Start: Yardley, PA
End: Elverson, PA
Daily Milage: 72.6
Total Mileage: 157.6
Daily Ride Time: 6:28:44
Total Ride Time: 13:52:25
Day 2 began looking out the window seeing rain and hearing thunderstorms.... So I curled back up in bed while Terri went out to get me a BEC (bacon, egg and cheese) on a bagel and a coffee.
I told Terri how with every missed turned, stopping for a snack or to snapchat (follow me @msquaredye) how much it influences who I will meet next or where I'll stop to eat, etc. She made a good point how this happens in our every day life... But on a journey like this, where the point is to meet new people and keep an opened mind, it is even more prevalent.
I finally took off around 9 AM and said my goodbyes to the wonderful Hawkes family.
As I made my way out of Yardley, PA I felt like I was still rushing to get out of the east coast. Then, seemingly out of nowhere there were farms on farms. The coolest part about these farms, besides the beautiful view was that each one has a table or something similar on the side of the road selling eggs, berries, flowers or vegetables all on the honor code. Drop your money in the box and take what you paid for. This normal way of life for these farmers, something they probably take for granted along with the beautiful views of their neighboring farms, is a gesture that made me feel safe and confident in the upcoming miles ahead.
This statue is a nice reminder of one thing I won't be experiencing on this trip.
After escaping FarmVille (only to re-enter it later) I reached Conshohocken, PA where I wrote my blog yesterday. Outside I met a very nice guy, Mike... Or Mark who is a Villanova grad. I have a journal that I am having people sign or write whatever they want in. Mark/Mike didn't write his name, but made sure to let me know that I was in Nova Country and to check out El Limon, a famous Mexican restaurant. I did just that and he was spot on. Authentic Mexican food never fails. I got three tacos.
After lunch I made my way to French Creek State Park for my first campgrounds experience. Before I got there... I almost died. 85 miles Day 1 then creeping up to 75 miles on Day 2 was a struggle. The death came 2 miles before the campsite where I had to climb a hill which seemed to never end. I'll take a hill twice as long if I can see the end over a hill that twist and turns and I don't know where the finish lies.
But I made it! I set up the tent first, which went without a hitch, then unpacked Jasper, locked her to a tree and heated up some Trader Joe's chicken chili. Just as I was all finished thunder started to roll in. It was around 9 PM at this point, so I plugged my phones into my external charger, donned my headlamp and read a little of Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns.
I didn't read long because I felt really tired. I turned over on my pillow (made of 3 t-shirts) and tried to sleep. Despite my exhaustion I didn't fall asleep until midnight! Yeah... I tossed and turned for 3 hours. Whether it was the heat, the shirtty pillow, the loud rain and bright lightening or maybe just nerves of being in the tent with Jasper outside all alone, I just couldn't fall asleep.
This wasn't a time when you say, "I didn't get any sleep" when in reality you actually do... No, I remember every minute of those three hours. Almost sleeping, but a dire itch needed to be scratched. Or lightening would return and flash the tent alive with light. I just couldn't fall asleep.
SNAPCHAT STORY @MSquaredYE
No comments:
Post a Comment