Everything's* Bigger In Texas

I've been in Texas for more than 24 hours now and I've gotten some really good impressions of it.
After quite a long drive, which included way more hours on I-30 than I ever wanted to experience, my first impressions have been almost all positive. Here's the break down of my first day in the sun**

Waking up at a reasonable hour is much easier when you've move over a time zone, but this did not make getting all of junk out of my car any better. As the car got lighter, I got less and less interested in doing this, and finding space was a bigger and bigger challenge. By the time the car was empty getting from the door to the bed was no longer so much a given, not that it mattered since the bed was covered with kitchen supplies.

After this very exciting morning it was time to swing by bicycles plus and see where I would be working. I brought my mountain bike with me because stupid me I didn't want to deal with the roads around here just yet. Every one at the shop seemed really cool, and there were some really nice bikes up on the racks that need work, so I'm still really excited about the new job. I was able to determine while I was there that thanks to all the rain and snow this winter most of the trails around here are actually mud pits right now and so they are closed. I was able to get some recommendations of the best from the very short list that was available and so I drove another 40 minutes south to get a little dirty.

The trails weren't exactly dry even south of Dallas, but they were ride able and actually, the trail system, who's name a forget right now, was pretty good. Some good between the trees stuff that really rewards you for having narrow bars and being willing to lean into a loose corner. There were even some ups and downs, including a downhill run that was tough enough that the CX bike couldn't hold the line. At the end of the day I found myself at the bottom of the road facing a climb all the way to the top. It took 3 minutes at a decent effort. I'm going to have to be careful with my weight down here, there's no punishment for every extra pound like there was in the mountains and I could slip up pretty badly before I notice it.

In an effort to cause a weight problem my aunt and I went to Babes after so that I could get a taste of Texas. All that I can say is that chicken fried steak is amazing. Luckily before the sides were refilled too many times we got on our way and stopped by the Superdrome on the way home only to find that it was the first night of racing. After several hours of good racing we left, but I really can't wait to get a chance to mix it up on the wood.

*Except for the climbs
**It rained

Transitions

Twice now I have driven the RX to Virginia.

Both times were definitely at moments of transition, although beyond that I'm not sure that there are very many similarities.

Back in the early summer of 2006 I had the RX because I had to get all of my things out of my dorm room in one trip and it was the only car that could do it. I was dropping out of school and my parents were not very happy with me.

After two years of college I was done. For most of my sophomore year I hadn't wanted to be there, and by the second semester I had pretty much stopped going to classes regularly. The one thing that I had always enjoyed doing, music, had all of the fun sucked out of it. I even went so far as to skip a rehearsal.

The car felt as much a punishment as anything else. It still smelled of new car, the mileage was low enough to remember, and it had very reluctantly been lent to me so that I could get all of my belongings back to Ohio. While my car was freedom to effortlessly get to the top of a mountain and admire the stars, or ride the trails around Damascus, or hike under the moonlight; it was quite clear that the RX was not to be used for any of these things. My last few days in Virginia would be spent wondering what I was going to do next, not playing in the woods.

This last week I had that same car in Virginia. I was living around Damascus now, but I had given up the freedom of my cross bike already and needed the car to get into town. It no longer smells like a new car, the mileage is rounded to the nearest thousand when you ask about it, and it was lent to me quickly and with a joke about not being to rough on it. I used the car to go biking, run into town to check email, carry my stuff around. It was my only mode of transit, and driving it gave me time to think.

This time I'm not wondering what I'm doing next. This time I'm excited. I'm going to move down to Texas and get a job as a mechanic at a really nice bike shop.

I will always love Damascus. The town, the trails, the Adventure have all served me well over these last 3 years. Without it being here I'm not sure I would have come back to school. Without it's distraction I'm not sure I would have made it to graduation. Without it's support I'm not sure I would have wanted to.

Moving on is exciting, but I find it's always good to start by looking back first. It's nice to be able to look back and smile.