Into the Mountains

Well, the first two days were kinda rough, I suppose. I started on Wednesday, the 8th, at around 2 in the afternoon. My goal was to at least get into the Ozark Mountains, and camp wherever I could for the night. Well, it was raining when I set out, all dreary and overcast, which typically puts a damper on my energy levels. But, I was energized by a few people on the road, having a good chat with a woman who ran a gas station. I made it to a place called Moccasin Gap, a rural campground up in the hills which seemed rarely used.  I went to bed in my tent (underneath a large pavilion :D ), and prayed that the rain would stop by morning
I woke up at sunrise, and the rain was coming down in full strength, which never makes things easy when you're trying to keep your sleeping bag, your clothes, and your computer dry in your little yellow trailer-bag. But, what can you do? And, even though trying my hardest to get on the road quickly, it still took my two and a half hours from waking up till I was on the road. I guess I just have to accept that I'm slow in the morning. Oh well.

First 2 Days

So, I set out, toughest leg of the day, by far. Steep hills all morning long, constant rain, and no shoulder on the road. There were so many times when, if I could hear an 18-wheeler coming behind me, I would completely pull off of the road into the ditch so I wouldn't get hit. Good old country roads. Oh, and the rain pants that I had bought from Wal-Mart a few weeks before, well, I had already torn a gaping hole in the crotch area. Nice!
But, after about 4 hours on the bike, watching the miles get smaller on the signs, I made it to Jasper! I found a local fruit stand selling apples, and after buying 2, sat down and talked to the lady operating it. She was so cool. She was 76 years old and going strong, just retired from 16 years of being a nurse. I talked with her about what I was doing, that I had just graduated and everything. She was very encouraging, told me to keep on searching, especially since I can right now in my life. After a long morning of riding, just talking with her gave a huge lift in my spirits. Not only that, but the rain cleared and the sun came out. I was so pumped.
So, I got back on my bike, determined to make it to Harrison, AR, to meet my friend Justin Thompson. I made it about 2 miles out of town, just enough for there to be nothing around, and my rear tube blew out. All of sudden. Frustrating. But the sun was still shining, so it was all good. I replaced the tube, and while I was inflating it, the new tube pushed a hole through the side wall of my tire, which was supposedly a pretty strong tire. Frustration went through the roof, as I was losing time to get to Harrison. I finally fixed that, wasted more time wrestling my trailer onto my bike, swore some more, and finally got back on the road an hour and a half later.
But, somehow I made it into town just after 5:30, and met up with JT. It was a frustrating day, for sure, but even so I made it to Harrison, a total of 93 miles through the mountains. God made it possible, despite everything. And I had a roof over my head to sleep under that night, and a good friend to hang out with. God provides, huh?