Day 32 [San Antonio + Austin, TX]

Here's the deal:  I am now halfway across America and have the weird suntan lines to prove it.  I've laid down 1450 miles since leaving San Diego in early March.  I've pedaled my ass off.  More miles in just over one month than I have ridden throughout my entire life, and I'm sure many times over.  I can safely say at this point that I've gotten more than I bargained for on this ride.  Don't get me wrong, I knew fairly well what I was getting into...but certain aspects have aligned with my expectations while others have strayed.  You tend to paint a beautiful picture in your head for an adventure like this...one that portrays the entire trip as one beautiful image.  I'm certain, at the end, that that's how I'll remember it.  But at this point in time I can tell you that it's hard god damn work. 

I knew full well that it'd be blood, sweat, and sometimes a pain in the ass (literally).  It was the overall commitment to receiving this day in and day out that I couldn't conceptualize until I was on the road.  It's hard to explain to anyone who hasn't experienced it, but I'll give it a go.  Imagine waking up every morning and knowing that you have to complete a work out, and you have to, or else you fall short of all goals for the day.  If you wake up and ditch the workout then you have done nothing at all with your day.  So, regardless of your sore butt, your tired legs, or your will to just freaking relax, you press on, knowing that your 40-70 miles you ride that day are a very small chunk of what is an extremely large country.  Eventually you begin to see the bigger picture and realize that your daily goal plays an incremental role in accomplishing the overarching one.  Looking at the map from time to time and visualizing your progress every day reaffirms this idea.  What it has all taught me is what I treasure above all else so far on this journey.  That'd be the fact that every day you press on makes you one day stronger and one piece closer to a richer puzzle.  Now, I hope this isn't just a worthless idea typed, but rather a mentality that sticks with me throughout life.  

As for the 40 mile ride today, I can say that the roads got better.  The winds died down a bit and I was able to ride into San Antonio in just under four hours.  I can also say that I didn't much like San Antonio, and decided to take a break in Austin.  I may have road through the ghetto area of San Antonio, but I could see the downtown part of the city and off the bat knew that it wasn't for me.  I've been riding for 12 days straight now without rest, and thus decided to board a bus to Austin.  This city is where it's at.  All of the cyclists I've past heading west told me that Austin is amazing.  While it's only my first night I can surely say that I've made the right decision.  This is a town worthy of celebrating my accomplishments at...and that I will do.  I may be here for a few days exploring before I resume the burden of busting my ass all day everyday.  One, two, three day break?  I'm not sure yet, but I'm here to have fun.  Talk to you when I'm back in saddle with some good stories to tell.