Feels Like Home

Driving, driving, driving...

It's too bad the east coast is so far away from the 'wa. If it were closer I'd get out here far more often. Particularly to Spud Island - aka home. My visit to the island this week was far too short. I arrived there Monday after two days of driving and a pretty stiff neck. My audio books were great and all the new iTunes helped too. Lots of car singing. ;) I mapped out a few rides before I left to ensure I knew distances before I head out and get myself into a situation where I need to be back in town still and have 50 more km to go. On Tuesday I did the main ride I really wanted to do. Even though my roots are on the east side of the island, I don't think I've been up to the far north east point since my childhood. The goal for the ride was to loop the tip. And I did. 63 km's later, quiet roads, extraordinary weather, courteous drivers who (get this) move out to pass AND wave at you when they do so!!! Mind you, tourist season is almost over - I saw a few, but it's not like in the summer, so roads are much less traveled right now. Nevertheless, the locals are in no big rush, happy to slow down for you, actually care for the safety of others on the road (well, what would I expect from this place that is my heart's home anyway - there is a reason I love it so much). Unbeknownst to me the ride was full of hills. Some small, some slightly steep, some long, some short, but there was not shortage of climbing on Tuesday. It was a phenomenal ride and I was totally blissed out at the end. On Wednesday I rode around the north coast - an area I am very familiar with. The National Park is open now - no fees to enter. And the road was deserted but for a couple of other cyclists, a couple of tourists, and some road workers. Oh - and the fishermen at the wharf at Covehead Harbour. I stopped there and took a whack of photos and fed their dog, a friendly golden retriever who tried to hop into the car of the tourists that came by. Unfortunately today, as it is every time I leave the red rock, I was sad and cranky. I know the island is somewhere I will never live, but I love it so much and I wish I could visit more often. I feel like it is so much of who I am. This time I also did not have much alone time in my place. OK, so I had a couple multi-hour bike rides. I guess I needed a bit more. Just not enough time. My time got split quite a bit, visiting my family and with a university friend, since I was staying with her and her family. I usually stay with my grandmother, but she had a full house with my folks visiting too and even though she probably wanted me to come stay on the couch, I kind of wanted a real bed and some space. Staying with my friend, Dal, was fun too because I got to take her kids out on their bikes and show them how the bike works and stuff. And they thought that was pretty cool. I think Dal and her hubby are afraid of one day having to shell out several grand for a bike if they keep having me come around. ;) One of my goals in life: get all my friends kids into cycling. Mwahahaha (the evil laugh if you didn't know).
More cycling tomorrow and more updates to come if I can find another computer. Luckily my aunt doesn't mind me hogging hers tonight.