Walden

So after breakfast, neither of us felt good and didn't want to ride, so a day of napping and tv was in order. I'm not sure if it's altitude-related, but we both had horrible headaches and just generally felt crappy.

Being that there's nothing to talk about on days off, I'll talk about other random things. Expect some ranting.

Cars: I've become unsympathetic to anyone with a motor (until I start driving again, of course). I'm not sorry that I may be out in the road and have delayed you .3 seconds. I'm not sorry that when the shoulder is actually more dangerous than the road, I take the lane. If you have to swerve around me and into the oncoming lane on an endless, and virtually car-less road, I don't feel bad that I've pissed you off to the point of honking at me. What's the big deal, we're in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

Horns: We've been honked at and flipped off many times since Idaho; I either wave in response, or just let it go. Nearly 1,700 miles later, I finally lost patience. After riding on the worst road yet (heavy traffic, semi's, and a shoulder that was un rideable and dangerous) I was feeling tense and aggravated. We had no choice but to ride in the lane, with semi's passing at supersonic speeds. When a car laid on its horn right next to us, I didn't hesitate to raise my arm and middle finger, and shout a big "FU." And that was the theme of the day. The road went from deadly to moderately deadly (pretend you didn't read that, mom). The shoulder had a rumble strip, then snakey tar patches that catch your tires and threaten to make you crash, and then gravel. Normally, the shoulder is safe and roomy, that was an exception.

And speaking of honking, I wish that I could blow a horn in a motorists ear. Honking a horn when you're 2 feet to my left is just downright terrifying. So, to anyone who honks next to a cyclist: it's extremely loud and jarring, please refrain. Would you like a horn blown into your car window?

End rant.

What's it like to ride a bike, day after day? Awesome! I love bike touring! I'm exploring so many places at a slow enough pace to see a lot in a short amount of time. I meet new and interesting people every single day, from all walks of life. I've gotten to experience different landscapes, weather and towns. I've traveled through larger cities, and I've traveled through towns as small as 35 people. I've notice that small town America works very hard at their blue-collar jobs, and has a lot of pride in their tiny communities. As much as I love hitting a big town with food options, I think I love these small towns even more. There's typically 1 or 2 stores that are multi-purposed. And everyone knows everyone. Small town America is just incredible.

I've learned so much already, and have been able to teach a thing or 2. I'm comfortable enough to ride a bike anywhere, and I'm confident enough to walk out my front door with just a road map, and wing a bike trip to anywhere. I was never nervous traveling all alone, and I wouldn't have an issue taking another trip alone. However, finding a riding partner was definitely the best thing that has happened to me out here, and traveling with friends is always more fun. Plus, talking to animals just gets old. McKinley and I often chat while riding, but we also ride in a comfortable silence. Sometimes we sing, sometimes I play a harmonica (horribly), sometimes we moo at cows and laugh. It's comforting knowing there's always somebody there, even if we go a few miles, just listening to pedal strokes.

And that's all the random thoughts I feel like writing about for now. Maybe I'll continue the theme on the rest of my off days. TBD.