I slept in til 8 am today. That has not happened in YEARS.
Yesterday, after I arrived in Virginia Beach, had fun with the "Coast To Coast Finish Line" sign, enjoyed the "finish" feelings, ate my favorite meal at Qdoba, and gave my cart/stroller away to a mom who could really use it, we drove back to Williamsburg. It's my new favorite town! So much history here, it's cute, has everything you could possibly need, and it's quiet and comforting. We went back to the same hotel we had stayed at, when I was passing through it going TO Virginia Beach. All's well. And last night was wonderful. I did not check the weather (for the next day), I did not wash my clothes in the shower, I did not go gather supplies, and my hotel room did not look like my cart exploded in it. It was a normal evening/night. There was not a stroller in my hotel room. I could eat dinner and relax. But the fun was about to began. I'll start with the Hygiene Report, as I've always placed it lastly in my blog. It really deserves first billing today.
Hygiene Report:
The evening/night after finishing my Crossing, and it was time for me to start a more complete clean-up process. I showered, and did not wash my clothes in the shower. I took off everything I had on......everything.......and put it in the trash. Shoes and all. Nothing is salvageable. I have wore those items for 78 days. I loved it all, as it was comfortable, protected me from the sun, and made things easy, as I never had to think about what to put on every day. It was the same thing. Yes, I even threw away my Handerpants. These "gloves without fingers" protected my hands from the sun. I loved them. But I had to throw them away, as they were dirty beyond dirty. Even after washings. In the shower, I washed my hair 3 times, shaved my legs - which takes the 14 layers of sunscreen off for me, and washed myself until the AC in the room was going to go into shock due to the hot shower steam coming from the bathroom. Then, it's lotion time. I put my usual 7 layers on (all over), and then socks on my feet, to let the lotion there, work its magic on my blister-ridden feet. I look in the mirror, and know what I want to go do. Get my hair cut. Yes, that's what I want and need. But first, there's still more to do around here. I get all my other things out, that were in my cart, and start going through it. I throw away the little extra left of sunscreen, dirty socks I forgot about, melted food, misc napkins, straws, and extra hoarding of motel shampoos and such. Things I will not use again, in my real life. I widdle down "what's left" to only items I desire to take back home. I feel cleaner now, just going through that process. I floss my teeth, brush my teeth, and clean under my fingernails. I clean out my "band aid" baggie, throwing out what I may never use again, keeping only the best ones. I had used my Altra running shoes way past their life expectancy. Holes in them, tread on the soles vanished, and a smell beyond words. They must go. I'll miss them, but will get new ones. They served me well! I went through a total of 3 pairs of Altra's. Used them each up......completely. I have left, one pair of Nike Free 5.0 that I bought in Charleston, which I only wore a couple of times. Nothing compares to the Altra's for that many miles. I'll find out from John, but it's around 3108 total miles, plus whatever we went off route for. At 78 days, that a average of 40 miles. Surprisingly, my legs are doing great! My feet are okay, but will need some time to recover, more than any other part of my body. I now consider getting out to go to get my hair cut. David takes me to Great Clips here in Williamsburg. They begin the cutting process, and ask me who did my highlights, as they think they've done a great job. I want to say, "The Sun!", but resist, as I have not said, or talked about, what I just did for the last 78 days. I told the stylist that I've 'been in the sun a lot lately', and left it at that. My hair is so blonde, from the sun, and I've never seen it like that. I wore a visor everyday. So my hair didn't get a choice. It's bleached. After she cuts my hair, I feel brand new again. Since I only have one set of clothes now, David takes me to buy a pair of shorts and shirt. I haven't shopped in a very long time. Now, lets eat! My sister, Sheryl, David and I go back to the Mexican food restaurant we went to the other day. It was very good, and we enjoyed it again. It's within walking distance of the hotel. I guess anything within 40-50 miles is within walking distance. Looks like I'm set. I'm clean, things are cleaned out, I have something to wear, and I've eaten. The best part is there's no preparations that need to be made for tomorrow. I'm okay with that. Odd, but I'm relieved I don't have to think about planning a route, etc. I can just go to bed, and not set a alarm.
This brings me to sleeping in til 8 am. I did, and it felt SO good. I had breakfast at the hotel - which is unheard of for me. David was with me, and it was nice sharing a meal, in no hurry. "No hurry" is key. For 78 days, it was go, go, go!! Not today. On this Thursday, it's going to be a relaxing day. Period. We decide to drive around Williamsburg, and see the area, and the Colonial part of town. It's so quaint, well-kept and nice. We go to a few local stores, and the three of us do some light shopping, eat lunch, then decide it's probably nap time. Each time I go outside, I think about how sweaty I would be, if I was moving down the road. Super sweaty.
I'm still putting my thoughts together on it all. But for now, I can tell you that one of the first things I've noticed, is that making decisions is harder - being around others. Since I've been by myself. I've made my decisions daily quick, as needed, and never worried about anyone, but caring for myself day-to-day. This is a big change, and I keep noticing it. But I'll get back in the groove. It's going to take time.
More later, I have lots of thoughts, and processing of it all, going on in my head.
Cyndi
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