I find that is takes a day or two before I can settle into a rhythm. When I left Toronto on Saturday morning the rain and thunderstorm passed through at 4 in the morning and by the time I brought the bike up at 6:30 the bad weather had passed. Kept the rain gear on but shed it by the time I gassed up in Tilbury. Passport and little bit of cash handy for the border crossing in Windsor/Detroit which was a quick ten minute process, not the hour I had planned.
The next time I stopped for gas it was 12:30 and I was well into Ohio and 2 hours ahead of schedule. I guess this is the point…that word schedule is a problem. I need that shift in perception and quit living in the future, even if it is measured in half days. When I do find that pace and start smelling the fresh cut grass or the chicken farm well before I can see the coops, then I am finally present.
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Just outside of West Lafayette, IN |
Had the good fortune of being invited to overnight in West Lafayette, Indiana last night. My hosts John and Lisa very graciously prepared a fantastic steak dinner. We ate on their back deck overlooking a pond full of bullfrogs. At dusk the night was capped off by flickering fireflies creating quite a show on the well manicured lawn.
Today I found that pace as I made my way west towards St. Louis. I managed to stay on secondary highways for more than 6 hours. The last couple hours I got on the interstate and crossed the Mississippi and a new time zone. Rinsed the bugs and road grime off my gear and gave the bike a good scrub as well. Tomorrow I will meander my way down the river towards Memphis. Laura flies out to New Orleans tomorrow where we will connect later in the week!