Yesterday was one of those "uneventful" days that sometimes happens during cycle touring. I say "uneventful" because of course a lot of things happened, but they were the things that you would expect to have happen during a cycle tour, i.e. cycling, and eating. There are a lot of little things I could talk about: the dozens of tiny harmless black flies that coated us, the amazing food we were served in the little pub we're staying at, the way you learn the rhythm of a new place just long enough to enjoy it before moving on. But the thing that really strikes me is how calming it can be, for me, to be out here on these trips. Staying in my tiny little tent, waking up naturally at 6:30 am - it's just very soothing. Nothing particularly happened yesterday, and sometimes that's just the way I like it.
We've built up a good 400 or so miles now are heading towards the halfway point. I have to keep reminding myself this is a relatively short trip. Everyone has been very nice to me. I have a lot of trouble with social groups and I often spend a lot of time alone at home. I know I have a very unpleasant personality and people take a while to warm up to me, if they ever do at all. It's weird - but nice - to have such an intense relationship with these people many of whom I might never see again.
I'm still dreaming of my trip to Iceland to ride around the country. I'd like to ride it once, either on my own or with one or two other people, then do a "test ride" where I simulated what it would be like as a Bike the US for MS-style ride, then submit it to them for approval to do it as an actual fund-raising ride. I think it would be great!
Oh, and last but not least, we've been meeting folks from the various MS societies - the local ones - which is fun. Over here, the group gives donations directly to these local societies, so in some ways they are "campaigning" to get some of the funds. But they're very nice people. The pub owner, for example, her sister has MS so she lets us camp here for free as long as we eat dinner in her pub (which we would do anyway because there is literally nothing else here!)
