RT66 Day 13: REST DAY #2
An inactive body leads to an overactive mind. That’s not good for mental health.
Getting the characteristic biker tan on my face.
It was very sad to see Dan go. I didn’t know what to expect from these last few days with him. I have a debilitating fear of running out of things to talk about. The thought of spending four full days and nights with someone was honestly a bit intimidating. What if there were awkward silences between us and he discovered I’m actually super boring? Also, we are philosophically very different. What if we ended up arguing the whole time?
That wasn’t the case at all.
These four days really solidified us as friends in our own right. He was a delight to weather the storm with — both figuratively and literally. We spent every waking hour together for four straight days, and it never got old. I approve of the soulmate of my soulmate. (I forgot to mention that Dan is Sara’s husband, and Sara is my soulmate.)
It’s pouring rain outside, so this isn’t a bad day to spend indoors watching movies and taking a bath. But having this extra time on my hands, with nothing to do except stare at my toes, has made me a little too contemplative.
First, my dad made it safely back to Houston. Yay!
Second, talking to my mom stresses me out — a feeling shared by people throughout history. She keeps asking me who will raise my children if and when I die. That, naturally, prompts me to creepily watch Nest footage of my husband putting the kids to bed every night.
When I was in elementary school, my parents would pack me Chinese food for lunch. I remember feeling embarrassed that my lunch smelled more “ethnic” than everyone else’s bologna sandwiches. I couldn’t wait to grow up so I could be as normal as I wanted to be.
What is it about talking to your parents that makes you feel seven years old again? Why can’t my mom just be normal and stop talking to me as if a semi truck is about to hit me tomorrow?
For the record, if I die, their dad will raise them.
Also, it’s kind of ironic that all I wanted as a child was a normal lunch, and then I grew up to become the sort of weirdo who rides 1,200 miles on a bike for no reason. Maybe my parents should have wished for a normal kid instead.
Sara, by contrast, has been sending me photos of her bike all boxed up. I’m so excited she’ll be here in two days. She is an amazing adventure buddy. When she’s around, no obstacle feels insurmountable, and simply being together makes us feel invincible. See? Soulmate.
Tomorrow, I’ll spend the majority of my 74-mile ride on Interstate 40, and it will be my last full day of interstate riding. The next two days will also be the only days I ride completely alone, and if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m scared.
Was I scared in 2019? Why am I suddenly scared now?
This proves my theory that humans were not meant to have so much idle time for contemplation. We need to move, strain, and push our bodies to the limit so we can drown out the incessant anxieties inherited from our mothers.
Unfortunately, I am one now, so I’ll have to figure out how not to drive my own children crazy. Or embarrass them.