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.

Day 1 in which I flee the state

Posted on by Lindsay
Journey: Reston, VA to Knoxville, TN Number of times I gave the finger: 2.5 Cups of coffee: I brought one from home, bought one at a roadside Starbucks, and was given a free extra one by the barista. So that's approximately a quart of espresso. I'll sleep next Tuesday. Trucks filled with live chickens: 1 Grocery stores with clientele I hope to never see in a dark alley: 1 Notable location: Cave Mountain Lake, VA...the birthplace of indecision. Food of the day: Snapea Crisps. They're horribly addicting. I didn't even make it 50 miles from my house before opening the bag and was done with all 3.5 servings in a few hours. Try them. You will thank me (and curse me). Even my husband - who hasn't eaten a vegetable in this millenium - likes them. Today was the trip from home to my first overnight stop in Knoxville at a place I found through Airbnb. Hooray ...continue reading.

Lindsay Goes West

Posted on by Lindsay
I made a list of my favorite people last night. Who does that?! It’s weird. To review the people in your life and pick the ones you love the most. It feels ridiculous, like I'm in third grade trying to decide who should be invited to my birthday party. But the list just popped into my head because I knew without hesitation who I'd want to have at my birthday party sharing my cake. I knew because I've spent the last few weeks preparing to say goodbye to everybody around me and when I think about these people, my cake people, it physically hurts to let go, even though it's just for now. I'm getting in my car today - in a moment, actually - and driving to Arizona. By next Friday, I need to be in Phoenix. There I'll ride with my team, race Valley of the Sun, and settle down ...continue reading.

Thirty is the new awesome

Posted on by Lindsay
I turned 30 on Halloween. Sometimes I'm still astonished that I'm old enough to drive and buy alcohol and eat as much dessert as I want, but then I think about being 30 and realize that teenagers would consider me old. Teenagers are stupid. Get off my lawn. My birthday was so enjoyable and reminded me how fortunate I am to have such wonderful people in my life. I don't feel young or old or concerned about the number at all; I just feel pretty damn lucky to be where I am right now. [caption id="attachment_5564" align="alignnone" width="600"] The result of a night of pumpkin carving with Dad, Andrew, Mike, bottles of Scotch and wine, and several pints of Ben & Jerry's. Yo dawg, I heard you like pumpkins, so I carved a pumpkin into my pumpkin.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5555" align="alignnone" width="600"] These are my parents. The family resemblance is undeniable.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5568" align="alignnone" width="600"] When my mother presented ...continue reading.