pedaling through

aside from a brief 5-minute time warp today, in which i aggressively tossed a bag and a student (well, i didn't toss him) out my open classroom door after having been told to "fuck off," the last few da -- err... this whole week-- has been one long, pleasant upswing from the deep dark abyss that was last week.

armed with the knowledge that i now have access to a sleek bike, i rallied the troops yesterday afternoon for a ride. my best friend here irina, a young neighbor/bike enthusiast named plamena and i set out just as the sun began to set for and adventure in my town and beyond.

turns out, i am not in shape. well, i can credit my running schedule for being more in shape than my fellow adventurers were. it would seem abstaining from smoking a pack a day and drinking sugar-saturated coffee between every class gives me a slight upper hand, too, even if i cannot curtail my chocolate consumption. i digress.

we managed to pedal ourselves a full 17 kilometers. i did not particularly mind that it took us three hours to ride said 17 kilometers because it was so glorious. glorious to see a new side of town. glorious to wind through dirt streets of a nearby village. glorious to meet an irish man and his wife who live year-round in this little village, who do not speak any of the local language and who need an english-speaking visitor from time to time. glorious, it was, to think about the bike i'll be inheriting in just a few short weeks-- to daydream about all of the far away destinations now within my reach because of this.

i think i'm on to something here. this bike riding idea holds much promise, and not just because i'm still secretly entertaining the idea of riding the danube with another volunteer (ah*matt*em)when this service is done and over with.

i am thrilled thrilled THRILLED by the prospect of the new possibilities opening before me. i feel increasingly able to fathom the daunting list of months ahead of me. i look forward to long summer days lost on quiet roads and in small villages, ebulliently pedaling my way through the ups and downs of this near-inconceivable experience.

WOO!