Thank you Meagan for the Stevie Wonder “Sir Duke” to get me up and going this morning. While I am very well supported on this trip, it’s a well of energy I have to dip into. This is one of those days. 109 in front of me and I’d rather Uber.
Fast forward 9ish hours on the bike, including picture stops and rest stops and lunch. The terrain is becoming more Midwest like with sloping hills, a few corn fields and more horses and cows. We saw a kind of antelope too!
We passed through Livingston and stopped at a super cool 120 year old hotel. Original elevator that still works although only by employees. A mounted buffalo head, art deco bar. the desk worker was a fifth generation family member of the establishment. It was like a movie set.
The day was hot and long. I am realizing that I can manage distance and may get grumpy at the end, ok Hangry and hot is more like it. Climbing up mountains is not my strength and also hard to accept. Funny how easy it is to accept that I’m not a runner…
My romantic notion and possibly arrogance of a ride of this magnitude is morphing into humility. Humility for this great land and its history and my teeny tiny place in it. Humility for the burdens I’ve put my body through and gratitude for how it has born these stressors and carried me through. Humility for the lessons of grace and the acceptance of knowing when I can stop trying to prove my worthiness.
Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
