Weekend morning bike rides are purportedly the best - You've been working hard all week in the office or in school, and you wanted to ooze every single minute out of this weekend and reclaim the time that is yours. Perhaps Saturday went in a flourish and now you're left in a mild state of panic, wondering if Sunday will be stolen from beneath you as well. Long bike rides take care of that, I'll tell you. At least, this Sunday morning Jane and I decided to meet at 8:30 AM and trek out to bike along the Emerald Necklace. It was almost difficult because I'd been going to bed around 2 or 3 AM repeatedly each night before, but I resolved to kick my circadian rhythm back into gear. The sun glowed brightly that morning and as we got to the start of the Emerald Necklace trail, we saw large herds of cyclists pass by. Anyone who knows me knows I have the attention span of a mouse --- and that fun, cool things will hold my attention captive. So I couldn't take my eyes off the endless swarms of cyclists.
Jane: Alright, let's go!
Ye: Wait, more cyclists... more cyclists! Where are all these cyclists coming from?
Jane: Hm.. not sure. (Let's go?)
Ye: Maybe it's a race. <still looking at the cyclists> Wow... there's so many of them.
It was as if I thought the longer I stared, the closer I'd get to the answer of where they were all coming from, and what they were all doing. But alas, my duty towards my friend beckoned and we started pedaling along. Not long after, the trail we followed became super rocky, and as we looked on google maps and saw the cyclists were following the same path we were...
Long story short, we ended up cycling with them. We got to Jamaica Pond, where I remembered cyclists weren't welcome, so decided to jump in with the patrolled crowd. Technically, we weren't supposed to be there, but technically we were going in the same direction as well. It wasn't like our presence was causing harm (*initiate defensive thinking-mode*), and the greater the numbers, the safer we, as cyclists are, right?
It was great fun. We ended up skipping off later and finding a place to eat (salmon, fried plantains, and empanadas). Whatever other work that could be done, whatever other concerns, everything was washed away during my this bike adventure. It's almost like a mini-traveling addiction - similar feelings must arise from the same source: feelings of curiosity, independence, exploration, discovery of new places, surprise, delight, and an animation of senses in a short period of time. Jane and I finally parted knowing that we will be back for more on another weekend morning -- and we hope that more people who want to join will not fear coming with us on our leisurely bike rides. The best time to start is always now.