Sunday, September 8, 2013

Which Way?

Today I took my last ride of my trip to Minnesota.  Last night I was up late trying to decide where I wanted to go on my ride.  There were a few details that were needed to go into my decision - I knew the temps would be a little cooler than the last couple of days, and I wanted to get around 20 miles in.  Other than that I just wanted to go on a fun, solo ride.   

As I woke up in the morning, I finally had a plan in mind.  I would take a county road out of town that connected to the Soo Line Bike Trail and then take that to Bowlus or farther depending on my legs.  It would be a very easy and very flat trail that I have done before many times.  It wasn't always my favorite because of the lack of turns and hills, but it was secure.

But then as I got going and rolled closer and closer to the turn off for the trail, I started to really think about the other route I had wanted to try.  It was one that I had driven many times growing up but never with my bike, mostly because one of the key roads hadn't been paved until the last year or so.  This route would mean more time on back roads that didn't have too much traffic minus a few tractors or two.  But it would also mean some miles logged on a  couple of major county roads that were used more regularly.  Again, it was a route I knew, but it was one with some hills and turns unlike the Soo Line Trail. 

Soon I had to make a decision, the safe route or the one less traveled.  Quickly I saw my turn off for the Bike Trail pass by me, and I continued down the road to try my new route.  I knew the roads I would be traveling well, but I had never seen them from my handle bars.  I could feel the road roll beneath me and the wind push on me from the north.  I watched a flock of turkeys cross as I pedaled by and even saw a few deer cross a ways down the road from me.

Because I never had taken these roads at a speed slower than 50 mph, I never noticed the details.  The way the corn looked as the sun came up and then quickly swallowed by the incoming rain storm's proceeding clouds.  The way the road felt.  The dips and bumps that gave it its character.  The way the cool breeze smelled of much needed rain and relief from the heat.

As I settled into my peddle strokes and worked against a little bit of a head wind, I made my way around the route at a good clip, enjoying the view and sounds from the road. As I wrapped up my ride and headed back into my hometown, I road up to the football field to catch my breath.  As I stood by the school building that I had spent so many days and years at, it looked the same but yet different.  I started to notice some changes - painted "Class of 2017" rocks outside the science room door, a much greener football field, and new handicap parking spaces in the student lot.  It is always funny how things that all seem to stay the same still changes.  Mostly small changes so that your memories remain, but you also notice new memories that are being made.
The sacred acre at Royalton High School

I continued through town towards the house that will always be called home.  Along the way, I ran into a friend from town and was able to quickly catch up on the latest news and weddings from the summer.  This has always been my favorite part of being from a small town - you always find someone you know and learn something new to take home with you.  Then finally, as the rain really started to pour, I pushed myself back down the road and rolled into the same place I had started.   

It was the last couple of damp miles that I noticed a smile had started to grow on my face.  I had taken the trail that I wasn't quite too sure of; I took a chance not knowing what the outcome would be; I had traveled a familiar road but got to see it in a new and different light.  And I still ended up where I wanted to go.

Sometimes we truly meet that fork in the road.  We know we need to decide on which road to take.  Do we take the safe and well known choice, or do we roll the dice and go somewhere new.  They both will most likely get us to the same end point, but the view and the ride will be different from each other.  Some pluses and some minuses to both.  So which will you choose?

So many times in our life we have this happen.  We make choices even when we don't realize we are making them.  But how was the end result?  Was it what you wanted/hoped would happen or do you wish you could go back and choose a different route?  If you had to go back, would you change any of it?  There are so many roads for us to ride, and we strive to find the one that you believe will get you where you need to go and make you happy all at the same time.  And the constant challenge is to, no matter the route, truly enjoy the ride.   

Friday, September 6, 2013

Buzz Buzz

Have you ever noticed that there are times when you are simply moving through life and then WHACK! You experience some sort of wake up call?  A slap to the face that reminds you to look up, make a change and take it all in?

Today I was out on a quick morning ride in my hometown in Minnesota, otherwise known as "God's Country."  I was moving along quickly as I needed to be back at my parents' to head out for a morning kayak with my Dad.  I was about half way around my 14 mile loop when all of a sudden I felt something hit my forehead where my helmet met my skin, and then a horrible stinging sensation right above my right eyebrow.  I reached up and felt something crunch under my fingers as I pulled the small kamikaze pilot away, but the damage had been done.  I had been stung.

I pulled over quickly and took out my cell phone to see the carnage.  My forehead was red and slightly swollen in the area of the small battle wound.  I was pretty sure I wasn't allergic to bee stings, but I had a moment of panic that I couldn't breathe and realized it was simply because I had been biking the last 20 minuets and in fact, NOT dying.

As I got myself back together, I checked my phone and realized my dad had called and left a voicemail to meet him down at the local bar for breakfast instead of going back to the house.  So as I got back into the saddle with a new end goal in sight, I took a moment to see the sunrise that I had been riding with all morning.  The way the rays rolled over the cornfields and onto the river beside me.  The sound of the birds waking up and starting their day.  The smell of the last days of summer and felt the hunger in my belly with the promise of hot coffee waiting for me at the bar.

The string had hurt, but it also had worked to wake me up.  I was so caught up in my thoughts and the road, that I didn't look around me and I didn't hear the change of plans that would only make my morning better.

So many times in life we experience wake-up calls - from unexpected news about a family member or friend, to changes in the work place, or simply that it was time to make a personal change - wake up calls come in all shapes and sizes.  Some come over the phone when you are thousands of miles away and others are simply as small as a bee, but regardless of the size you should always listen to them.  To take a moment to stop, look around you and appreciate all the greatness around and all of the amazing people in your life, and to know that no matter the change that may happen that this life is a good one.  One worth living and seeing and enjoying every moment of.

Stings happen.  They hurt and can leave a mark.  But how you handle the damage is what makes you stronger and better, and much more aware of everything in that moment.  The moment you wake up.

A beautiful sunrise in God's Country
          

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Vintage Wine

If you open my wine cabinet, you will find many different bottles.  Some from different wineries,  some with funny names and pictures, others that were gifts from a wedding or two.  Some have been there for years and other only a few days, and even more that I have honestly no idea how they got on that shelf.  But no matter where my bottles came from or how long they have been there, they all fit perfectly together on that shelf.

I took this week off and came back to Mason City to stay for a few days before I heading up to Minnesota.  Of course I brought a bike with – this time Tessa made the drive.  I think she liked this trip better than the last one, when we drove through a freak May blizzard, and she was covered in snow the entire time.  

But this time, we were welcomed with sunshine and some cooler summer temps.  We were also greeted by Bob and Teri, who were letting me crash at their home yet again.  I have known Bob and Teri since I first worked at the American Cancer Society (ACS) as an intern in 2007.  Teri also worked for ACS, and we became quick friends and stayed in touch even after I left for Anchorage.  When I was making plans to move back to Iowa in 2009, it was Bob who called and offered to have me move into the rental he owned in Clear Lake.  From then on Bob was lovely called my Slumlord and I his Slumlady.  Needless to say, Bob and Teri have been and continue to be great friends of mine, and I love being able to visit and stay with them when I am in town. 

Shortly after I arrived, I made a trip over to my favorite bike shop, Wayne’s Ski and Cycle, to have a tire tube changed and to chat with some of my favorite bike boys.  As soon as I walked in I was greeted with a smile from the guys and a “hey, how have you been.”  Even though they were pretty busy, Max was able to get my bike up and changed out, and we also took time to catch up with everything going on with everyone at the shop and with my life in Dubuque. 

I first went to Wayne’s when I had moved to Clear Lake and I have never stopped.  They not only do a great job fixing bikes, but they never talked down to me or make me feel like I didn’t know what I was doing (even though I truly did not know what I was doing).  They always treated me with respect and taught me how to turn my riding into a passion while still having a fun time and also that I should probably clean my bike more – like it was important or something.  But there was one thing that they did that drove me nuts – they always insisted on hugging me when I would come in, and I know the fact that I was a not a big hugger at the time only encouraged their bear like squeezes.  But I learned to embrace the hugs that smelled of coffee and bike grease, and  I had almost forgotten how much I had loved coming to the shop and just hanging out with the boys, they always had stories to tell as they would crank on the bikes.   

The sunshine filled view heading towards Nora Springs
After Max was done with the tire, Tessa was ready to roll again and I was out the back door and off on my way.  I got my first ride in on Monday morning as I rode out to Nora Springs and had an amazing view to follow the entire way.  There had been a few cars on the road, but mostly I have the ride to myself to enjoy.  As I climbed up and into a set of rolling hills, I was able to view the fields filled with a light fog and the day’s first hour of sunshine.  When I rolled back to Bob and Teri’s, I was greeted by some freshly baked Monkey Bread and questions about my early morning ride.


  Shortly after my ride, I got showered and changed so I could head out and meet up with my friends, Julie, Megan and Rachel, at Cancun, one of our favorite spots in town.  I stopped by my old house and picked up Julie.  Julie and I had been roommates for the last two years that I lived in Mason City and I miss being able to talk with her every day.  We had met through Relay For Life and became fast friends who somehow figured out how to be roommates and not kill each other in their sleep.  She has always served as my confidant and sounding board along with being able ring all of my crazy ideas into one pile while smiling and laughing at my stories.  

After grabbing Julie, we headed to Cancun to meet up with Rachel and Megan.  We had all met when we lived in Mason City and after Rachel moved to Waterloo and I to Dubuque, we have stayed closed with many visits to eachother's cities.  Again we caught up on life updates and Rachel gave us our pottery that we had painted in Cedar Falls when we were there for her birthday.  Megan gave us the update on the latest wedding plans and decisions for the upcoming marriage of her and her fiancĂ©, Reagan.  

I met Megan through Julie and have enjoyed countless days and late nights hanging out with her.  Megan has the ability to teach me how to relax and let go when all I wanted to do is sit up straight and worry.  She had recently gotten engaged at a Cubs game to Reagan, who ironically is Bob’s son.  As we talked more about the wedding and plans, the food arrived and Rachel talked more about Waterloo and her life there.  

I met Rachel through two different avenues – work and mutual friends.  She is a great person to have in your corner and to share many laughs with.  We have bonded even more after our moves and she is one of my favorite pit-stops when I am traveling through Cedar Falls/Waterloo.  After lunch, Megan, Julie, and I made plans for the afternoon and evening to spend more time together in Clear Lake while Rachel needed to get back on the road home.

Tessa enjoying the view of Clear Lake
After all of the catching up from the prior day, I got back on my bike this morning and made my way over to Clear Lake for an easy out and back ride.  I was looking forward to this ride because it was one I knew very well and was very flat which made it easy to lose myself in. 


As my mind drifted and my tires turned, I thought about all of the friends in my life, especially the ones here in North Iowa.  I thought about the friends that have been there for what seemed like forever, the ones that are constant and true, and the ones that pushed me even when they knew it would made me uncomfortable.  They were all different, but they were mine.  The ways we met, the things we had in common and the way they make we feel when I am around them.   

 Much like the wine bottles in my cabinet, my friends all have a story of how they got there and why they fill my life with so much joy.  Is it odd then that all of my friends like wine?  I think it works out perfectly because as they say – Like wine, friends only get better with age.