The Big Apple

July 25
I'm in NYC right now! I had a blast in Boston and I had a blast in Hartford, CT with Josh. The last week has been quite different from the majority of my trip thus far. In a fairly short distance and time I have been able to visit and stay with some really close friends. It's been a change from the solo bike feel I've experienced for most of the trip. Visiting with my friends has been fun and encouraging when I think about the amount of road that still separates me from Orlando, FL. Everyone has been extremely hospitable and supportive about the Justice Ride. In Hartford, Josh took me shopping to just about every shoe store in the area! I had been using just one pair of shoes for cycling and for walking around on my days off. They were a sort of sandal made for cycling. Needless to say, they weren't the greatest for biking long distances and they weren't real comfortable to walk in either so I got rid of them. Now I have actual cycling shoes and a pair of comfy running shoes, thanks to Josh and his patience combined with persistence. After Hartford, I arrived in NYC. I was expecting a big city but this place is huge! It's really impressive to me how so many huge buildings are all built right next to each other. I have some various construction experience but I can't really imagine what it would be like to build one of those skyscrapers. I've never been in a city like NYC before and there is a very claustrophobic feel walking around the streets of NY. Not only does it feel claustrophobic spatially, but the air feels heavy and stuffy as well. I've heard that people living in the plains all their lives feel closed in when they've only experienced wide open plains. I've also thought that I have a pretty good sense of direction, but since I've been in NY, I'm constantly getting turned around. It's a weird feeling to not have any natural landmarks for guides.