Returning from a ride like this always requires an adjustment. During the ride, you are so well taken care of that your major decision is where to stop for coffee and what pasty you’re going to choose. The tour provides route with turn by turn directions, breakfast, lunch,dinner and where you’re going to sleep. The next day, more of the same. You really don’t have any responsibilities and sleep comes pretty easy.
When returning home, you return to all the responsibilities that you had forgotten you had. In my case, work (two different projects), the local biking club (Foothill Cycling Club), the investment club and the home owners association where I’m currently the president. There is always another phone call that needs to be made, another email that needs to be answered or a webpage that needs to be updated. All the while you’re thinking about the rest of the bike riders that are currently finishing up the tour in New Zealand. Like I said, it takes a while to get settled back in.
When returning home, you return to all the responsibilities that you had forgotten you had. In my case, work (two different projects), the local biking club (Foothill Cycling Club), the investment club and the home owners association where I’m currently the president. There is always another phone call that needs to be made, another email that needs to be answered or a webpage that needs to be updated. All the while you’re thinking about the rest of the bike riders that are currently finishing up the tour in New Zealand. Like I said, it takes a while to get settled back in.
The blog has talked about the daily riding and the number of feet climbed and number of miles traveled, but I never really discussed view of the US election from abroad. It was so strange, almost an out of body experience to watch the detailed news coverage of the election. It’s only after a while that you learn the impact that US has on the rest of the world and how decisions that the US makes rebound across the world and it’s for that reason that the world wants to follow our elections. I remember hearing a radio interview with the travel author Rick Steves where he was saying that you shouldn’t be able to vote until you travel abroad. Certainly not practical, but there more than a grain of wisdom in that statement.
For the next couple of years I’ll need to build up my vacation time, but I have a strong tug of New Zealand calling me for a bike ride.
We’ll I hope that you all found a bit of enjoyment reading this blog found it as least a bit interesting. If so, leave a comment below for me.
Until next ride,
Brian Cox
