My dad always likes to tell me he’s “almost set.” Usually I think he should be happy with what he has and not feel that there is something more required to be happy, or “set.” But today I feel like him.
With the fabulous summer weather we’re enjoying, I’ve been riding my bike almost daily (including weekends). I’m not the type to buy every toy that comes with a new hobby and have been reluctant to buy some basic biking gear, despite the fact that I ride anywhere from 30-50 miles a week, and have been for months now. I don’t have any shiny spandex, or clip-in pedals, and I ride with a falling apart cheap-o helmet, old school backpack and a good amount of dirt on the frame.
But this week I bought myself a gift. With the temperatures heating up (and therefore my sweat quotient going up) I’ve retired my backpack for panniers. I got these cool, multi-pocketed saddle bags for a reasonable price, saving both my wallet and my back from pain. You can see they hang over my bike rack with simple hooks at the top and two inside bungie-cords around the bottom. I simply detach the bags when I get home or arrive at work and unpack/pack them up again. I can’t believe it took me this long to commit to such an easy setup! (sorry for the stock-photo here, I’m too lazy to go down to my garage and take a picture of my actual bike).
So why am I “almost set” instead of perfectly content? Well, there’s one risk of shopping for new bike toys, you see other things you want! Now I’ve set my eyes on the most amazing helmet I’ve ever placed on my head. The Giro Pneumo is nothing less than a protective cloud for your noggin. Where my current helmet cuts into my jaw, condenses sweat to my scalp, and wiggles up and down my brow, the Pneumo has a “wind tunnel” to air your scull and fits like it was designed for you. Some would argue that there’s no price you could place on the safety of my head (particularly when cars whiz by me at 45 mph, paying little attention to the bike lane as they sip coffee and talk on their cellphones), but I still can’t swallow the $145 price tag for this piece of plastic.
But I’m almost set. Maybe justs one more paycheck.
Departing from Zion, I was quite ready to head home, even if it was a little ahead of schedule.
5/31: We bombed it across the Nevada desert, making record time as we skirted the infamous Area 51. We tried to keep stops to a minimum but did break for coffee at the Little A’le’Inn in Rachel, NV (population 93). After seeing nothing for miles and miles, it’s fun to come across little towns like this one, but without aliens in sight, we quickly returned to the truck for our final destination.
Our day’s destination was Tioga Pass in Yosemite. Entering on the Eastern side, we were able to briefly visit the scenic Mono Lake. A glassy, yet eerily still site, Mono was the home of military testing during the Cold War and lost its water for 40 years to Los Angeles. Apparently on the upturn, Mono is now a placid site lush with birds and increasing in water.
Desperate to get refreshed after a hot day driving across the desert, we found showers and milk shakes in the humid town of Lee Vining. We drove a few short miles up the Tioga Pass, finding not just cooler temperatures, but snow. On the Pass was lake-side camping just outside the official Yosemite entrance, where we arrived in short sleeves and flip-flops. We must have seemed an oddity to our fellow knit capped and gloved campers. It was the picture-perfect ending to our trip that began in furnace-like heat.
6/1: After our final stack of camping pancakes we headed home through the picturesque Tuolomne Meadows. It was a delightful surprise to see the “other-side” of Yosemite after years of sticking to the Valley. Camping, deer and small lakes abound, the perfect balance of solitude without the usual crowds.
After two weeks on the road we joyfully collected our babies (Bella, Guinness and Jasmine) and are now enjoying the comforts of home (not just one, but TWO showers and flushing toilets). Coming home could be bittersweet, but instead I choose to take what lessons I have learned in my time on the road and let them illuminate my daily life.
A few of my pearls of wisdom:
When God gives you a shower, take one.
Water is life. Really.
Know your limits.
A few basic foods make meal time simple. Same for clothes.
You don’t need to have everything figured out to have a great time and succeed.
Constant news is toxic. You live better without it.
Do one thing at a time.
Rising with the birds gives you the longest day for adventure.
Last, but not least, the best endings are always beginnings.