This was a different type of trip for me. It wasn't a tour, where my bike and I travel from point to point, moving every day (or two) through and to a new area. Explorations through travel...
Instead, I decided to head to a small corner of Maine, to spend some time each day wandering on my bike, and also to spend some time walking along the rocky coast, absorbing the sights and sounds around me.
Sometimes as I am planning a trip I forget that traveling with my bike doesn't always have to mean that I (absolutely) need to use my bike as a means of moving from place to place. This trip was what I needed at this point in my life, a chance to ride in a beautiful place, a chance to rest, a chance to reflect.
Even though I wasn't touring, I did take some of my touring habits with me. Before I started touring years ago, I was not very comfortable talking to strangers. That is something that came naturally as I started touring, with just my bike (and Rover, of course!) as a companion. Somehow that habit has become a natural part of my life, whether I'm home, touring, or just wandering in the world.
It was a good trip, a time of peace, a time of reflection.
