Week 2. Over 300 miles done.

Day 8 - 49 miles (Clarksburg, MD to Manasses, VA)
Day 9 - 47 miles (Manasses, VA to Fredericksburg, VA)

After two slightly longer days and a headwind to ride against, I am starting to feel sore.  All last week I felt great.  The last two days, my calves are sore.  We have been taking a lot of great supplements since (before) we started.  I take a hefty prenatal, an algae Calcium, a DHA support and I have some Hops for muscle relaxation if need be...also on hand are various other supplements and remedies in our first aid and maintenance kit.  This includes ESSENTIAL oils.  :)

After our first long day to Manasses, I started sharing a lot of my stuff with Mike because he needed the extra support too.  I love my supplements.  Knowing I have all this nutrition pulsing through me really helps me along the way.

Over the last two days the kids have been so content in the trailer.  We will stop and see if they need to get out, and they'll just be sitting there, staring at us, in some sort of daze.  I love that they can be so low key and content in a trailer.  Etienne has taken up an affinity for bicycles.  Every time he sees something that looks like a bike, he tries to climb on it and ride it.  It's pretty cute!

Yesterday we stopped to find a better route, feeling overwhelmed, like the road was too busy, not safe and that we needed to get off.  I actually started to cry a little bit, so we dodged into a McDonalds and got some wifi and a revised (much safer) route.  I even got a cheeseburger because I needed to stress eat.  Just after we pulled into the parking lot, a car came speeding off I-95 into 4 lanes of stand still traffic and flipped completely over quite violently, smashing other cars like bowling pins.  Being around constantly rushing and crazy cars for a little while today makes me want to plead with motorists everywhere to drive slower.  I was so frustrated at our fast culture and the dangers it poses onto everyone involved.  If everyone slowed down a little, so many lives could be spared and protected.  There is hardly anything worth rushing for.  When in doubt, just slow down.

The other day, we were headed to our final destination in Manasses, as we pulled onto a windy back road, a man stopped and said he would escort us to make sure nothing happened.  He drove behind our slow bike caravan for over two and half miles until we turned into the neighborhood we were visiting.  What a gentleman!!!  When Mike said, "Thank you so much!"  The man replied, "I've only got time." and smiled, before driving away.  I believe it's the only attitude.  We only have time here on this earth while we are alive.  Time to love, to care for each other, to experience beauty and to live life.

The other night we stayed in Manasses with some friends of ours and last night we stayed with a wonderful couple we met on warmshowers.org.  It has been an awesome experience of hospitality all around!