Flat Ohio!

I am sitting here after dinner in Hillsboro, Ohio and am a happy happy camper. Brownie and spaghetti in my belly and I got to take a nap post-ride! The past two days, destinations McArthur and Hillsboro have been amazingly flat compared to what went down in the Northeast, and apparently our ride tomorrow is suppose to be the flattest yet! Tomorrow's ride to Cincinnati is also short, somewhere between 50 and 60 miles. The past two days have been steady 70-73 mile rides. We've been doing a lot better as a group getting ourselves together in the morning and arriving at our host sites at a decent time. This could be due to the flat terrain, though. Of course, I have to tell you that it rained for the FIRST 40 MILES OF TODAY'S RIDE. But I survived that.

Before I forget, I would like you all to check out the journal at bikeandbuild.org (there is a journal tab on the left side) for a funny report of today's ride written by one of my closer friends on the trip, Erin. CLICK HERE


Tomorrow is an exciting day for me, because I get to see some family! I also get to stay in a real house (one of my friends on the trip, Carrie Porter) because our living situations for tomorrow night are all houses. I'm pretty excited about sleeping in a house and going out to dinner with family.

I would now like to take time to share with you some funny questions I have been asked due to the fact that I am from Texas:

1. "Does your dad have a gun"? My response: "Uhh, I'm from Austin?" This was asked by my friend Erin, who lived in El Paso for a while (so I suppose she was half joking) and likes Pat Green and is probably more southern/Texan than I am. We've discussed this on many a 70mile bike ride.

2. "Texas?! Where's your passport?" Not kidding. An old man in a gas station asked where I was from and actually asked me this. I tried to laugh but was really just confused.

3. "And you speak English? Not Spanish?" A second question by the old man. He then proceeded to tell me that he was stationed in San Antonio during World War II and that all he remembers about Texas is the Alamo.

4. "Do you carry around a Texas flag? Don't all Texans carry around a Texas flag?" This was asked by a boy in my group who goes to the University of Florida. In response, I asked him why isn't he old, since all people from Florida are old. Probably not the wittiest response, but after 7 hours of riding you make due with what you can come up with.

Today was a mail drop day, and I'd like to thank my family (good care package, Jill), Perry, and Kerry/Molly/Liz for the mail! I love mail, it helps get me through the longs days--- not kidding!

5 more days of riding, and then a day off! How exciting!

I miss everyone back home,
love,
Rachel