Let the Training Begin... the CVNP Challenge!

This is the beautiful map collage I  put on the
wall in the living room so we can keep
track of our progress.
I also offer professional decorating services.
If you're interested let me know.

What is it?

We're going to hike, run or ski all the trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) plus the Metro Parks that have trails within CVNP.  According to my estimates there are something like 170 miles of trails, but there are a number of trails that overlap and perhaps also some trails that aren't on the maps (secret trails!!?!?!).  Here's the trail list the CVNP has online... and I copied my list below.  I'm thinking both lists probably aren't quite perfect, so we're just going to have to go out there and explore!

Who??

Brett and Melissa and whoever will join us!

When?

Starting in January 2015.. until we finish.  Perhaps some day when I'm an awesome ultra runner I'll do it all in a weekend or something... but for now we'll just take it easy :-).

Why?

To help prepare for my John Muir Trail Hike this summer... and because we can!  Whenever I stop to think about it, I'm so grateful to have a national park almost literally in our backyard.  Of course it's no Yosemite or Grand Canyon... but it's also close to all the conveniences of major cities and to our families!

Progress?

We've already got a few done!  In fact, we're 17.7 miles in.

Tree Farm, Cross Country, and Spring Hollow Trails

A few weekends ago we cross-country skied the Tree Farm Trail at Horseshoe Pond (this is definitely my favorite skiing spot in CVNP so far!), and we went on a night hike on the Spring Hollow Trail at Hampton Hills Metro Park.  I also had a very sticky (and basically failed) cross country ski experience on the Cross Country Trail at Kendall Lake--I guess the snow was too warm and melt-y so I couldn't keep the bottom of my skis clean.  However, with plenty of falling and a little hiking I eventually made it around the loop and back to the car :-).

Skiing the Tree Farm Trail with Mrs. Safran and Mrs. Pierce!

Mrs. Pierce was really excited that Brett was there because  no one else would have been brave enough to ski across the
frozen Horseshoe Pond with her :-).

Riding Run Trail

Last week I did what I'll call my first official training hike (woohoo!! It's getting real!).  On my day off from work I hiked about 4.7 miles on the Riding Run Trail--a trail I've never been to (again, I feel so lucky every time I realize that all these trails are so close to where I've lived for about 7 or 8 years now and there are still places left to explore!).

The trail started with crossing the Everett Road Covered Bridge (which I've also never been to) then climbed out of the valley and back down in a big loop.  Climbing to the top of the Cuyahoga Valley is definitely nothing like climbing a mountain, but sometimes the views can trick you into thinking you're in the mountains (especially in the winter with no leaves to obstruct your view).  And hopefully it'll be enough climbing to at least help me prepare for the Sierra Nevada (probably not...).

The trails are so peaceful in the winter--sure it's cold and a little slippery, but I think it's one of the few times you can go out in these woods that are so close to major roads and cities and feel at least a little like you've left civilization.  I highly recommend it :-).

The Everett Road Covered Bridge

The peaceful forest :-)

I'm hoping winter hiking in the valley--a.k.a walking
over the frozen footsteps of all kinds of creatures--will
at least help prepare my ankles for the uneven
footing we might experience out west...

One of those times I pretended I was on a mountain...

And the view from the valley floor :-).

Pine Grove and Forest Point Trails

Last but not least, I spent a very cold afternoon (one of those days they warned us not to go out for fear of freezing noses and toes) with Jamie and Brett hiking 3.7 miles on few trails around the Ledges area.  This is a spot I've been to so many times--a lot of people will say that the ledges are one of the most beautiful spots in the valley and it's a pretty easy place to get to, so it's often where we'll meet for some time in the woods.  However we still found a trail I'd never hiked--the Forest Point Trail.  It's a short half mile, but it was a fun walk along the ridge line... and still plenty challenging with all the ice under our feet. We tried to hike some of the Ledges trail but it was so icy (and steep in many places) that I think it would have taken us three days at the pace we were going (unless we gave in a sledded down the hills :-) ).

I took exactly one picture of the sun setting in the clear cold sky...
and spent the rest of the time trying to make sure my fingers didn't freeze.

Melissa's Official Trail List!!!	Miles
Towpath	19.5
Buckeye Trail Sections & Valley Trail
Buckeye Trail: Egbert Picnic Area to Alexander Road	6.1
Buckeye Trail: Alexander Road to Frazee House	1.5
Buckeye Trail: Frazee House to Station Road Bridge	2.5
Buckeye Trail: Station Road Bridge to Jaite	7.0
Buckeye Trail: Jaite to Boston	5.6
Buckeye Trail: Boston to Pine Lane	4.0
Buckeye Trail: Pine Lane to Everett Covered Bridge	4.1
Buckeye Trail: Everett Covered Bridge to Indian Mound Trailhead	3.0
Valley Trail?
Wetmore Bridle Trails
Wetmore Trail	4.5
Dickerson Run Trail	1.0
Tabletop Trail	0.6
Langes Run Trail	3.5
Butler's Trail	0.6
Everett Covered Bridge Area Trails
Riding Run Trail	4.0
Perkins Trail	2.75
Covered Bridge and Furnace Run Trails	1.5
Indigo Lake Trail (connects Towpath with Hale Farm)	1.0
Trails Between Jaite & Boston
Old Carriage Trail	5.3
Stanford Trail	1.5
Brandywine Gorge Trail	1.3
Brandywine Falls Trail	0.1
From Happy Days Lodge
Haskell Run Trail	0.5
Boston Run Trail	3.4
From the Ledges Parking Area
Ledges Trail	2.2
Pine Grove Trail	2.2
Forest Point Trail	0.5
From Kendall Lake
Cross Country Trail	2.5
Lake Trail	1.0
Salt Run Trail	3.3
Off Major Road
Tree Farm Trail	2.8
From Oak Hill Trailhead
Oak Hill Trail	1.5
Plateau Trail	4.5
Cleveland Metroparks Trails within CVNP
Bedford Reservation
All Purpose Trail	7.6
Sagamore Creek Loop Trail	3.6
Bedford Single Track Trails	11.0
Egbert Loop Trail	1.1
Viaduct Park Loop Trail	0.4
Forbes Woods Ridge Trail	0.3
Bridal Trails	7
Hemlock Creek Loop Trail	0.8
Brecksville Reservation
All Purpose Trail	9.3
Prairie Loop Trial	0.5
Wildflower Loop Trail	0.8
Hemlock Loop Trail	2.5
Salamander Loop Trail	1.5
Bridal Trails	10.0
Deer Lick Cave Trail	4
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County Trails within CVNP
Furnace Run Metro Park
Daffodil Trail	0.6
Old mill Trail	1.0
Rock Creek Trail	1.0
Deep Lock Quary Metro Park
Quarry Trail	1.2
Cuyahoga Trail?
O'Neil Woods Metro Park
Deer Run Trail	1.8
Hampton Hills Metro Park
Adam Run	3.2
Spring Hollow	1.6
TOTAL	176.2

The next adventure... on the John Muir Trail!

I'm going to hike the John Muir Trail!!

I got approval to take the time off work, I have the incredibly generous support of my awesome best friend, Brett, I have a very cool little team to do it with... and we just received our official permit reservation!

Where we'll be walking
(image from www.hikejmt.com)

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a 211 mile long hiking trail in California that'll take us into some of the most beautiful wilderness in the world. We're going to start at the north end at Happy Isles in Yosemite National park on July 8th, 2015 and if all goes as planned, we'll finish at the top of the contiguous United States' highest peak--Mount Whitney (14,496 ft)--about 30 days later.

The idea came to us in a dream a documentary that's now well known among JMT hikers (and that's probably significantly increased the popularity of the trail) called Mile, Mile and a Half. (it's on Netflix. Go watch it!) Last summer a few of my fellow bike adventurers and I spent an evening watching it (per the serendipitous suggestion of Jenny and Greg)... our host church for the evening encouraged us to use the projector in the youth room... and the seed was planted.  So, since we came up with the plan in church it was definitely divine intervention and we couldn't possibly not do it (never mind that we were basically living at churches for 2.5 months last summer....).

Really though, it's pretty amazing how these things seem to just work themselves out sometimes.  

After watching the documentary, my best-biking-buddy, Leah, asked if I'd want to hike it with her (I think she decided she was going to do it about 12 seconds into the documentary :-) ).  I said something along the lines of "Of course! But I have no idea if I'll be able to". I had no idea where life was going to take me after we moved back to Ohio.  I was probably supposed to get an engineering job and try to do normal, responsible things... but instead I decided to take more time to try to figure out what I'm really meant to do with my life and on a whim I got a job at a local outdoor gear shop to just buy time. Before I knew it, I had an employer who actually encourages crazy adventures, I had access to really good deals on the gear I'll need, and I (of course) had the most supportive friends and family.

Brett and I made sure to take some pictures of
the John Muir Trail signs during our trip to
Yosemite last summer so we could share them
with Leah... never suspecting I'd actually
be able to join her :-).

Then there's the fact that we actually received a permit.  To get a permit to hike the JMT starting at the north end of the trail you have to apply to Yosemite National Park exactly 24 weeks before your planned departure date. Yosemite has set quotas for the number of people who can enter any given trail head--something like 12 or 4 or 16 people can start at a certain point each day. Leading up to the day we chose to apply we were all reading stories of people trying up to seven times before having their application was actually approved (each time pushing their trip back another day).  With our group of 6 people we thought our chances were even lower.  Each of us separately faxed a permit application for our team of six on the evening of January 20th hoping to increase our odds... knowing that in all likelihood we'd be repeating the process an unknown number of days into the future. Of course, the next morning I got a call from Leah, who I think was in such disbelief that she questioned her literacy as she opened the email she received saying "This confirms your reservation, made on 01/21/2015, for a wilderness permit for the following trip..."

There are definitely still times that I worry that I should be working a job that earns more money after spending the last two years volunteering, or that I can and should be contributing more to society, saving more for retirement, saving the world, etc. But then I remember that I'll never regret an adventure like this--I certainly haven't yet!

Me and Leah... so excited for another adventure!

Bike Adventure 2014 - Americus to Philadelphia to Atlantic City

During the Bike Adventure this summer I was so impressed by a few of my fellow cyclists who religiously kept journals of their experiences.  There were at least four of these very disciplined riders who I remember sitting down nearly every evening to record what they saw and felt that day... which is so awesome!  Life on the Bike Adventure is simplified, condensed, and deepened--it's like real life distilled to a point that forces your to learn a lot about yourself in a short amount of time, and to form some of the strongest and most meaningful relationships I've ever encountered. Remembering a journey like that is invaluable.

However, it's increasingly amazing to me how quickly the details of the experience seem to leave my brain.  In some ways, returning to a "normal life" that's so different makes an experience like the Bike Adventure feel like a dream--you can remember the feeling of it, but the details get more and more fuzzy the further away you get.  So, while I'm not too far from the experience (and not quite returned to "normal life" yet), I want to try to record the summer from my point of view.  I guess also because I'm a little jealous--those riders who took the time to write it all down along the way will have something awesome to look back on years from now.  So here goes!

Getting to the start - Americus to Philadelphia to Atlantic City

Finally starting the Bike Adventure feels sort of like starting something you've been preparing for a lifetime to do.  I spent nearly every day of the previous 9 months at a desk preparing every detail that I possibly could and never really stopping the running to-do list in my head. Even with all that planning there's a ton of details that can't really be planned. When the thing finally starts, all that planning can sometimes becomes a ton of pressure to make it--something you ultimately don't have total control of--all go perfectly! It's awkward to transition from planning to doing, among all the other awkward things like starting an event in a place you've never been to (hoping there will be someone there to open the door for you!), and all the new people meeting each other (and wondering what they got themselves into). This summer though, the start actually did feel nearly perfect.

But first, a short aside... here begins the list of things I feel so grateful to have learned over and over again doing this job (and that I continue to be amazed by), that I will probably continue to repeat for in every subsequent post:

1. There are strangers everywhere who are incredibly kind and generous--much more than the evening news would have you believe.
2. It's amazing (often miraculous, actually) how things seem to just work out when you're doing something like this.  There's so much that you can't really plan, but somehow it all works.
3. The Fuller Center Bike Adventure is a family just as strong as any family bound by blood.

Me, Ryan, and Jisun (from left) posing for the
obligatory early morning departure photo. 

Back to the adventure...

The start for me was the drive from Americus (the little town in southwest Georgia where I lived and worked) to the ride's starting point in Atlantic City, NJ.  Ryan, Jisun, and I traveled up with the van and trailer that would become sort of like home over the next couple of months.  To remain true to the Bike Adventure's signature (and possibly excessive) frugal-ness, whenever and wherever we travel we make a point to stay somewhere free.  During the ride this usually means crashing in churches, but when we have a smaller group we try to re-connect with old friends who might have a few empty square feet on their floor (which has some really wonderful benefits in addition to being free--I'm happy to have had this practice added to my life).  Strangely though, we couldn't find a friend along our route in quite the spot we were hoping to.  You collect friends in a lot of places with this cross-country biking thing (see number 3 above!) but I guess they're not quite everywhere. When we shared this unfortunate news with the Fuller Center president, David Snell, he came through with a board member who owns a few hotels in nearly the exact spot we were hoping to stop after our first day of driving (see number 2), and after a couple of emails this generous board member came through with a couple free hotel rooms for us (and number 1 :-) )!  Score!  Thank you to the folks at the that hotel for offering us one of the last beds we'd sleep in for quite a while!

Bike Adventurers, new and old, Geezerman (aka Tom Weber),
and members of the Emperado family, helping us get the
Bike Adventure started.

Our next pre-adventure stop landed us in Philadelphia where we stayed the night with Kert Emperado's awesome family, giving us a chance to collect a few riders from the airport before heading to the coast (Kert was a part of both the 2013 and 2014 adventures). We arrived early in the day and over the course of the afternoon and evening riders joined us at Kert's house until we packed probably about 20 people (including his family) like sardines into every corner of the home to sleep (including under the dining room table, much to the amusement of Kert's Dad :-) ).  They not only let us take over their home but various family members brought over plate after plate of food (which, unbeknownst to us, would foreshadow our experience when we biked back through the area a few days later). They were so proud of their son / grandson / nephew, so excited to meet all his crazy biker friends, and just as excited to share their delicious filipino food with us! They even helped us celebrate the 72nd birthday of everyone's favorite Geezer.

While we were all gathering, laughing, and celebrating I couldn't help but wonder what the few cyclists who are new to this Bike Adventure family were thinking (most of the people who joined us in Philly were returning riders and knew what they were getting themselves into--we would meet the rest of the new folks in Atlantic City).  I imagined thoughts going something like... "I signed up to ride my bike and build houses, but now I'm sleeping on the floor at some random house in Philadelphia, surrounded by a bunch of loud and crazy strangers!?" I can definitely understand if any of them were second guessing their decision. However, I think it turned out to be an incredible start to the adventure for me (and for everyone else, once they caught on...).

We were gathering in simple, loving community. It didn't matter where we came from, what we looked like, or how comfortable we were--the only important things were the beautiful, loving people around us (and maybe the food...).  For me, it was so awesome to spend a day (before the real onset of the craziness that is leading a cross-country bike ride) catching up with friends, relaxing, and laughing. And for everyone I think it was a perfect beginning to our summer of meeting and communing with equally beautiful strangers all across the country, whether they knew it or not.

And of course it was a free place to stay :-). Thank you Kert and the Emperados!

The next day we drove the last hour to Atlantic City to really get things started!

Me and my excited (scared?) face :-).

Spring Ride Recap

I have officially finished my first bike ride as Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure trip leader!

On March 15th I met 32 awesome new friends in Nashville and we spent the next week biking nearly 400 miles on the Natchez Trace Parkway to Jackson, Mississippi.  We rode bikes, we helped rebuild homes and we told everyone we met along the way about the Fuller Center for Housing and the great need for affordable decent homes that we have in our world.  It was amazing, intimidating, inspiring, stressful, and all kinds of other adjectives.  The experience both stretched me to my limits, and renewed my energy for this role I've somehow been led to fill!  I wanted to write something to try to share the experience with everyone who has supported me in this little detour I've taken to Americus, GA to volunteer and lead this bike ride.  I hope this can express some of the gratitude I have for everyone who's helped me as I take on this awesome challenge!

Two of my fellow cyclists and new friends:
Bud, age 75 (left) and Jack, age 85 (right)
... two of the most inspiring guys I've ever met.
photo credit: Dan Sheridan

My favorite part of the ride was definitely the people.  I've (sort of... not really) started to get used to talking with reporters, and they often ask what kind of people do a bike ride like this.  I just say "awesome people!!" ... I don't think it's quite the answer they're looking for, but it's so true!  The combination of loving biking, loving adventure, and loving people makes for a pretty awesome sort of person, and the 2013 Spring Ride team was no exception.  As I think back on each rider, every single one makes me smile for their own unique reasons.  There were the silly ones who were always making everyone laugh, the ones who always seemed to have the perfect words of encouragement at just the right moments, the ones who were willing to do whatever needed to be done and more, the ones who always had great wisdom and advice to share, but were still so open to new ways of doing things.

Of course, not every moment was perfect (like the morning we had no coffee...), but amazingly most moments were!  It's especially surprising when I remember the weather.  We had a day of thunder and lightning, a near-100 mile day in 40 degree temperatures, then another 75 miles in 35 degree rain ... and most of the riders came from up north, hoping for an idyllic spring cycling destination with wild flowers and sunshine!  But instead of complaining they just pulled the plastic shopping bags over their socks, duct taped their shoes for wind resistance, put shower caps over their helmets to try and block a few drops of rain, and got on their bikes.  Everyone kept a positive attitude the whole time, encouraged each other through the challenges, and laughed about them afterward.  They kept riding through the rain because they were grateful that they could, because they knew that at least they'd have a warm church floor to sleep on when they finished, and because it's more than just a bike ride.  They did something a little bit extraordinary to remind people that extraordinary things are happening everyday--things like Haitians living in the dirt under threadbare tarps, or elderly Americans confined to one room of their home because the roof is leaking everywhere else.  It's such a blessing to get to call these wonderful people friends, and an honor to get to plan an event that brings them together.

A rainy pace line (I'm third).
photo credit: Dan Sheridan

There were so many other things I loved too...

• getting to visit "towns" like Duck River, TN
• experiencing the amazing generosity and love of the churches we stayed with
• working alongside a family in need in Tupelo, MS, helping them to make their home simple and decent again, and giving the local Fuller Center a boost of bike adventure energy
• raising more than $28,000 as a team to help those in need of affordable housing
• the fact that my job now requires that I ride my bike and spend massive amounts of time outside seeing beautiful places like the Natchez Trace Parkway (even if it's cold!!)

I could easily write a play by play for each day we were on the ride and go into even more detail about why this has been such a wonderful opportunity for me, but since my fellow cyclists already did all of that on our official Bike Adventure blog, I'll just give you the links.  Of course their words help show even more of what this ride is really all about!

Day 1:  Everyone arrives in Nashville and we spend a day getting to know each other, learning about the chore teams that will be working together to complete tasks like packing the trailer and making breakfast, and going on a practice ride / tour of Nashville.

Day 2:  After attending the early service at our host church in Nashville, we had a short send off ceremony, and a visit with our first TV reporter!  Then the adventure officially begins! We finished the day at one of the tiniest and most generous churches I have ever experienced with warm showers in the church members' homes, and an amazing meal (my first fried chicken in a very long time...).

Day 3:  The first rain ride ... we cycled through a storm so big that it earned itself a name, and coated most of the southeast in hail and even sprouted a few tornadoes  but everyone arrives safely at another generous church where I got to practice my presentation skills (which still need lots of work!) and share what the Fuller Center is all about.

Day 4:  A very cold 96 miles ... but thank God for no rain!

Day 5:  Build Day in Tupelo!  Also, one of my most stressful days, as I did everything I could along with the local volunteers to put our 30 enthusiastic cyclists to work.  You have to be very organized to make a big impact in one day's work!  The stress was worth it though--a big difference was made for a family truly need, and I think the local Fuller Center leadership caught a second wind from our team's energy (somehow we always manage to have some energy to share, even after biking almost 100 miles the day before!).

Day 6:  A short ride and another amazingly generous church, complete with 30 lbs of pulled pork!??!

Day 7:  The really cold and rainy day...

Day 8:  This was probably my favorite day (and not because it was the last day!).  The weather was perfect, the scenery seemed a little extra beautiful, and much of the team road together in long pace lines to share the experience.  Plus, we received a surprise police escort for the last few miles to our final church host and our amazing 85-year-old rider lead us in behind the police car.  It was a perfect celebration of our accomplishments that I couldn't have even tried to plan!  We were also treated to a gourmet dinner with the president of Tougaloo College, and learned about how it's rich civil rights era history is intertwined with the Fuller Center's!

We were in the news in Tupelo: A group uses bikes to serve others
Florence, AL: Cyclists on ride to help others
and in Nashville, Williamsport, TN, and Houston, MS.

The experience of planning and participating in these bike rides has brought so many new and crazy challenges to my life.  It has definitely not been easy, but I'm learning so much.  Whenever I take a step back from the chaos and endless details and remember what this ride and the Fuller Center is all about, I feel so blessed to be a part of something so simple and good.

Thank you again to everyone who's supported my crazy leap of faith.  I couldn't do this without your encouragement and friendship!  If you'd like to contribute funds as well, I know it will go a long way to help people who are truly in need.  You can donate here.

Celebrating at the finish line in Jackson!
photo credit: www.beretmeyersphotography.com

Out into the world again

If there's one thing I've learned from traveling, it's that no matter how amazing the mountains are, or how incredible the history and the food is, the people are always the most beautiful things. Here's something I wrote down because I didn't want to forget it... in a little hotel in Germany, on my way to Rome on October 28th. (Don't worry, there will be more about Rome soon!)

I’ve been nervous about this trip. I still don’t feel settled and confident on my own in Luxembourg, and now I’m going out of my way (and spending money, which I always have a hard time doing) to add more uncertainty and general unrest to my life (a.k.a. adventure). Plus it’s last minute and poorly planned. I bought my plane ticket a week ago, the decision of whether I would drive to the airport early in the morning, or get a hotel nearby the night before, was put off so long that I ultimately reserved my hotel room 10 minutes before I left on this adventure. Things haven’t really felt simple, safe, comfortable... home-like… since I began on this spontaneous journey to Europe, and it's been starting to wear on me. So perhaps a similarly spontaneous long-weekend trip to Rome was not what I needed. Or perhaps it is!

I’m not in Rome yet, but I’m in that hotel room I reserved a few hours ago, in Sohren, Germany, preparing to get a little sleep before my flight out of Frankfurt-Hahn airport tomorrow morning at 6:20am. The drive here was about 2 hours from work in Colmar-berg, Luxembourg, and although it wasn’t long it wasn’t exactly relaxing. I drove through the usual city traffic to some narrow, wind-y, typical Luxembourgish roads, and started to feel relieved when I got onto the highway. However, I guess I haven’t driven on a true European / German highway yet. Vehicles are going at speeds ranging from about 100 km/hr to probably about 250 km/hr, all on the same road, so if you’re traveling at a reasonable (in my opinion anyway…) speed of maybe 120-140, you’re stuck between tail-gating a trailer full of donkeys, and pulling into the left lane in front of someone who may be going twice your speed. I guess it wasn’t really that stressful, but I definitely don’t know why my car has cruise control.

Then in the dark, with an hour left in my journey, I exit the highway toward my destination, and enter the craziest winding road I think I have ever experienced. Probably not quite as narrow as the Lux roads, but many more hair-pin turns and of course full sized semi trucks coming in the other direction… and no street lights anywhere to be seen. I’m sure it was a beautiful mountain in the daylight, but for some reason, alone in the dark, it was a little less pretty. It reminded me of that show on the history channel where the truckers risk driving into Himalayan valleys to deliver cement. Probably a little overly dramatic, but in any case... even though I had no idea what to expect from this totally random hotel I’d booked (my co-worker’s advise when I booked it was “just make sure there are no rats”), I was ready to arrive to just about anything. This is where I am in awe (as I seem to be so often these days) at how lucky I am!

The hotel is easy to find… a huge street sign (one of those stereotypical ones that you'd probably see marking streets in Disney world with 100 signs pointing in every direction… I wish I took a picture) points me in the right direction. I search for the entrance, but not finding it I try the adjoined pizza shop, hoping someone will speak enough English to help this linguistically challenged, stressed out, mess find a place to sleep. It may have just been a show for the tourists, but the restaurant was decorated in exactly the way I would assume an authentic German home would look like, and it smelled like a wood burning fire place (and pizza of course). And I was greeted by an impressively energetic, kind hearted, grandfatherly man who fluently speaks 5 languages!!

He immediately said “Melissa! The American!?”, showed me to my room, and invited me for pizza. Dan will be happy to know that I did indeed eat the pizza… because it was the only thing on the menu… and this part sounds creepy, but the grandpa guy even gave me this cool drink in a tiny wine glass. I guess you had be there :). I was impressed when he talked with me in perfect English, but all evening it seemed like greated every guest in a different language. I asked him how he learned to speak 5 languages, and he said 5 girlfriends. Figures I guess :).

So, my first trip to Germany was an unexpected, and very welcome, beautiful experience. And, at the very least I suppose, there were no rats!

"We touch other peoples lives simply by existing." - J.K. Rowling

Catching up!

Once again I have abandoned my blog... but never fear! It has only been a short while and my absence owes only to the many new, excellent adventures that have been occupying my time! I'm back, and I have lots to share, so look for more posts about Italy, Germany, and Belgium, and lots about good friends along the way :).

First though, I want to go back to where I left off two weekends ago (~ October 22nd). At this point I was still feeling pretty alone (and tired of not being able to share everything with the people I love), but also determined to continue to fill my time with adventures, and not stop appreciating the opportunity I've been given.

When I'm feeling a little down one of my favorite things to do is find a new place to run... and lucky for me there are lots of new places in my life these days! Saturday morning I thought I'd search for the best places to run in Luxembourg and found this article about an olympic runner who claims that her favorite place to run in the entire world is Luxembourg City (she's from Luxembourg, so she may be biased, but still... I'm sure she's run in a lot of places)! So armed

with the suggestions in the article, and my well used map from the tourist office, I set out from my house for what was definitely one of the coolest runs I've ever been on (perhaps rivaled only by the bike paths in Boulder, CO :) ). I descended into the valley, or the Grund (which I think, literally translated, means "low city"). It's filled with crazy old architecture, gardens, a river, and little pubs and shops. Then I happened upon a beautiful bike path, and decided to go a little further than planned (another sign of a good run!). It took me along the river, under some crazy old bridges, and past some locals preparing their gardens for next year. I think I also passed the water treatment plant... it smelled a little like the Cuyahoga (mmmm home :) ). Then on my way back I decided to take the public elevator from the low city to the high city, and run through the downtown shopping district to get home. Luckily Luxembourg has had uncommonly beautiful weather every weekend I've been here so far. It wasn't quite warm, but super sunny with no rain in sight--pretty much a perfect Saturday morning :).

Then for the afternoon I decided I'd try to catch a tour of the Luxembourg "Old City" that I'd read about on the Luxembourg tourist office website. I guess it makes sense, but I've found in my adventures recently that I can go see something beautiful in nature and be awed into appreciation immediately, but with man-made beauty it adds so much to the experience to know the story behind it. So thanks to this tour, I now know all about all the cools things I ran past in the morning :). Here are some pictures!

The Grand Duke's business castle (he also has a castle that he lives in in Colmar-Berg where I work... I wonder what its like to have two castles... :) ).

The old monastery (right of the river) and the monks' gardens (left of the river), which are now kept up by the city of Luxembourg. I'm not sure who gets to eat the veggies though... I should have asked :).

This was inside the tunnels carved into the old city wall. Soldiers used to live in here to protect the city.

This is one of my favorite pictures... the river is beautiful!

I also got to talk to some of the other tourists (about things that aren't round and black, and don't involve spreadsheets :) ). I met a couple from Michigan who were touring Europe for their anniversary and took a few pictures for me. They took trains from Frankfurt (Germany), to Amsterdam (Holland) and Bruges (Belgium), and toured France on bikes! I've determined that all kinds of people might decide to take a vacation to Paris or Rome, but if you decide to vacation in Luxembourg then you're probably pretty interesting people :).

While I was at the tourist office I also picked up a book of 201 "rambling routes" in Luxembourg... basically the book has maps of 201 very well marked hiking trails all over the country! I went on a hike on Sunday that brought me to this beautiful lake... but I think that all getting the book really did was make me sad that there's no way I'll be able to hike all the trails while I'm here :).