Guts, not signs

Today Priscilla got a late start-- stayed up late last night at the home of the lovely Voss family in Manchester-by-the-Sea (yeah, I got their last name wrong yesterday-- sorry!), and slept in a little. But she didn't have too far to go today, just a mere, piddly 54 miles. The bike version of a Sunday stroll by the sea, really. Plus, some of it was even by the sea! The real, live, salty wet sea!

For four delightful hours Priscilla biked along through lovely, interesting New England. Forests on the left, ocean on the right, hills, charming towns, various other New Englandy things! Such a change from Illinois ("Look, a cornfield! Oh hey, look how flat that land is! And it's flat over there, too! And wait... can it be? Flatness ahead as far as the eye can see!"). As if that weren't fabulous enough, the various helpful people who gave her directions gave said directions using hilarious New England accents! It was all Priscilla could do to keep a straight face, but she made a valiant effort so as not hurt the direction givers' feelings, as they really were very very helpful and kind. Well, very kind but occaisonally only sort of helpful, with accurate but not terribly thorough directions. Priscilla tried following the street signs and such, but found following her gut instinct (adventurous explorer types like her have these amazing gut instincts-- like a small squishy GPS tucked in beside their pancreas) worked a sight better.

And then in the middle of the afternoon she arrived at her destination for the day: the home of a Warm Shower host named Paul. He wasn't home, so she set up camp, took a shower, did some laundry, and climbed into the tent to "test" the mat and sleeping bag but accidentally took a nap instead. After a little exploring of his unconventionally decorated yard, she walked to the ocean and found a rocky beach and called her friends who were sitting in smelly CTA trains and were maybe just the merest smidge jealous (but also happy to vicariously experience the east coast beachiness by telephone, and relieved to hear that Priscilla is doing so well).