I have arrived.
But not without a little raging along the way.
I may be small but do not underestimate my ability to rage when you tell me I might be stuck in San Juan (which by the way I learned is in Puerto Rico) until 8 am the next morning when it is 8 pm at night. Especially when I bought my ticket a few months ago. Extra especially when the reason you won’t give me a seat on the plane is because of….weight.
LOOK AT ME.
I am not your weight problem. Me, my bag, my bike and even my little dog who if he was here would collectively weigh less than the guy you just let on the plane.
So please let me on. A lot of waiting. A lot of trying to pull out my high school Spanish to interpret what the guy on the phone was saying to the guy on the plane and finally realizing that permitting ‘seis’ passengers was my ticket on the plane to St. Croix.
Thank goodness. Because remember the whole “I got everything into a carry on bag”? Scratch that. That blog was written before 10:30 pm. Before the moment where we weighed my bike box and realized it was over 50 lbs and before I started pulling out the torque wrench, the pedal wrench, the pedals, the gels to eliminate 8 lbs. It nearly did but then I realized all of that stuff had to go someplace and my carry on was stuffed with my other stuff. And so, I had to bring the bigger suitcase.
I was not pleased.
Chris was also fed up. Because it was 10:30 pm and I was unassembling the packing he did. So he left me to pull everything out and pack it all up again which is never a good thing. Resulting in me throwing myself on top of the box to get it closed. Which I guess is not good for the race wheels laying on top of the bike. He politely informed me of that by saying this:
Liz, get off the bike.
No.
Liz, get off the box before you break the box.
No. Besides, it’s already broken, it doesn’t have any wheels.
Liz, then buy a new box with wheels but first get off of this box.
ALL OF MY FRIENDS HAVE WHEELS ON THEIR BIKE BOXES. IS IT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR A BOX WITH WHEELS?
The wheels had nothing to do with it. And it wasn’t the bike box’s fault. I was a little nervous, a little tired and I just wanted to have a carry on and somehow it all got displaced on to a bike box with no wheels until Chris pretty much peeled me off the box and closed it himself.
Breathe.
Where was I. Yes, telling you where I am. IN ST. CROIX! Finally I did arrive. And how small of an airport is it where you are waiting in line for a car and your homestay finds you? In even better news – along with me arriving on the island, I have been joined by my now massive suitcase AND bike.
I had my first experience in left hand side of the road driving. There is something totally not right about that. Literally. And then I arrived at the homestay house. It is very nice. Very island life-ish. A cool breeze blowing through the open windows. The sound of nighttime bugs. There is a dog. And an outdoor cat. Chickens. Roosters. Little lizards. A banana tree. A mango tree. Goats. And the thing that goes “caaaa”? A peacock.
Tomorrow I will find Bree. But wait – first I will make coffee. GOOD THING I brought the mug. The homestay – does not do coffee. Then I will find Bree. Then….who knows. But I will keep you posted with our travels and post pictures soon.
