That girl on a bike

Ruth and Rob left me behind for a bit because I was struggling due to knee issues. I spent a lot of the morning crying, and even threw my bike on the ground a few times. I had a total meltdown and was so frustrated with myself. It didn’t help that the only other cars I saw on the road and could ask help from were sports cars going one hundred miles per hour.

Luckily, it was mostly flat until Point Reyes, but I still was in so much pain that it was almost unbearable. When I finally met up with Ruth and Rob at Point Reyes, we discovered that we couldn’t continue our route due to wildfires. This was a bummer, but also a blessing, because we were able to take a bus to San Rafael. This saved my knee and our lungs, and overall was more safe for everybody.

We ended up biking to a lagoon in San Rafael to stealth camp, when this lady approached us and invited us to stay in her house. She admired our adventurous spirit and wanted to help us out. We ate with her, took warm showers, and exchanged stories. The kindness of strangers on the road never ceases to amaze me.