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I am alive

Sorry to have disappeared for so long. I am alive, and have been exploring Philadelphia... when it's not too hot. Just now, I was about to say something like, "Philadelphia, my new home," or something like that, but even as I work on settling in here, there's some sort of reticence, like, I don't want people to get too used to me being here. I'm not quite sure what that's all about. I mean, sure, I love Chicago, and the Midwest, in general. I miss the area, and the people as well. But, I am moving out here. I found a place to live (in a co-op!), a job (barista), and I've already made some new friends.
So, why the hesitancy? I guess it's simple, really. I do miss Chicago, and all my friends there. While I like Philadelphia, I love Chicago. Granted, I could grow to love Philly. Hopefully I will. Only time will tell.
Anyhow, today I'm catching a rideshare back to Chicago, and I'll be visiting Milwaukee, maybe Madison as well--it's been far too long since I've been to Madison. And if I can't find a rideshare back to Philly, I may be renting a car, or something, that can get me and Fred and the rest of my stuff back here.
I started another blog, with the intention of posting whatever was on my mind, but I think I made it too private, and am currently debating whether I should just delete it, or what. I do think that future blogs will be linked to this one, so, check back periodically.
Peace!

Mennonites rock my world...

I know, I know... I disappear for a week and suddenly Mennonites?? Honestly, I know next to nothing about Mennonites; it's just that the international guest house that I'm staying at in D.C. right now is run by Mennonite volunteers, and it's very homey and nice. We had tea and cookies at 9p.m. tonight, and chatted with one another and yes, it was lovely.
So, wow... it's been a while. I guess I posted once while on the trail from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., but that was brief and relayed no details whatsoever. However... I have neither the time nor the inclination to fill you in on all the great stories right now. Plus, you know, I have to leave something for the book ;-).
Some highs, then, and some lows, in brief:
I left Pittsburgh last Wednesday. I fell on the trail around 7:30p.m., and scraped and bruised myself up a bit--I still have a huge bruise on my left thigh--but still decided to try to bike 17 miles to the next town. Since it got dark early (with the leafy canopy overhead), I ended up biking for a while in the humid dark. Every time I stopped to look at a map, my glasses fogged up. At one point, a huge insect (I'm assuming...) hit me in the neck. It felt like a bird, but I sort of doubt it. Anyway, that night, I ended up setting up my tent directly on the trail. It was one of my rougher nights.
The next day, I rode over a small mountain to go see Falling Water, a fairly famous Frank Lloyd Wright house. Pretty awesome. That night I hung out with Bob, who was biking from D.C. to Pittsburgh--I think I mentioned that in my last entry.
The following day--we're at Friday now, I believe?--I crossed both the continental divide, putting me officially in the east, and the Mason-Dixon line, putting me officially in the south. That night I stayed in Frostburg, MD, which invovled going up many steep hills. My lasting impression of the town wasn't one of friendliness. As I was walking my bike up the main drag in town, checking the town out, a girl--roughly my age--actually asked me if I had a staring problem. Apparently because I was looking at her side of the street? Elsewhere, my smiles were met in kind, but there, they were seemingly met with suspicion. I also got shouted at in an unfriendly manner by people in passing cars. More than once. I got the distinct impression that it was not cool to be a young woman with very short hair, wearing no makeup, and riding across the country by herself--but maybe I'm being paranoid?
Either way... Saturday I passed through Cumberland, MD, where the Great Allegheny Passage ends, and the C & O Canal towpath begins. I stopped at a farmer's market in town, and a coffeeshop as well. It was a neat little town to pass through. I spent the night at one of the (free!) hike & bike campsites along the C& O with a Girl Scout troop.
Sunday, I biked all day... and spent the night at another of those neat campsites that they had every five to ten miles along the canal... No company that night, though.
Monday, the C & O Canal towpath intersected the Appalachian trail for about 3 miles, and I ended up hanging out with a hiker for a while. Her trail name is Topo, and in addition to the book I'll be writing about my trip, I think I'm going to write a Choose Your Own Adventure story called "The Adventures of Topo and Zem" or maybe just "Topo and Zem," so, stay tuned for that as well.
After she and I parted ways, I got about 3 miles before deciding to take cover under a bridge for a storm. Unfortunately, the storm proved more than the bridge could provide cover for. Luckily, once the storm was over, I found a nice fisherman, who drove me to a motel. Because of the storm, when I got there, the motel had no electricity, and no running water (yeah, it was an intense storm--more details in the book!). So, I went to bed, and some time in the middle of the night, power was restored.
This morning, I got back on the trail. For maybe half a mile, everything was fine. Then there were some tree branches, which I surmounted easily enough... Then some trees... I had crossed, with increasing difficulty, maybe five or six obstacles (trees) on the path, when finally, I got to a stretch of maybe fifteen or twenty feet that was entirely covered in trees and branches. That's when I resigned myself to going back the way I came.
Yet again, nice people came my way, and drove me further down the trail, past the wreckage, which is how I now come to be sitting at this computer, clickity-clackety at the keyboard... pretty ready for bed.
Tomorrow I'm going to check out the D.C. stuff that one should check out, and hopefully have lunch or something with my friend Becka, and then... I'm going to take a train to Philadelphia. Don't be too disappointed--I'm not--It's hot, and I'm ready for a break. But!! Don't worry! There will be more adventures, and more stories--I promise.
I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, be well.

Meyersdale, PA

This'll be a quick update, because I'm still hoping to make it about 15 more miles today, which should put me on the east side of the eastern continental divide. My thoughts are scattered about...
Last night I camped in Confluence, PA, and ended up hanging out with Bob, who was heading from D.C. to Pittsburgh. We have tentative plans to bike in Nova Scotia this fall. We shall see.
I've had tons of experiences over the past couple days, some good, some bad, but of course, the bad makes for better stories. I think I'll have to write a book.
Sorry for the lack of details. Next time, more details. And, you know... stay tuned for that book.

Pittsburgh, cont.

Alright, Bob, Shana... this one's for you. ;-)
Tuesday: woke up, Pittsburgh. rode: several miles around city.
Wednesday: woke up... unsure how many miles rode as of yet.
Okay, maybe that's not quite what you're looking for, but I'll see what I can do in the future. One of the reasons that I haven't been posting my milage is that I don't have a cycle-computer, which would easily tell me my milage. But according to my maps, I've been averaging maybe 55 miles a day.
Last night, I had dinner with Janet and Marty, friends of my friends, David and Terry, and two of Janet and Marty's friends, Wendy and Warrick. I then spent the night here, at J & M's, and am currently supposed to be checking out the weather forecast. What I can see from the window does not look promising, but it's not actually pouring yet. I will be checking the weather forecast soon.
Despite the heat, I've been having a great time in Pittsburgh. It's very hilly, but this makes for fantastic views of the valley, and a challenge to find less steep hills to bike (even going down them, in the city, is a pain in the ass, because it involves more hard braking than anything else). Not that I've been doing a ton of biking. Yesterday, I biked downtown, where I checked out the courthouse, because it had interesting plaques--including one of the ten commandments. I was very amused to see that the part about not coveting your neighbor's wife also included other things that you're not supposed to covet, like his ass. So I took a picture.
Yes, I did bring a digital camera, and yes, I am taking pictures, which I would love to share, but alas, I have no current way of posting anything. Forthcoming eventually, I promise.
I've been reading a lot (Misfortune, by Wesley Stace), which reminds me, I should update my goodreads.com, and hanging out with people from couchsurfing.
Today, I will either head out on the trail that connects Pittsburgh to D.C., or be postponed by thunderstorms. Until next time...

For whatever reason, this computer doesn't want to let me type in a title for this post, but it would be: Hills and Heat.

They both sort of showed up at once. It's ninety here, now, in Pittsburgh, and is going to be tomorrow as well. I got here last night, after a long day in the saddle. At one point I took a 45-minute nap in the shade of a tree on some country club property.
If this post is lacking my customary exuberance/oozing good feeling, it's not because I've lost good feelings... it's more like they've gotten lethargic in the heat.
Today is a definite rest day. I'm staying with Kelly and Bill of couchsurfing, yet more awesome people. They also have some adorable animals. After they left their house today, I was lying around looking at the local paper for shtuff to do, and Lois, their cat, came and curled up with me, and we ended up taking a two-hour nap. She's so sweet, and she makes me miss Fred and Clovis even more than I already do.
As far as hills go... they are great great fun to zoom down. Not so much fun to climb up. I feel like I've been running x-country, and all of a sudden someone said, "Okay, you're still going to go long-distance, but now we want you to sprint!" My legs are definitely getting more of a workout than they had been.
So... like I said, today is a rest day. I don't know if I'll be able to summon enough energy to go tomorrow, as the weather is supposed to be the same as today. However, then the heat is supposed to break a bit on Wednesday. We shall see.
Send cool thoughts my way! And as always, thanks for your comments and encouragement.

Cleveland Heights, OH

I feel like my heart has been incredibly open since I started my journey, with lots of love flowing in and out, like oxygen... must be all the exercise I'm getting :-).
Last night I spent the night with some awesome people that I found through couchsurfing.com. Their house is called The Groovy Bungalow, and they're the epitome of good people. I only wish we could have hung out longer, but I feel certain that we'll keep in touch, and maybe share some adventures down the road.
Not to get all sappy on you, but last night, finally going to sleep in a stranger's comfortable guest bed, I felt so full of warmth and light that it was almost hard to sleep... for a minute, and then I crashed hard, as someone who's been biking all day should.
I feel like everywhere I go, I run into Good People. It's a testament to the fact that if you put out good energy, it will return to you, and then some. Riding along, I could choose to see the faces that stare at me as unfriendly, but I suspect they're mostly just curious, and when I smile and wave at them, they smile back.
I've had plenty of people ask, "Aren't you afraid to travel alone?" but I've had just as many say, "It's awesome that you're doing this/ I'm so excited for you/ I wish I could do that," and to them I say, "You can! You should!"

I think I've decided to head to Pittsburgh from here, and then to D.C., and from there to Philadelphia.

Vikash, Lilia, Alvin, and Laura--you rock! Take care!
Tom and Carol--thanks again for everything! You went above and beyond and then some...

Maumee, OH

This is going to be a quick post, because I'm hanging out with people and don't want to be lame and anti-social too long... also, I'm having a great time hanging out with Dana and her friends, Pooka, Louise, and Liz. They're awesome. I also got to see Andy and Phillaine during my time here. Dana's parents have been amazing, and I've had more than 24 hours off of my bicycle. I also saw fireworks last night.
Like I said, quick post, just to let y'all know that I'm well and still alive. Back on the road tomorrow!

Defiance, OH

Again last night, I biked into the night... This time I was with Von, though, who scored us a free room at the Defiance Inn in Defiance, Ohio, by offering a donation receipt in exchange. However, the woman at the gas station, Mary, who Von stopped to ask directions of, was like, "Why on earth would you want to go there? They couldn't pay me to stay there." Apparently this place was really sketchy, in a bad part of town. Mary racked her brain, made a phone call, and scored us a place to stay with this awesome couple, Kasey and Bilal.
We pitched our tents in their yard, took hot showers, ate, and stayed up way too late, sharing pictures and stories. Bilal recently returned from two weeks in Israel, so we got to both hear about that and see photos.
They also clued me in to the fact that I could take a direct route to Maumee, which would be about as long as the trek to Bowling Green. Seeing as how that's where Andy and Dana will actually be, that's the plan.
Thanks Mary! Thanks Kasey and Bilal! You rock!

Monroeville, IN

This city is amazing. But let me first recap the last several days.
The family that I stayed with in Momence rocked. Friday morning, they drove me to Iroquois to pick up the Norther Tier Route, where I met Von. I saw his bike and trailer outside a local pub, so I walked in to introduce myself and see where he was going. We greeted one another like old friends, both of us belonging to the secret society of brightly colored jerseys and tight black shorts... He's biking from Iowa City to Washington, D.C., in honor of his mother, who died of cancer earlier this year. Get your colon checked!
We biked together Friday, and camped in Buffalo, IN. It was nice to have company, and he brought a travel guitar, so we joined a campfire and sang some songs. Saturday we biked together for about 50 miles, and then I broke off the trail to join Betsy, Debbie, their families, and Shana, for a hog roast. Oh yeah, you read that right. I ate way too much food, and passed out early. Sunday morning though, I woke up fairly early, and chatted with Betsy's mom, who is also a cyclist, as is Betsy's stepdad. Then I went for a swim in the lake, which was fabulous.
Eventually, I said my goodbyes, and Shana drove me and my bike back to the route, stopping for brunch along the way. She dropped me off around 2pm, and I got to bike through this amazing state forest... I could have spent a lot longer there, but my legs were well-rested and itching to pedal. I had decided that there was no way I was going to make it to Monroeville last night, since it was 68 miles away, and I got such a late start... but then at some point I decided I could do it... and I did, though I did spend the last eight or nine miles biking in the dark. There was still a sliver of orange on the western horizon...
So, on my map, it said there was a free, indoor shelter for cyclists, with a shower and washer/dryer in the city park. I located said shelter, but it was locked, and my cell phone didn't have reception, so I couldn't call the numbers listed on the building. But, as luck would have it, a van pulled up next to the park, and was kind of lingering. I walked over, and asked if they happened to be people who could let me into the lodge.
"We're on the park board!"
Sweeter words, my ears have never heard.
So, I spent last night in this shelter, where I took a nice hot shower, did a load of laundry, and slept in.
This morning, I unloaded 7lbs, 3.5oz. at the post office (doesn't sound like I got rid of a baby?). I spent some time at Monroeville News, chatting with Lois and waiting for the library to open at noon. Oh, and I ran into Von again, who's also currently updating his blog/internetting!
I love this town.
I'm probably going to leave today, but make it a short day of biking. I should be able to reach Bowling Green by Tuesday afternoon/evening, but I have not managed to make contact with Andy or Dana yet...
So, Von is taking a route from Cleveland to Pittsburgh to D.C. I'm leaving that as a possiblity, depending on how I feel when I reach Cleveland. Otherwise, it's all the way to Bar Harbor, ME, before heading south to Philly.
I'm having an amazing time! I feel so lucky to be able to do this, and encourage anyone thinking about doing something similar. It's incredible, and I want to thank everyone who has offered positive feedback along the way.
Keep the comments coming, and call me! I'll try to return calls as my reception permits.

The Goddess keeps me well

What a day.
Last night, a million years ago, Debbie and Betsy gave me a little wooden goddess to keep me safe on my journey, and in the light of day, I discovered that she's purple!! I don't know what her name is yet. If you have any ideas, toss 'em my way.
After not enough sleep, I got up very early, in an effort to get on my way. Despite my best efforts, I didn't leave my house until nearly one. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make the 1:30 train out of the city, but the 2:30--no problem. That is, until I got a flat tire. Luckily, said flat tire was discovered/happened while I was at a bike shop. So, I had them fix it, as time was of the essence. Despite the efforts of everyone involved--they fixed it quickly, and I rode downtown quickly--I missed the 2:30 train by about 3 minutes. As that was supposed to be the last train that would allow me to take my bicycle on it for the day, and also for the duration of Taste of Chicago (until July 9th), I was a bit frazzled.
Luckily, the conductor said not a word, and I was bound for University Park. I slept.
Once in University Park, it took me a while to get my bearings and get headed in the right direction on a through-road... But once I did, the wind was at my back; the air was brisk; it was lovely riding. However, due to my very very late start, I realized I was not going to make my intended destination. When I happened upon a woman trimming shrubbery along the road, I took the opportunity to ask where I might camp in the next town. She recommended a park, and gave me directions.
When I got to the park, there was live music, and a decent crowd.
Pause for rumination. One awesome thing about traveling alone is that it forces one to overcome shyness. If you want company, it's going to be strangers, and you're going to have to put yourself out there.
I started talking to some people, and watching the band with them... One woman went and got me a blanket, because someone had convinced me that I wouldn't need a sleeping bag (not to worry, I should be reunited with my sleeping bag on Saturday, if all goes according to plan... more on that later). But then some other people offered me a couch, and I gladly accepted. It's cold out. Yay spontaneous couchsurfing! Yay kindnesses of strangers! Yay good friends and goddesses!

The trip got off to a rocky start, but tonight I saw a gorgeous sunset, and will sleep on a stranger's couch. Much love to you all...

I'm off!

More to follow, from the road...

Companion found?

So, probably nothing will come of this, but you never know...
Today, I went to Beans & Bagels in search of the Bike Whisperer, to mention my thoughts on what I want to do to my bike, and get his opinion. And, you know, drink coffee. While sitting and drinking said coffee and reading (The Complete Idiot's guide to bike maintenance and repair), in walked Anne. I had seen her around at my last job, because she worked on Punk Planet magazine, which was located in the same building, but didn't actually know her, beyond the occasional 'hello' in the hallway. Anyhow, I said hello, and asked her how it was going, and mentioned that I was going on this x-country bike trip. She asked if I was going solo, and I said, in a sort of off-hand way, "Yeah, unless you want to join me."
"Well, actually..."
It turns out that Punk Planet is in the process of shutting down, so she does indeed have some free time, or will, soon, and appears to be seriously considering my offer. So, I may have found a companion for at least part of the ride. I'm not getting my hopes up, and plan to continue to make ready for a departure date of ASAP, but it would definitely be nice to have companionship, especially if said companion is as awesome as she seems (I've been checking out her website). I'll keep you posted.

Mercury in Retrograde

Last night when I told my friend Debbie Ann that I wasn't leaving as soon as I had hoped/planned, because I'm simply not ready yet, and I don't want to feel hurried and unprepared when I leave, she told me that it's probably a good thing, because Mercury is in retrograde.
Astrologically, it's just not a good time to leave.
Apparently, Mercury will be in retrograde for a couple of weeks yet. I feel like I'll definitely be ready by then, if not sooner. At any rate, I'll feel better leaving once I'm more prepared. Then Mercury won't be able to throw me off so easily.
Things are progressing with my readiness, albeit slowly. Thanks to Susan of Beans and Bagels, I hooked up with Will, Bike Whisperer of Chicago, who hooked me up with a straight (non-suspension) fork. I have a front rack now, which I just have to put together... And figure out exactly what I'm bringing and what I'm doing something else with. I have to say, part of the reason I'm taking so long is that I'm also simultaneously trying to move out. I've taken a few things to my parents' house, sold a few, given a bunch to the Brown Elephant... but there's still more to deal with, stuff-wise. And bike-preparedness-wise...
Anyhow, the point of this post is that I'm not leaving yet. Stay tuned...

June: Departure Imminent

So, it's been a while, but there hasn't been much going on... No, that's not true. It's just been the old routine, and saying goodbye to the old routine, and creating new temporary routines... My friend Keith came to visit for a few days last week. I could say a lot about that, but I'll just say this: we may be in a Nickleback video. I'll keep you posted, or if someone sees it before me (which is highly likely, as it's supposedly coming out some time in July, when I will surely still be on the road) just, you know, let me know. And for the record, I'm so not a Nickleback fan.
Tomorrow I'm going back to Milwaukee one more time before departure, to attend my brother's high school graduation--Congratulations, Michael! I'll be returning to Chicago on Thursday, and leaving for the Northern Tier route on Friday. Well, that's the plan, but in order for that to become a reality, I need to finish setting my bike up, and figuring out exactly how I'm going to get to where I can pick up the route. Yesterday, my friend Neuner loaned me his panniers (yeah, the trailer idea... not so much working)... but now I need to figure out how to attach a front rack to my bike, which may (probably will) involve replacing the fork. So, as soon as I leave this coffeeshop, I need to go visit bike shops, and get opinions and pricing and options. Options, options, options.
Does anyone in Chicago want to give me an MP3 player? A digital camera? I have a stereo; we could trade.

Back in Chi-town

And boy, is it good to be back. For a bit. Less than two weeks now, I suppose...
So, I was planning on hooking up with Karli (arlikay.blogspot.com) and her possee. Unfortunately, I somehow failed to realize that they were biking an entirely different route than the one I had planned to bike. This proves to me that you truly do only hear what you want to hear, sometimes.

I think though, that I'm back to the plan of going solo, and hoping to hook up with other cyclists enroute. I'll probably post an ad on adventure cycling's website, though it's a bit late in the game. You never know.

Anyhow, so, this weekend, I'm having a rummage sale. Next weekend, my roommates are throwing me a going away brunch... and I have vague plans of leaving the following Tuesday.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading! Bob, thanks for the encouragement! Karli, thanks for catching my mistake!

The Longest Post Ever/The Last Leg of my Wisconsin Trip

I started to post last night, but I was in a hurry, and it was disjointed, and I was starting to use bullet points... Okay, so this may be disjointed, but I will try to avoid bullet-pointing.
I spent... four nights in Appleton. I hung out at the co-op (RIP, Hulbert House), where I saw old friends and met new people, and--I'm so bad with names, but will remember a face forever--finally attached Clare's face to her name... I got to sit in on the beginning of a house meeting, and personal share was just as I remembered it. Ah, nostalgia.
I hung out at the Greenfire house with Christine, Allyn, and Nissa/Djordj my first night in town, and babbled about my life post-Lawrence over cheap wine and a hookah.
My second night in town, after a wintery-spring day, Keith and I made hot chocolate and stayed up chatting, after which I took a hot bath before bed (yay! hot baths before bed!)
Monday, we rode out to this awesome bike shop in Kaukana, The Recyclist, and found out that they had a nifty machine that could measure me and tell me exactly how my bike should be adjusted, but they couldn't do it until Tuesday. I had been planning on leaving Tuesday morning, but I decided that I could stay another day, and realized that I was relieved to have an excuse to stay a bit longer.
Later that day, after dinner at the co-op, Emily T, Keith, Julia, Leslie, and I formed the "Gelato Possee"--aka, "The Gelassee"... and went for gelato at Brewed Awakenings. Joy met up with us after they closed, and Emily and Leslie went off to be students, and Keith, Joy, and I went back to the co-op, where we schemed about making a movie about... how the new fire chief in town is laying down the law, and consequently, no big parties... but the end scene has a crazy big party. Ha, ha, ha, guess you had to be there... In the midst of this discussion, I taught myself how to play the saw. And subsequently mastered the saw. I mean, really, can you master the saw? I feel like I made some pretty neat noises come out of it, though I couldn't have planned any of them...
Anyhow, post-that, we went to The Nickel to help Mike and Christine celebrate their birthday. Happy birthday, Mike and Christine!
Then, Keith and I left and watched The Triplets of Belleville, which, if you haven't seen it, you definitely should, but, expect the theme-song to get crazy-mad-stuck in your head...
Tuesday, back to the Recyclist. Was it worth it? Meh. Hard to say. The only thing they really adjusted was my seat, which I subsequently re-adjusted, back to where it had been. But, they gave me some things to think about, and I'm still troubleshooting how to make my hands and wrists as comfortable as possible.
Tuesday evening, I got to see Jamie! Keith and I had dinner at Jamie & Justin's place, and I got to see some of Jamie's recent-ish photography, and visit for a while. She even was kind enough to take us out to Woodman's, where I stocked up on bananas and clif and luna bars. Side note--Clif and Luna bars are made by the same people, and for biking, I've decided I prefer Clif bars, because they have twice the carbs. End side note.
Wednesday, after not enough sleep, Keith and I headed out of Appleton. He was planning on biking with me for an hour or two, then heading back. For whatever reason, he decided that Chilton would be a good place to part ways. We left Appleton around 8:30a.m. We didn't part ways until 4:30p.m. Granted, we stopped for somewhat extended periods of time a couple times, but largely, the headwinds were awful. Which leads me to another point of consideration/troubleshooting. The trailer that I'm pulling is designed to pull a kid or two. It loads up with equipment easily enough; the trouble is that it's creating way more wind-resistance than necessary. So, I might need to find a new trailer... Also, Wednesday, I was feeling very woeful, and thinking things along the lines of, "Maybe I should just hitchhick/craigslist/ride the rails out east." Luckily, I'm not there any more; I just wanted to let you know that I was there.
Thursday, I headed south a bit, then decided to take a bike path due-east to Sheboygan--I was so sick of dealing with southerly headwinds. It was a very pleasant ride, and a very short day in the saddle. I knew I was going to camp at Kohler-Andrae State Park, a couple miles south of Sheboygan, so I decided to just chill out for a while. A jogger gave me the name of a local coffee/sandwich shop, The Weather Center, but not the most clear directions. Luckily, I happened upon Sheryl and Sue, who not only rode with me to the coffeeshop, but stayed and had coffee with me while I had a sandwich. They were awesome! Sheryl just got her master's in Art Therapy, and was home in Sheboygan for a graduation party, and Sue teaches all kinds of dance. They're both travelers, and we have plans to go to India in 2009. Okay, they have plans, and I'm hoping they'll let me tag along.
Friday, I rode pretty much all day. The coolest thing I saw was a fox on the path ahead of me. I was like, "What is that? Is that a cat? Is it dead?" and then it got up, and was, very clearly, a young fox. Wowsa!
On my final stretch, I stopped at Rochambo, my favorite east-side coffeeshop, and Broad Vocabulary, Bay View's awesome feminist bookstore (I heart you, Broad Vocabulary!).
And then! I didn't crash, but went out with my friend Joe, and met a bunch of his friends, one of whom (Saad) had an awesome new bike, which I went outside to admire and pet. Yay bikes!

I feel like I've gone on and on without saying much that's important. I briefly mentioned my serious self-doubt... I remember at one point, saying out loud (yes, I talk to myself when I'm biking, and other times, don't you?), "C'mon buddy--self--You can do this. I have a great deal of faith in you," and immediately wondering if that was true.

Leaving Appleton

For various reasons, I decided to stay an extra day... so I'm hitting the road tomorrow morning. This time, I'm hoping to make it to Milwaukee in two days, rather than three. (eeeee!) Wish me luck.
Mom, happy birthday!

Appleton, WI

So, I left South Milwaukee Thursday morning, as planned. I hadn't really been training... I think I hadn't recently biked more than 15 miles in one day, if that. So, I was a little nervous. However, I made it about 50 miles that first day, and camped at a State Park along Lake Michigan. It was really cold along the lake, and I was exhausted, so I went to bed with the sun. I woke up a bit in the night, but otherwise, slept well enough, and woke up to the sun rising over Lake Michigan.

Friday, I biked about 45 miles to Manitowoc. I arrived there around 3:15p.m., and hung out in town while I waited for Johnie and Julie to return from Appleton. I got a new bike seat at the local bike shop (what I haven't yet mentioned was that the major pain in my ass from the first two days of biking was my not-so-awesome seat). I went to the local libarary and started reading The Red Tent by Anita Diamont, and when that closed, hung out at a coffeeshop for an hour or so, journaling and playing solitaire.

When Julie and Johnie returned, I got to have a bath(!) and eat a delicious meal, and have good converstion, and generally feel more human again. For those of you who don't know, Johnie and Julie were my photography professors and mentors in college, and remain two of my favorite people. You can check out their work here. I crashed on an air mattress in their studio, and for the second day in a row, woke up before 7:00a.m. After a lovely breakfast, I left the studio, and headed west. I stopped a few places along the way out of town in search of banannas, and left Manitowoc proper around 9:00a.m. I was a little concerned with the soreness in my knees, and resolved to attempt to give them as much of a break as possible. However, this was difficult, because I was battling a sometimes fierce westerly wind. Around 11:00a.m., I somehow lost my route. Around 11:30a.m., I realized that I might have lost my route, and called J&J to consult their more detailed map. I headed off, pleased that the wind seemed to have changed direction, and rode on steadily for about 10-12 miles, zooming down hills with the wind at my back...
I'm sure you can see where this is going, and I suppose it's a good thing that I stopped when I did--to consult my map to see how much progress I had just made, after a slow morning of battling wind, whether going uphill or downhill. Of course, this is where I realized how much progress I had made in the wrong direction, having made the dangerous assumption that I knew which direction I was facing. Shadows at noon are subtle... maybe I should get a compass.
So, I looked with dread at the huge hill I had just happily sped down for about 30 seconds... and began the long trek back in the right direction.

So, between fierce wind and getting lost, what should have been my easiest day, milewise, turned into my longest, most exhausting day. I am glad though, that I had a better bike seat. :-)

I spent last night at the new co-op house, my precious old Hulbert house having been demolished this year to make room for a huge new student union... I'm glad I did my final photography project my senior year on the co-op. That house had so much character, and so many memories. But now I'm getting all nostalgic on you. It's hard though, to not have nostalgia for a place where you spent so many important years of your life.

It's lovely to be back for a visit, to not have to worry about papers that I need to write, or finals I need to study for. I intend to stay today and tomorrow, and leave Tuesday morning, though I'm not sure where I'll be heading. I'd rather not go back the way I came--the route was lovely, don't get me wrong, and I love biking along Lake Michigan--I just would rather make a loop that retrace my path. So, perhaps on to Madison. We shall see.

Leaving tomorrow morning

For now, that's all. I'll feel much more confident about tomorrow after it's over, hopefully. I feel like I'm always in a rush... I think it has something to do with the way I grew up? So I'm trying to get over that rushed feeling, and remind myself that I don't really have any time tables. However, I do want to make it a certain distance tomorrow, simply to reach camp, and I'd like to do that in daylight. So, I guess I do have a time table. Since it's nearly ten, and I'd still like to take a quick shower and eat something, I'll finish this up. Hopefully, I'll be posting from Manitowoc in a couple days...

Waiting Patiently...

I had hoped to leave for my mini-trip, up to Manitowoc and Appleton, and maybe on to Madison, today or tomorrow, but that doesn't seem too likely... My bike shorts and gloves have not yet arrived, and I think my bike still needs minor adjustments as well. And I think I may have to suck it up and buy some expensive (cycling) rain gear... Today, I had a lovely bike ride along Lake Michigan on my way to visit my cousin, Jodi, and her two babes. It was a bit chilly and misty--in my opinion, perfect weather for a bike ride. However, on the way back, it was pouring, and I got soaked to the bone. And that was only for an hour's ride. Since I'd rather not let rain completely stop my progress, and I'd like to be comfortable while I ride... I think I need to be more prepared for rain, in general. My trailer leaks horribly, so all my gear got wet as well, since I was riding with it to get used to the weight. So I need to work on that as well. In a way, it's frustrating, and I just want to get on with it, but in a way, I suppose it's better that I work out the kinks now, rather than later.

Tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be better, so maybe I can just go for a nice long ride... without worrying about soaking and freezing and whatnot. We shall see. I've been sleeping outside in my tent. I think I'll be skipping that tonight.

Home for Mother's Day

It's yet to fully set in that I don't have to go back to work. Tomorrow, with the help of my dad, who has been awesome in getting me a tent, mattress pad, sleeping bag, and trailer, I'll hopefully add a bike to my equipment, and after some test riding about in this area, be ready to head north to Manitowoc and Appleton, and maybe on to Madison...
For those of you who don't know, my parents have a lot of stuff. It's fairly likely that I'll find a bike in their garage that would be suitable. If not, we'll figure something else out. They have a beautiful old Raleigh touring bike that would be perfect if the frame were just a wee bit smaller...
I'm also waiting for some biking clothing/gloves that I bought off ebay to arrive, so hopefully, they will before I'm ready to head out.
It's only 9pm, but I'm feeling awfully tired, so I think I'll go to bed soon.

Intentionally Unemployed

I feel like it's the last day of school... but even better. It's odd, this is the first time in my post-college life that I've been unemployed for an indeterminate amount of time, and I'm not in any hurry to get a job. It's so exciting! I still have one pay check coming, and I know I have to be as frugal as I can, to stretch my funds as long as I can, but... I don't have to go to work on Monday! I don't have to work for... who knows how long?

I'm so excited! The world is my oyster/The road is my home... I'm setting off on a crazy adventure, and this is where the possibilities emerge... I can't wait to post from an internet cafe someplace else. Til then... be well.

Origins of a trip

So, I wanted to see more of this country. In college, I studied abroad twice--in India for five months, in London for three. However, outside of that, I've barely been outside the Midwest, save brief trips.
An extended road trip was definitely in order. However, I don't have a car, nor do I particularly want one. I'm all about cycling and public transit. Since I'm also all about independence, and doing things at my own speed, a bike trip it was.
When I mentioned this idea to friends, family, and coworkers, reactions ranged from, "That's awesome. I wish I could do something like that," to, "But you're a girl. Don't you think it's unsafe to travel alone?"
It saddens me that because of my sex, I am less safe than a male might be, traveling alone. It frustrates me that our country in particular has bought into a culture of fear so thoroughly, perpetuated by the government, the media, and our selves. I recognize that bad things happen to good people, but I refuse to live my life based on the fear that bad things are going to happen to me.
Instead, I'll open my heart to the adventures that await, the good people that exist, and the beauty that is always there, if you look.


I have one week left at my job. After that, I'll be biking around Wisconsin a bit... and around June 1st, I'll be leaving Chicago. Wish me luck!