I've managed to ride a bike at least once a day for 56 consecutive days. I wrote last week that even the shortest of rides can be inspiring, because adventures aren't seeming to find their way into my cycling life very often of late. Occasionally, there are those small rides that also seem like adventures...
As luck would have it, my job threw me a small adventure this week. I was asked to help out at our Indianapolis location for a few days. It was an adventure in that I'd be working and spending time in a city I'd never visited before. It was also an adventure because I haven't traveled in quite some time (not many of us have), and I'd be traveling for work to boot, something I haven't done in years.
On Monday evening, I was running over my packing list to make sure I had everything I needed not only for personal comfort, but also for working outside for 3 days. My girlfriend said half-jokingly "You packed your bike, right?" Well, I may not have taken my usual bike, but of course I did:
I knew I wouldn't have much time for adventuring between our expected busy schedule, but I couldn't NOT take a bike with me. As I mentioned above, I'd never been to Indianapolis, I'd never pedaled in the state of Indiana at all, and I'm trying to keep my daily cycling streak intact. A daily ride doesn't have to be epic, and actually my first ride there was pretty similar to what I do on a daily basis around home. After driving 3 hours and working a full day on Tuesday, I hopped on old Angel up there and took a short 1 mile jaunt to pick up takeout for dinner:
An aside, it's always difficult to find healthy vegetarian food on-the-go, and even more so in this current day and age. I was pretty pumped when I saw they had a wide array of tofu and vegetable dishes on the menu:
Another aside, I got a couple strange looks when I brought my bike in thru the hotel lobby to take it up to my room. Technically, it's part of my luggage, right?
As for why I took Angel and not my everyday bike, the main reason is that she's foldable, which provides additional travel space-saving capability if needed. I'd also feel less regret if something bad were to happen, like theft or vandalism. I hesitate to admit that, but it's true.
Anyway, mission accomplished on day one of my travel. An added bonus? Some restaurant restrictions have started to be lifted in Indiana, and I was able to meet up for some beer with my longtime friend Evan, who moved out there last year:
Of course, it was great to see an old friend and catch up, but I have to admit that it felt so strange to do so in public, face to face. I'd gotten so used to video and phone calls, I almost didn't know how to act.
On the next day, I did indeed ride once again, which was also nothing truly spectacular other than being in a different place than "normal." There was a Trader Joe's only a couple miles from our hotel, so I ventured over there to pick up some snacks for the drive home on Thursday:
Our Indy operations manager took my co-worker and I out for dinner that evening (not pictured), which was also pretty awesome. I will stress that if you don't feel comfortable going out in public, don't do it, but we did and it felt really good to be able to.
Lastly, I took a couple laps around the parking lot at the end of the day on Thursday. Nothing earth-shattering, but my personal streak is still very much alive because of it:
I'm not sure if there will be another work-related trip in the near future, but I'd love to go back some time. I saw lots of mixed use paths and rail trails that cry out for exploration, including the 26-mile Monon Trail that my boss mentioned several times. I'm sure when that adventure is meant to find me, it will. For now, I'm glad that I had a chance to do a couple of the things that make me happy while also enjoying a brief taste of a new place. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, and that adventures find you, no matter how small.
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