Derby > Leeds 85 miles

Sometimes great things, of necessity, must also be - at times - miserable.

The first week I spent in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica I only had one thing on my mind: survive.  I was completely overwhelmed.  It was hot. Very hot.  When I woke up, when I had lunch, when I went to sleep.  All hot.  The days were filled with walking.  Loads of it.  Out the door at 9am or so and walking til 9pm.  The prayers I said that week were pretty self centered: please help me tolerate this heat, these mosquitoes and help my trainer, Elder Mann to not walk so fast.  Each day while my companion considered who we would teach, what lessons would best suit them, etc. I considered if I should just hurry up and buy my plane ticket home.  I thought, people say that their mission was the best time of their life, but I am straight up miserable.  What gives?

Jerry Garcia said it best: the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry anymore.

Why do I mention the above story? Let's just say the last three days were the beginning of Katy's  "mission".  The days have been long. Real long.  In the last three days we have done 28 hours of cycling.  We've had to figure out how to use this tandem (starting and stopping with the same foot unclicked, balancing the bike when stopped, starting real fast when we enter a round-a-bout so traffic doesn't get to us, directions, who is pedaling their "fair-share", telling Katy a bump is coming up, when to stop and stretch and alleviate tight hamstrings and neck and shoulder pain) and the list goes on.

So, after about 8 hours of cycling today we stopped at McDonald's to put the address of our next Warmshowers host into Google Maps and get a hot chocolate cause a steady rain had begun. Directions seemed easy enough and we were off the 4.5 miles to our next host.  We got a little turned around in downtown Leeds, stopped to see some of the setup for the Tour de France (which starts tomorrow, more on that to come), missed a turn or two but eventually arrived at the host's home on Chapel Street, Leeds.  Knocked at the door. Nothing.  Called. Nothing.  Damn.  Stood in the rain for 20 minutes or so when Katy gets out her phone and realizes that we are on Chapel Street, and we are supposed to be on Chapel Lane - 15 minutes away.  So we hop back on and through the downpour get to Chapel Lane.  But the house number doesn't exist.  Go and up down the street multiple times.  Nothing.  Katy goes into a local shop while I ride around the area looking.  I meet up with Katy 15 minutes later, she is cold, soaking wet and without a home.  She walks out into the street, obviously frustrated, and throws her helmet onto the ground and as it tumbles down the street she declares: I'm miserable.  I'm calling a taxi or getting an airplane ticket.

Uh oh, I think to myself.  What is the "correct" response?  How do I handle this situation.  The day had been long.  And wet.  And cold.  And we didn't know where our host's home was.  And the number we were trying to reach didn't work.

We hunkered down in a pub and again got on wifi, sending an email to our WS host.  He quickly responded and 15 minutes later Pete showed up and escorted us to his home.  We had a great warm shower (ha) and then lasagna and a nice walk through town (rain had stopped), and now are eagerly awaiting a good night sleep and the Grand Depart of the Tour de France tomorrow.

Sometimes things don't go as planned.  But, that's half the fun.

Can't wait for the future. Upgrade for sure.

Food? Yes please.