Aftermath

Three days without riding, for the first time since I started getting ready for the trip (apart from the broken bike gap), it really feels like the end of the adventure.

I love the word “aftermath”, it feels like you did so much math the world now lies in ruins 🙂 Don’t do too much math ! You never know.

I’ve been walking around Manhattan for three days. Not that much, as my back still aches from the accumulated pressure over the last week of riding, and the downfall of that pressure. But I love it (the walking, not the back ache). I’ll have to make another post about the city 🙂

It feels really, really strange not having the road moving below the wheel, and going into one direction for hours. It feels strange not watching the horizon become the next crossroads. And it feels strange not having the same routine anymore.

Goon into the routine of the ride was tough. Mostly the second month, as for the first one it was new and attractive. But it has become a habit now, and leaving a habit is not natural. My bike and the trailer are sitting restlessly in a corner. I hope I’ll feel better enough to do a few rides around the city before leaving.

So here I am trying to do something else now, enjoying New York. And of course I’m wondering if I am enjoying it enough. Am I making most of the time here ? Am I spending enough time outside ? The kind of stupid questions where I’m judging myself as if someone was pushing me to do more. Is five hours walking enough ? Six ? Seven ? If I’m tired, can I do less and still avoid questioning myself ? How many movies in a week can I see without feeling I’m losing time ?

I had a mini experience like that going up the Empire State this afternoon. The price to go up there is steep (29$), and I stayed maybe 20 minutes. That puts a price to the famous New York minute 😉 I enjoyed the view, took nice pics very similar to the ones I took eight years ago, and then the vertigo pushed me away from the observatory 🙂 Did I enjoy the place enough ? How do you measure that ?

For sure though I’m enjoying netflix 🙂 It should be up in France a couple of weeks after I get back, so I’ll be on the waiting list !