The strangest part of this trip thus far has not been biking up mountains, being unemployed, inability to check email 15 times a day, social circle consisting of 60-year olds, buying flourescent yellow biking gear I swore I'd never get, or having no income while spending money like a faucet. It has been being outside, almost always, save for searching frantically for things in the van (actually about 20% of my time), restaurants and the occasional motel. Just always out in the air, sun & shade. It hasn't been this way since childhood summers, and oh my does it require liters of sunblock.