Good morning folks! It's my last morning in San Francisco. I've been here about a week and a half and the rains come nigh; I must get my butt south or abandon my quest. So good to be here with friends, to be in this city again so soon after I left it.
Early on I decided that while I was here I was on a vacation, not a bike trip. Thus I didn't even number the days, separating this place out from the rest of the traveling as a place of rest and renewal and reconnection. Approaching San Francisco felt like coming home, coming home to a place free of the stress that accompanied my earlier life here.
Days went by in pleasant succession. I visited the school and the community center that I volunteered at with AmeriCorps. At the community center Monica, a little girl that I played make-believe with a lot, spotted me, her face lit up, "Joe!" she yelled and came and hugged my legs. One of the proudest moments of my stay. We went and played make believe. Glen and I also got to go into my friend Rachel's 6th grade class and do a show and tell about our trip. They had been following our journeys, and I had been sending them postcards, so the visit was fun for all of us. It was great to get up in front of a class again and realize I still had some classroom skills. I actually learned something hanging out in a school for a year!
Otherwise I had moments to hang out with lots of people that I wanted to see again. Went out to eat with friends. Saw an art show. Baked bread and cookies and made a big breakfast for my friends. Walked through Chinatown and ate Dim Sum and drank tapioca milk tea. Got out on a bike ride and flew up hills that almost defeated me four months ago.
Glen flew out this past Saturday morning early. He emailed me the other day and indicated he is back in Lancaster settling in with family and friends, already looking for a fixer-upper house to buy and fix up for his next adventure. Surrounded by friends here, I haven't missed him that much. However, that will change when I get back on the bike.
And I'm planning to get back on that thing in an hour or two. I've been excited about hitting the road again, though as the time gets closer I wonder what in the world I'm doing. History shows that my body should respond well to constant motion again; more important is how my mind and emotions respond to the solo aspect of this new venture. I suspect that I will have some mental-toughness-building to do.
I've plotted my route through the city and out to the ocean. Then south along Ocean Beach and down through the 'burbs' to where Rt. 1 joins up with the Pacific again. The first day or two will be familiar territory, places I visited in a car last year. After that I have friends in Pasadena (the LA area), then on down to San Diego. I do not know what I will find along the way. No more Glen to do the navigating or to share my thoughts with. Only me to find a camping spot and set up the tent and start dinner. Still, the possibilities for exploration of self and place and people excite me.
I've been reading a bit about Mexico while I've been here. Obviously I have to get to San D first, but if things go well up to that point, I just might cross the border and explore the Baja peninsula. The bike tour book I looked at said that ride is challenging because of the desert terrain, but nothing I can't handle after four months of experience. So the ride to San Diego is sort of a test stretch to see how I travel by myself. Then we'll see. Anybody know anybody on the Baja or somewhere sort of close to the west coast of Mexico below the Baja?
My family is, of course, disappointed that I won't be joining them for the holidays. I'm sort of intrigued about spending them on the road, though I will definitely miss being at home. Perhaps distance from Christmas and all it's activities will help me reflect in a new way on the truth behind this time of year. I do hope to experience some holiday activities along the way, though. I've been thinking of how I could decorate my bike for the season.
Seasons blessing to you all! I'll let you know soon how my new adventure begins to show and shape itself. peacejoelapp.
Keep in touch - Joe (lappjoe@yahoo.com) and Glen (glapp@juno.com)!