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Published: August 1st 2019
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**Unless a local has ridden on the roads you are about to ride on, never trust them when they say "its all downhill from here!" because then the joke will be on you when karma comes back to give you the exact opposite. This is what happened to us today.**
This morning we woke up and our wonderful, gracious hosts were busy in the kitchen preparing a delicious breakfast for us. Once I got dressed and packed up my bag and took my bike outside, I went into the kitchen to try to help them prep breakfast. Though they said they didn't need help, I insisted and helped with a few things here and there. Breakfast is served buffet style and there is no shortage of food and snacks. We eat to our hearts content and continue our "tator hot dish" laughs in Carly's Minnesota accent impression and talk about college courses we took and various things we learned (or didn't learn) from them. I then help clean up the kitchen and get ready for the day. This morning I am going to ride bikes with Jana, Noah, and Jess. One of our hosts asked where we were headed and
we told her Providence to which she exclaimed, "Oh its all downhill from here!"
Wrong. Perhaps if you're on the interstate, but since that is not the case for us, we. instead. were graced with our most elevation day of the trip (I believe anyway). We void some contruction with automatic reroutes before we even begin riding. While we are climbing and begin to approach "K2C Mountains" JEss sounds like she is giving birth and Jana and Noah are cheering all the way up in an effort to off-set their frustration with the climb. I hide my frustration much less well and am miserable. Since us being spread out and me climbing by myself is helping no one, I decided to get off my bike to chalk for Jess and the other riders riding behind us. I did my best to encourage our friends and cheer for Jess as she neared the top of the climb, which helped my spirits a bit--as did the view from the top. We stop at the top of the "mountain" to rest and reset and Carly and Kristi pass us followed by some more of our friends. We ride on and I try
to shake my misery. I'm not sure what put me in such a sour mood but I definitely know that I still dislike unpredictable climbing days. However, a state line always helps to boost moods and lucky for us, we have one! We reach Rhode Island with the promise of lunch just on the other side so we're all smiles for state line pics!
We arrive at lunch at a fire station where Sarah set up lunch and is playing some Glass Animals music and similar style playlist. This helps. There's lots of food and snacks. This helps. There's Gatorade. This helps. There's a re-route onto a flat trail for the rest of the day. THIS HELPS A TON!
Some people enjoyed the climb but because of my sour mood I did not and I think that they are cray. I decide to spend the afternoon in a different ride group--joining up with my chore group "The Ellies" aka Carly and Kristi. The company and the flat trail makes for a much more enjoyable afternoon! We chat, we laugh, we chalk. I somehow managed chalking a pretty sweet elephant sending love to Sweep while taking a break on
the trail. The last few miles get a little sketchy as we get off the trail and into afternoon traffic. We were on and off the road and trails and even got to stop by this cute brick wall to take a few photos. Carly always has a way to make her bike look good in pictures--it must be that creative eye of hers. We also see a cute family on a casual family bike ride on the ECG and I think "Hm, I would like to be them one day). Precious. We get back onto a busy road and Kristi is leading and gives me a direction in which I respond, "Why?" Never the correct response to your teammate that is looking out for your safety and can see things ahead of you that you can't see. She even called me out on it and I admitted I was confused and later apologized to her once we got to the host. What a day.
Once we arrive at the host, we claim out territory near outlets, we put out the laundry tarp, take quick showers in the 0-privacy, curtain-less gym showers downstairs by the basketball gym (good thing
we're all pretty comfortable with each other at this point!), and the Ellies and crew roll out for our first laundry crew duty (we somehow managed to dodge it all summer between home hosts and the chore schedule working out as such). However, NJ and Carly are also having bike issues so we throw the laundry into the machines, Kristi and Benson (he's particular about his laundry and how its done lol) volunteer to stay with the laundry, and I (after much tense discussion and feeling guilty) leave with them to go to the bike store. I find some hot pink bar tape, which debate buying (I've had issues with my dang bar tape all summer!). I love it, but it would completely change the look and vibe of my bike (and I fear it looking like a watermelon) so I decide to hold off and sleep on it and decide later.
We swing back to the laundry mat to pick up our friends and clean laundry and head back to the host. We have a host dinner picnic outside, complete with meatballs, cookies, and a small child. Unfortunately I was not able to hold her, but being in
mixed company was still nice. Some of us then sit around outside after the church members left and everyone started talking and freaking out about how the trip is almost over and that "we don't even know each other." We decide to ask each other questions in an effort to get to know one another. This even continues as we have our bikes looked at by the bike mechanic who volunteered to look over our bikes for us. He was super nice and gracious with us and didn't charge us a thing--and even gave us free water bottles! NJ was a little disappointed she took her bike in to get fixed this afternoon and it was going to cost her a chunk of change when she could've had him fix her de-railer. My bike feels new and so then I decide that I will need that pink tape after all (cheers to you Jim since you basically are the one who helped pay for it!).
The sun continued to set during and after the bike fixing session so then all of us--with the exception of the leaders (& Amanda of course), decide to uber over to Raffi & Myra's
(his girlfriend) Air B&B. We walk up to what is a beautiful house in the suburbs and it feels a little like a foreshadowing to our futures--or perhaps a throwback to our high school past. There's music, there's natty light, and there's fun. We play games and send pics to our friends that our missing--well, Amanda anyway, the leaders seem to always be content to hang out amongst themselves. After a few hours, we uber back to our host where we settle into sleeping bags in the basement by the bikes, grateful for an outlet, a carpeted floor, and to be surrounded by friends.
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