Wednesday, July 10, 2012
Day's distance: 50.38 miles
Overall distance: 1,356 miles
When I first got back on my bike for the first time in five days, my body felt very strange. My dad and I were leaving from a gas station in Moorcroft, WY, where we'd finished on Wednesday afternoon. It was windy and I felt like something was wrong with my bike. There wasn't, I was just getting used to things again and adjusting.
The whole day wasn't a lot of fun. My body wasn't its strongest and my mind was feeling lethargic. The scenery was alright but not the best we've seen. I wasn't as rejuvenated and rearing to go as I knew I should have been after the days off. To be honest, the details of the day kind of blur together. My dad and I shared a mango icee that tasted like straight sugar, I had delicious leftover pizza for lunch, my dad got a flat tire, my mom talked to a woman in a bike shop and got valuable advice on how to successfully replace a tube, and we passed the site of a small fire that looked like it was put out quickly.
We stayed overnight at a campsite in Newcastle, WY that seemed a little shady at first. There was nobody working there and we were the only tent amongst a bunch of RVs. I felt much better about the place when a little boy asked us to put our tent in a particular place so he and his friends could continue playing soccer in the field where the tenters would camp. Seems like tents were pretty rare in those parts.
After beef stew, salad, and some wine, I tucked into my hot tent at 8:30 pm. I had an emotional moment with Joshua over text messages where I not only expressed how much I missed him but shared my concern about the way I was feeling. At the moment, I was not happy about the idea of another five weeks on my bike and I had to change that. I was afraid that the rest of the trip could never compare to the first three weeks and that I'd spend too much time wishing it away. He said some helpful things, especially that it's not always about having fun. It's about conquering America and seeing places that I've never seen and never would have otherwise so I should appreciate it. It is kind of tough love but it's true.
I went to bed feeling better. Believe me, I would not publicly state that I ever had doubts about this trip if I didn't know that I'd get over them and come out stronger. The next day would be one of the best of the trip and, like I've said before, it's the hard ones that make the great ones that much more special.
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