off. Reaching through the darkness, I find my bike clothes and pull them on. It's chilly, so I add on the long sleeves and leggings. It's not yet 6, so I've still got time before I absolutely have to leave.
Breakfast is cold cereal and yogurt, with a cup of orange juice. This is the way life should be, I think. Starting the day with a bike ride is perfect. There is nothing better, except for starting the day with a bike ride with friends.
On this morning, I will not be riding with my friends, for they have scattered to the four winds (are there REALLY only four? I'd have to disagree with that). Instead, I'll be truly ending my Big Ride. Since I returned from my cross country trip, I've been riding into school every day. I've ridden to a doctor's appointment in Lunenburg. I've ridden to visit friends 30 miles away...but I really didn't think about it. After all, I'd ride that far to get to my 2nd breakfast/1st lunch.
After today, I'll have a Honda Fit...I'll be among the car-owning again.
I fly today...it's exhilarating to feel the early morning air streaming across my face. Averaging 15.2 miles per hour, I reach Northampton before 9 am. My ride takes me 2 hours and 40 minutes.
This trip confirmed for me what I already knew. There are many, many good people in this world. Big projects can't be done in a day - it's necessary to break them down into smaller, manageable chunks. The less time you spend preparing for something, the more you will suffer later on. Going down a hill at 52.0 mph is both exhilarating and terrifying...but I'll do it again in a heartbeat. I love my bike. And I also love my dog, and all the things I do outside (like kayaking...and hiking...and EVERYTHING...), and all my friends. There just isn't the time in the day for me to do it all! And I can do anything (except downhill ski through a revolving door).
As much as I missed all my "old" friends, I miss my new friends, too. I love the simplicity of waking up, packing my tent, and riding 80 miles. The most difficult decisions are what flavor of ice cream I'll have (the daily dose of ice cream is a given), and where I'll set up my tent. Someone else is in charge of making sure that there's a meal for me, and there's no such thing as cleaning the kitchen.
One day, I will ride again, another long-distance trip. And I will hike the Appalachian Trail. But until then, there are other things that need to be done: I need to teach music, play violin, hike with my dog, play with my kayak, hang out with my friends. I need to do laundry, finish unpacking my apartment, pay my bills and yes, wash the dishes in my sink. All the mundane things in life that I've been able to avoid this summer.
Who knows what else life will bring? Whatever happens, I'm game...
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