Time flies when you're having fun...

One of the many things I’ve learned while biking is that time flies when you are having fun. This may sound obvious to most people, but certainly wasn’t for me. On one of our shorter rides from Brownfield to Post, Texas about 9 of us rode most of the day together (instead of our usual of breaking up into groups of 2-4). We sang hit songs from the 1990’s, told jokes, and created pictures out of our riding patterns. We also had a geography lesson when Brian taught us a song to remember the Canadian provinces. That ride was probably my favorite so far. It didn’t even seem like we had biked 50 miles when it was over and, honestly, I wanted to keep going.

This surprised me largely because I was looking forward to a summer of quiet reflection as I rode mile after mile across the country. Sometimes it is nice to break away from the group a little and ride alone, but the longer we ride, the more I want to spend rides talking with others on the team.

As an only child I am fascinated by large families. My friends who have siblings probably get tired of me asking questions about their lives, how often they talk to or see their siblings, did they get along as kids, do they get along now, etc.) That relationship amazes me. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I do have a great family and close friends that I think of as sisters and brothers. I think that is what is happening with this team. We are all becoming very comfortable with each other after spending every minute of every day for the past few weeks together, kind of like one big nomadic family. It’s crazy how much I like spending time with these guys and I’m already dreading saying goodbye to them in South Carolina.

So, I guess that is one of the big things I am learning this summer. I may be an introverted only child, but I need people around me. I need people to push me and support me and people I can push and support in return.