Well, we seem to be getting to the part of this journey where things start moving fast. It seems like yesterday that we crossed into Ontario yet, to my astonishment, we rolled passed the 1,000 km marker this morning.
And the discord we feel is more than just location. We are also now close to home, friends, and family. But for the last 7 weeks, “home” has been a nomadic RV and “family” has been my teammates.
I am invested in both realities, which makes this a weird transition. As we sweep through Southern Ontario and plan our furlough in hometown Toronto, I am forced to contrast this great adventure against the comforts of home. I wonder how we will all feel when the time comes to get back on our bikes and leave home again to continue the second half of this adventure. We’ll see.
I start the day with a call to old friends. What a great way to start any day. Better still, I will be seeing one of them, Frank, tomorrow. I have not seen Frank in person for decades, and really looking forward to it.
Today was a triumph. We knew in advance that this would be a long day (178 km) with lots of hills. Mike rides the first ⅓ with us and handles it well, whetting his appetite for more. Jim and I ride together for part and at our own paces for part, but we are both getting stronger and faster. Hills are no longer an anxiety; still hard and tiring, but no longer scary – we have scaled so many now and have earned the confidence that we can handle them.
The route takes us through tthe massive Lake Superior Provincial Park. Riding beside a lake the size a sea creates some amazing vistas.
I am happy to be here now and looking forward to my time at home. There, discord resolved.
