Today is a longer post since I feel I’ve gained some insight. Feel free to skim or just look at the pretty pictures.
Things kept on going good and bad. Karma played a huge role in today's travel. After deciding to bike on a less traffic and more scenic route, a bolt came out of the support for my pannier bags so I had to stop. I happened to stop right in front of a driveway with some people talking. Vern, one of the guys, offered to help and was really kind. We struck up a good conversation on my trip and about California. He recommended a place called Hodad's in San Diego so I'll be sure to stop there, Vern! It was nice to socialize after awhile especially with such an amiable fellow.
Right after we said our farewells, a bird literally took a shit on my hand. At least it wasn't on my clothes because the horrid smell would have lingered.
Another episode of nature poking fun at me was when it started to rain and was near to pouring. I stopped my bike and put on all my rain gear and set up the rain fly on my backpack. After biking about 5 minutes, the rain vanished and the sun popped out so I had to take everything off.
After biking through huge hills going up and down, I found a secluded place near a mountain bike path to camp out. There, I felt one with nature.
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| Cruising by the shore |
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| Vern, the man himself. |
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| Such a rude bird. Leaving feces on my hand. |
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| Rain in the Sun |
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| I thought all these white petal shaped things were flowers. Looking more closely, they're all seashells! |
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| Tonight's menu, beef soup with beans. (And of course ramen afterwards) |
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| Tired after a long day. |
I experienced something new during the grueling times biking up huge hills in the rain. I was truly suffering and on top already exhausted. Before this adventure, I felt so confident that I could tough out any situation. It wasn't until today that I realized what a comfort zone is in a person. By entering a place way out of this zone, it came to me how easily I can feel pain and suffering. It was difficult to keep going when a obstacle came about. But by pushing myself a little bit harder, and accomplishing, I found it genuinely valuable. Today's rough journey not only allowed me to experience a new feeling, but in a way it showed a bit of what I'm made of. And by this, it eased some anxiety on my own curiosity of what defines me. I'm not much an inspirational speaker, but I strongly encourage you to find a challenge that seems 'out' of your comfort zone, and try to beat it. It'll really be an experience.
