Tag: Bicycle Touring
-
Riding
The folks who believe the world is flat have never been on a long cycling tour. I realized this yesterday as we were riding somewhere in the middle of France. The “French flats”, as we had endearingly named this region. And relative to many places, it is. But as we hacked our way through an […]
-
Travel vs. Vacation
Flashback 2016. Sitting at Gatwick airport waiting for our flight, we, like everyone else in the airport, were logged into the one free hour of wifi available. Checking email and Facebook, my family was just passing time before our flight to Spain. As the time grew closer for boarding, an announcement. Fight delay. Then again. […]
-
¿Habla inglés?
As I desperately looked through my backpack one more time, it was painfully clear, I had forgotten my wallet at the hotel. I looked apologetically at the cashier and longingly at my pile of groceries and murmured, “Lo siento”, as I skulked away. It had taken 30 minutes to find something that we could eat […]
-
No Airlift
As we posed for our Bon Voyage picture at SeaTac airport, my sister in law called out teasingly, “You two look like you’re in an ad for AARP magazine!” Here we were, heading out for a huge bicycling adventure, and somehow it slipped my mind that Rick and I are, well, mature. Not in the […]
-
Trust Yourself
I wonder if Magellan felt nervous before he voyaged into unknown waters? Did Vasco de Gama lay awake at night second guessing his decision to trust a centuries old sea map and establish a sailing route to India? And Columbus? Was he secretly over-thinking every aspect of his big journey into the cavernous Atlantic Ocean? […]
-
Thank God for Naive Optimism
As I write this, I am catapulted back to 2016, when we were embarking on our two year adventure in Thailand. That first blog was so rosy and hopeful and so very naive. Frankly, if we had known more, Rick and I probably would have opted for a “safer” choice. Luckily, we did not and […]
-
Butterflies and Bombs
“Hold up!”, Rick yells as we are coasting down a hill into an expanse of green, rimmed by jaw dropping Karst mountains. I quickly brake and turn to see him stopped in the middle of the deserted road, helmet off and looking perplexed. “What’s wrong?”, I holler back. He grins. “Butterfly in my helmet.” We […]
-
Mama Rides “Street”
Lazy Sunday morning. I glance up from the couch to see Rick walking down our stairs. He looks a little down. “Hey, you o.k.?” I ask. “Naw. I’m grumpy and I’m bored.” he says as he stares at his phone. I ask the next question as I silently brace myself for the answer. “So, what […]
-
War & Peace
My earliest memory of the Vietnam war remains starkly vivid. I was at my best friend Murphy’s house eating luke warm Campbell’s Tomato Soup for lunch. We spent the morning playing Mystery Date and arguing whether the Prom date or the Beach date was better. Typical day in the late 60’s for a couple of […]
Gonzo Girl: Life Meets Impulsivity 