from lounge to laundromat

I write this sat on the floor of a little campsite lounge. A chair balancing my charging power bank and a bag of dried fruit and nuts slowly being demolished. Today I did a loop of Yellowstone - Old Faithful was untimely, the rain was intermittent, and the roads were being resurfaced. Despite this, being able to cycle past bison and moose, see a mountain crusted lake, and limitless forest feels incredible.

The last few days however have felt busy. Meeting new people after long days of cycling, an interview for the radio, and hitting the 3000 mile mark while smashing the 6000£ fundraising goal! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this trip. The strangers who have given me water, the new friends who have made pockets of home along the journey, and everyone back in the UK who is helping make the distance feel less vast. While I currently feel exhausted, I know I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling grateful and energised to explore Montana.

P.S. written from a wooden bench within a laundromat while rain and hail smatter outside. I woke up feeling tired. And have done so the last two days. The rides have been okay, not super fast nor slow, consistently wet and a little bit windy. Montana, the “big sky state” has been filled with clouds, and coincided with the monotony of wake up, cycle, eat, sleep. Without the constancy of sun, my solar powered optimism is running out (and increasingly battered by hail and thunder storms). Despite my lacklustre enthusiasm, we’re still hitting the miles through Montana, and there are snippets of beauty when clouds momentarily part. A sliver of me is content to see my goals being achieved independent of my mood. Emotions and achievements aren’t always in step, but I suspect the repeated moments of “meh” are to do with more than mileage. Perhaps a few days of grey after so many vibrant ones are necessary. It at least keeps my resilience in check.