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Published: August 1st 2019
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The Gazebo!
Losing my mind a bit Preface: We stayed in Lebanon/Willimantic, Mansfield Center was just the closest city listed on here 😊
After getting up and prepped for the day and eating a delicious host breakfast, I realized that the center of town across the street looked just like Stars Hollow!! For those of you who don't know what that is, its the town in Gilmore Girls (and also Pretty Little Liars-both mild obsessions of mine!). I was freaking out a little as I took pictures and shared with my fellow GG fangirls. We had route meeting and Carly and I decided to ride together for a date day.
Honestly, I don't remember much about this ride day in particular and may have to come back and add in more details later. I believe we had lunch in a park right near a downtown area (Spear Park in Middletown, CT). I was wishing I had a hammock under the trees of where we ate so I could escape and relax, esp after getting frustrated with people sitting on the coolers. It was slim pickins for food I was in the mood for, but I made it work, as we always do. After lunch we rode
through a cute downtown before crossing over a bridge. This afternoon Carly and I came across a small waterfall just off the trail we were riding. Carly spotted/heard it so of course we had to get off our bikes and go put our toes in the water--and take lots of pics, Polaroids included 😊 Though there were mosquitoes, it was still a lovely pause in our 70 mile ride that leaves you wishing for more summer down time.
We arrive at the host (Redeemer Lutheran Church) and I frolick through the backyard and field, channeling my inner Julie Andrews from "The Sound of music." The grass is so green and luscious, I have to just lay in it for a minute, which feels like clouds of fresh-cut grass pillows wrapping around my sweaty body. I am excited to lay on the floor inside in the AC as well, resting up against my bag while cooling down and relaxing. I receive a surprise Venmo donation from some of my church family and boy am I grateful! Gotta love the Geiers! A few people start to rally some troops to head down to a local bike shop and of course I
tag along because FOMO. The bike shop owner was not very helpful and even talked down to NJ a bit (such an insult!) and wouldn't be able help us in enough time. After roaming around the shop a bit, we all leave and walk down to Dairy Queen. Though its free slurpee day at 7-11, a good DQ blizzard certainly did the trick!
We head back, I take a quick shower in the outside shower they built (not a bad view!), and I rush to get dressed so I can join everyone for host dinner. We sit in a large semi-circle (or more like a half rectangle) and eat with our host church members. I intentionally sit with a few members and get to know them while we sip iced tea and enjoy the many dinner options they provided for us. Noah also sat with us and it was nice, enjoyable conversation. We then decide to hold off on our host presentation for now and head down the hall to their small sanctuary. I sit with NJ and a few other friends and we sing worship songs together and the church members speak and tell us about this church's
history. Their biggest claim to fame is that the church used to be across the street! They picked it up and moved so they would be able to build out and have more space. Amazing! They even have t-shirts bragging about it lol. It's also on the bulletin they hand out to us.
After the service, we head back to the dining hall where we show them the B&B video. Afterwards, they all clear out except for some of the main points of contact. We discover that there's some bathroom issues and it turns out their septic tank is full! The hosts are devastated and embarrassed, but we reassure them that we're used to things going array and having to roll with the punches so we're not bothered at all. We watch as men from the church make their connects come out right away to try to fix the issue. One of the young men that comes to help dig the hole is on the more attractive side, which serves as good entertainment for us ladies. We all watch from up on the porch while the sun sets over the field--beautiful! They have a heck of a time trying
to find the blueprints and the correct place to dig the holes. Eventually they figure it out and the bathrooms are up and running again--Chris Benson is very excited about this! Ryan returns from seeing his aunt ad uncle--who blessed us with lots of delicious snacks for the road!
We're all spread out at this point and some of us are back around the table, completing our route notes--I'm working on making the notes from the ride from Baltimore to Harve de Grace (with Jana?). Noah and I also sit outside in the field and look out at the stars and talk about how hard it is to keep the faith and focus while on the trip. Admittedly, he is doing a much better job than me as he is more disciplined than I am. It sure is nice to have someone to talk to about it, as well as a friend who mutually appreciates sitting outside at night and stargazing. We head back in, feeling a bit refreshed and grateful for our convo--what a solid brother he is! After wrapping up the lose ends, I then crawl into "bed" in my spot by the window in the dining
hall and fall fast asleep.
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