Today was one of the most difficult biking days of the trip. We faced a strong headwind that gusted at more than 30 mph during our 70+ mile ride from Newton, KS to Eureka, KS. While it sucked riding head on into a wall of wind during the southbound portions of the ride, it was getting pushed around laterally during the eastbound portions that bothered me. This prevented me from holding a safe, predictable line and often forced me into the rumble strip or gravel shoulder. Laying in our motel bed at the end of the day, my knees are screaming and my nerves are raw.
Throughout this windy day, I couldn’t help but be in the mind of tornados and the “Wizard of Oz.” It definitely felt like a storm was brewing and that I would be carried off into some far flung world. I found myself thinking, “I’m ready to get home.” The interesting aspect to me of this line of thinking, however, was “where is home?”
Clearly, the place I was born, raised, and attended college (Knoxville, Tennessee) will forever be a central and important part of my life, but it’s not been home for a while now. I was lucky enough to call Boston and Paris “home” for short, defined periods. After I finish this bike adventure, Washington D.C. (or at least Northern Virginia) will become “home” again like it was before our time in Paris…I just don’t connect with or love this area like a “home.” I’ve decided that for me, “home” is more a feeling of comfort and security- peace mixed with a bit of ease and ability to be one’s self. Luckily for me, I’m able to unlock this feeling wherever I get to be with my partner in crime- Jordan. So while I’m not sure where exactly we’ll live once we get back to DC or even where we’ll be staying two nights from now, it’s awesome that I can take some comfort in knowing that I’ll find a little piece of “home” wherever I go.
Looking ahead on the bike route, we’re in the process of working out how exactly we want to cross the eastern portion of the US. The official TransAmerica bike route takes us through the Ozarks, across Kentucky, over the Appalachians, and on into Virginia. The issue is that much of the roads along this part of the route lack shoulders and are not cyclist friendly. As an alternative, we’ve decided to hop on a dedicated, bicycle-only trail to take us across Missouri. I’m very pumped about the idea of being on a car-free path for several hundred miles. The issue comes after this path ends in Saint Louis. Do we get back on the TransAmerica bike route (which will be a few days ride out of the way) or continue on the more bike-friendly path known as the Eastern Express. The complication with the Eastern Express is that it would take us rather north into Pennsylvania and cause us to potentially run into more inclement weather. We don’t yet have an answer, but we will in the next couple days. Stay tuned!