Day 7 in which I change my favorite color to terra cotta

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: Albuquerque, NM to Flagstaff, AZ Number of times I gave the finger: It was dark for much of my drive, so why bother? Cups of coffee: One mug brewed by Mr. JBV himself; strong, dark, delicious. The man has eight different ways to brew coffee in his kitchen, so I expected nothing less than perfection. Biggest accomplishment: I peeled and ate 2 hardboiled eggs while driving. Didn't take my eyes off the road, didn't drop below 80mph, didn't eat any shell. HELL YEAH. This is going on my resume. After leaving Canyon, TX, I drove to Albuquerque, NM (which I spell by typing "albuququq" and waiting for autocorrect to step in) to spend the night at John Verheul's house. We'd previously only interacted online, but when he saw I was driving west, he kindly offered to host me. After telling my parents that I planned to spend the week in strangers' homes that I booked ...continue reading.

Day 6 in which I prevail upon the kindness of strangers

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: Canyon, TX to Albuquerque, NM Number of times I gave the finger: None. Today was all hugs and puppies and candy. Cups of coffee: 2 cups with my lovely Airbnb host and 1 latte from Palace Coffee Company, the warmest coffee shop I've ever visited. Personal growth moment: Eating salmon out of a can at a gas station. Let's do that again never. Morning dawned warm and bright in Canyon, TX, which was great news for my plans to do a 4-hour ride into Palo Duro Canyon. Hooray! Sunshine! The weather app (WHICH I CHECKED, YES, I DID) said it was going to get cooler and windy in the afternoon, so I dressed accordingly and set out on my bike. Admittedly, it was very windy. But with the sun shining, I warmed up quickly and stripped off my gloves and headband. Things seemed to be going well. Thirty minutes in, I started ...continue reading.

Day 5 in which this road trip surpasses expectations

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: Oklahoma City, OK to Canyon, TX Number of times I gave the finger: 0! It was a cheerful day. Cups of coffee: A French press of Peritus with breakfast and then hits mid-drive from the jug of cold brew that I bought from Coffee Slingers in OKC specifically for the bottle, a fact that would horrify the snooty coffee dorks working there. More instances of panic because the gas tank was empty with nary a station in sight: 1. I will probably not learn this lesson until I'm walking down the interstate carrying a gas can. Thoughts from the highway: (1) An 18-wheeler flat-bed transporting huge stacks of exposed hay bales has got to be the least aerodynamic vehicle ever, like a gigantic unshaven leg. (2) Bob Dylan sounds like he is perpetually whining. (3) We took land from the Native Americans, marginalized and abused them, and then appropriated their culture to manufacture tacky souvenirs to sell ...continue reading.

Day 4 in which blissfully nothing happened

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: From the bed to the kitchen to the couch. Cups of coffee: 1 French press with breakfast and a homemade matcha green tea almond milk latte that I am mentioning because I want to sound fancy. Personal growth moment: I washed all of my clothes and left the house in adult-appropriate apparel. Things in this extremely modern house that confound me: (1) Cannot figure out how to turn on either fireplace. (2) Cannot figure out how to fully flush the environmentally-friendly toilets on the first...second...or third try. (3) Cannot figure out how adjust the water temperature in the shower to anything other than scald, boil, or incinerate. Yesterday was a much-needed break from driving and an easy training day. I spent almost the entire day glued to an enormous blue couch, thinking about all of the exciting things I could be doing and enjoying not doing them. Eventually I got moving, turning the day's corework session into an ...continue reading.

Day 3 in which I struggle to understand America the Beautiful

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: Memphis, TN to Oklahoma City, OK Number of times I gave the finger: 2, including an aggressive two-hander. Cups of coffee: 2 cups at my host home this morning; none mid-drive because rural America. Instances of panic because the gas tank was empty with nary a station in sight: 2 Number of times Pitbull references himself in songs: NEVER ENOUGH. Personal growth moment: On day 1, I traveled in jeans and boots. On day 2, I traveled in jeans and sandals with socks. On day 3, I traveled in pajamas and sandals. It's a good thing I'm not traveling tomorrow, or I'd end up wearing a trash bag. Today was a long day. After a night with little sleep, I awoke to pouring rain in Memphis. The scheduled ride was so structured that I'd intended to do it on the trainer anyway (because the best way to enjoy a trip across America is by pedaling indoors facing a ...continue reading.

Day 2 in which I wonder if I am there yet

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: Knoxville, TN to Memphis, TN Number of times I gave the finger: 0. My soul was too crushed by the long drive to care. You want to cut me off? Okay. Go for it. Cups of coffee: On the outskirts of Nashville, I decided it was time for a cup of coffee. Found the nearest Starbucks, only to discover that I'd been there once before last year. What are the odds? Trucks filled with live pigs: 1 Number of times I thought the car might be on fire: 3 Number of times the car was, fortunately, not on fire: 3 Things I learned: If you scream "FUCK OFF" at your iPhone, Siri asks, "Did I do something wrong?" Personal growth moment: I wore the same socks for the third day in a row. Normally this would make me cringe in horror. But Road Trip Lindsay is adaptable! Goes with the flow! Ignores hygiene! The highlight of ...continue reading.