[Cross-country bike trip thread continued from Day 32.]
There were some days we did not pass a single town, and saw no one from outside of our group. There were also times we had to plan ahead because there were stretches and days that we knew there were no stores or rest stations to replenish food and water. Occasionally, we would arrive at our designated destination and meet other travelers in their RVs, on motorcycles or on bikes like us. Being on the road creates kinship.
I learned that long distance motorcyclists have insouciant hearts and love the land. There were many of them biking across country like us, with nothing but their bikes and adventure. They stopped at all the bars across the country and always laughed heartily, enjoying our company every few days when we would sometimes catch up. I loved them.
The temperature throughout the trip was drastically varied, even though it was high summer. In parts of the Midwest at night the temperature dropped so drastically we would wake up to a layer of ice on our tents and helmets. There were also days of no shade at all, biking against the sun, trying to reach our destination before the sun was in our faces, merciless. It only rained once on us during the entire trip, and that was when I thanked ziplock for the hundreds of baggies we had to seal every single item individually.
I got one flat during the entire 5000 miles and remember sitting on the side of the road changing it, taking in everything around me. I think this was one of the happiest times of my life, and I’m not even a camper. It was the fact that my only task for the day was to wake up and ride. That was it. The lesson I learned here was that happiness is actually quite simple. We are the ones that make it complicated.
I was fortunate and didn’t need all of the inner tubes I brought just in case. So today on day 33 of my 365 Release I am releasing the inner tubes that came with me across the entire country but were never needed. If you’re in New York, I’ll even accompany these with a lesson on how to change the inner tube and patch up a flat with your bare hands.
2 thoughts on “YK’s 365 Release: Day 33”