Tag: Biking

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on July 26, 2022

  1. I am writing this post from Duncan’s apartment where the WiFi is like that of my dreams. Fast like a Starbucks lobby, but comfortable like a hug from an old friend. The WiFi at my place is horrid, and often prevents me from wanting to write anything because of how sSSsLLooOwwWw it is. Little luxuries like this keep the world spinning.

  2. I have had the last two weeks off of work for what was meant to be a vacation, but turned into a staycation. For the first week I was irritable, kicking myself for not having anywhere to go after changing original plans, but during the second week I settled right in. I go back to work today and can’t say I am looking forward to it. I’ve been biking, hiking, sleeping, running, eating, staring at the wall, and reading.

  I’m currently reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and prior to that I finished the book below.

  

  3. With this time away from work, my chronic – year long back pain – has subsided during the second week. I am certain that my job has been contributing to my lack of healing, and I am now game planning my next move. No job is worth breaking my body for.

  4. The heat has hit Washington and it has hit haarrdd. Duncan and I went for a mid morning hike recently that should have been moderate to easy, but it felt hard with the heat. I suppose having Covid two weeks prior made it difficult too, but who knows. The views were great though.

  I don’t know which I preferred, the mountains off yonder or the gray jay’s stealing food out of people’s hands.

  

  

  5. I have a possibly unhealthy attachment to my cat. I feel genuine sadness when I leave him for a night or two. I have always loved the little ball of fur, but lately I feel closer to him. Please live forever. Please let me put you on a leash and come with me on hikes.

  6. I have been more mindful of my Instagram usage lately, and occasionally take days off at a time. The benefits I get from staying off of it outweigh the temporary boredom quell, but recently during one of my allotted scroll times I entered a giveaway for some local GF/V donuts I have been wanting to try. Spoiler: I WON!!!

  I was stoked to get a free six pack of their current seasonal flavors. Half of them were more of a miss, but the other half were tasty. Although I still prefer my Brittany friendly muffins from another local biz.

  

  7. Speaking of Brittany friendly muffins, I woke up Sunday morning to Duncan surprising me with one of these muffins. I told him I wanted a muffin surprise someday, and I didn’t anticipate that day being so soon. It was delicious, despite the fact they initially gave him the wrong muffin. We went back to get the right one.

  8. I found a new road to ride my bike on that gives me backroad farm vibes. Maybe because it is a backroad with farms…but it makes me feel like I am biking in an area that warms my soul which is hard to find where I currently live. I rode there three times in the last week, and I think I have finally found my new spot.

  

  9. I miss the spirit of blogging past. When I first started this blog, I met copious amounts of others both online and in person because blogging was a growing hobby for many. I understand the entirety of this type of social media has changed with the onslaught of Twitter and Facebook and Instagram etc, but sometimes I just miss the community these blogs fostered.

  I also adore when those who still read my blog leave me a comment. Like, it legitimately makes my day. Please be a community with me. I need friends.

  10. I sometimes get sucked into the homebody aura that Duncan exudes, and while this is helpful at times it can also be harmful for me. This past weekend we got out of our bubble and went to a brewery for a friends birthday and played card games with six other humans. We laughed until our bellies ached, and afterwards we ate sushi with the sunset.

  It doesn’t take much, but that evening was a complete recharge for my mental health battery.

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 56 Comments Tagged Biking, Donuts, Early Morning Confessions, Hiking, REI

• Your Body Will Thank You

  Posted at 7:00 AM by Brittany, on May 27, 2022

  I recently bought a new gravel bike after months of trying to decide which bike I wanted to purchase. I am as frugal as they come, and the process of me trying to pull the trigger on this bike was nearly as difficult as my cat trying to pass struvite crystals through his urethra. Do I need a new bike? No. Do I get a killer employee discount opening up the world of bikes I would normally never consider? Yes.

  My KTM mountain bike served me well, and she will forever live with me even if her placement finds itself on my garage wall, but I wanted to treat myself to an upgrade. Little did I know that upgrade would come with additional purchases for added comfort. Gone are the days I can just pull a bike out of a box ready to roll.

  I’m convinced no bike will fit quite like the glove that Frosty did. We had a special bond.

  

  I have owned my new gravel bike for two months now, and have slogged through around five rides with her on a bike seat harder than cement. My lady bits and fanny mits have been put through the wringer, and for what? Because I am frugal. I thought to myself: “I already had to buy pedals for this bike, and add a stem riser, do I really need to invest in a new seat?“

  Yes. Yes I did. After going for a test ride with Duncan’s already upgraded bike seat (because he was smart from the start), I felt the heavens open just for me. Suddenly I remembered what comfort was, and the air smelled sweeter. The breeze felt warmer, and my smile felt brighter. Admittedly I didn’t love riding this bike when I bought it (perhaps because my heart will always belong to Frosty), but this seat will be a game changer.

  I can now call myself a biker again…because I will actually want to bike.

  

  Truth be told, I haven’t wanted to bike much since moving back to Washington because there are so few bike paths here. I don’t enjoy traditional mountain biking, so I find myself left with lackluster roads filled with cars who don’t know how to share the space. My longest rides have been 20 milers, and even those feel like a chore. I am confident I will eventually find myself dwelling somewhere with better biking options, and when I do I will be ready.

  With three bikes.

  The decision to buy the bike seat will have my body and my fanny thanking me. My theme for this summer is to be kind to my body, so I made another purchase recently for the sake of my skin. Duncan and I like to go to the beach, but found ourselves scorched on many occasions last summer. Insert the umbrella/tent hybrid. I found the below masterpiece on Amazon a few days before our first beach day of the season.

  It did not disappoint.

  

  

  What a time to be alive, 5 star beach shelters and boujee bike seats. I am hopeful for some adventure this summer, Lord knows I need it. I’m trying my damndest not to rely on Duncan for my source of adventurous joy, because that’s not fair to him. We have different adventure needs (and current goals), and I am learning how to understand that he does not have to be my source for everything.

  Is this what it means to be in an adult relationship?

  With that said, I am currently accepting applications for summer travel buddies. I had high hopes of going to Scotland this summer with my dear friend and her family, but the Covid testing chaos stresses me out. Alas, there is much to see within the United States still. I just need to find my solo courage again, I think I lost it when America became a dumpster fire.

  Q: Do you try to save money anywhere you can? Haters gonna hate, but I didn’t build this empire by spending all my money…

  

  | 26 Comments Tagged Biking, Frosty, Frugal

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 19, 2022

  1. Long time no talk. How about a “what’s new” Early Morning Confessions style post? For starters I got a new bike. I actually got a new mountain bike, but then realized I don’t like mountain biking much. I like forest service roads, and I like long distances through designated trails, but I don’t like single tracks.

  Thankfully I bought the bike at REI, and they have a fantastic return policy. So I returned this bike, and bought a new gravel bike instead. Oh, and I also had to order them both online. It’s hard to buy a bike online! The first bike was too big for me, but thankfully my new gravel gal is just right.

  My longest distance with her at one time thus far has been 20 miles. Our love affair is a slow build, as I am still getting used to drop handle bars.

  

  2. Duncan got a new bike too. Same story. Bought a mtn bike, and changed to gravel. We now have the same exact bike. I made sure we got different pedals though, we can’t be exactly the same after all. I now have three bikes, and I officially understand the n+1 problem when it comes to owning bikes…

  3. Speaking of Duncan, he and I went to a cat cafe recently and it was so unbelievably enjoyable. I’ve been wanting to do something like that for a while now, and we started small with a cafe close-ish to home. Seattle has a few bigger cafes we might visit in time, but Catffeinated was a great intro.

  

  4. I have been an absolute tornado in the kitchen the last month. Winter blues always bite me in the backside causing me to feel temptations I don’t normally feel during the warmer months, but it’s worse when I start to feel stagnant. I know this about myself – I start feeling a need for change and when I don’t make a change my brain starts to allow my body to take less care of itself.

  5. Case in point.

  

  6. Legendary Doughnuts was visited after the cat cafe, and inhibitions were down after an hour of kitty time. Duncan bought a dozen doughnuts and I decided to YOLO that day. What I am about to say next will be shocking, so brace yourself.

  We ate all but maybe 2 donuts in one day. ALL OF THEM.

  I know I need to go easy on myself when these splurges happen, but it can be hard to completely let go of food anxiety. At the end of the day I do not regret consuming my body weight in gluten filled pillows of sugar heaven, but it did take me 48 hours to feel like I could function normally. The joy’s of a 30 something with food sensitivities.

  7. Despite my tornado like behavior, I think my consistent activity helps to thwart any drastic changes to my body after these caloric surpluses. Hiking and biking are my best of friends. And Duncan, he is my best of friend too.

  

  

  8. At the end of March I had the stomach flu for 24 hours, and it was the most brutal experience I have endured in a very long time. I would rather have Covid again, than to ever puke for 8 hours straight. The lingering effects lasted for a few days, but I am thankful I didn’t have weeks of recovery like some do.

  9. I have the itch to work a seasonal job again, somewhere in the deep heart of Alaska, or Wyoming. I am not entirely against this idea, but I also have the itch to build a tiny little life in a tiny little space in a tiny little town with my tiny little cat in a tiny little hat.

  

  10. One week from today, Duncan and I will have been dating for a year. I am flabbergasted by this, for so many reasons. Perhaps I will write a post dedicated to Duncan and I, and some of our back story, but for now I say this – I am beyond blessed to have someone like him in my life. Swoon.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Biking, Duncan, Early Morning Confessions, Hiking

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 25, 2021

  1. I went for the most glorious bike ride recently with my favorite human, and I am still riding the high. We biked nearly two hours through the woods and my soul will be swooning for many days to come. I rode the bike I bought in Germany for the first time since March, and it was like having coffee with an old friend.

  

  2. Somehow I have been at REI for a year now. I told myself I would get this job until I figured out what was next, but it appears the world is still in proverbial flames, so for now this continues to be what’s next.

  3. We have approached the most wonderful hiking time of the year. Fall is my absolute favorite (along with most people I speak to), and the cooler weather, crunchy leaves, and autumn colors fill my cup in a way that cannot be done by summer rains.

  We’ve got backyard hikes…

  

  

  We’ve got far away hikes…(Mount Rainier)

  

  

  And of course we’ve got the hikes that are worthy of their own blog posts.

  4. I have recently been introduced to “walking in…” videos on YouTube. Basically you can find most any city you want to see someone walk around, and it is oddly satisfying and meditative. The first one I watched was the town I lived in DE, and it was a mixed bag of emotions. Highly recommend.

  5. Running has been so good to me. I continue to surprise myself by how far I have come with regard to this sport. For many years I ran for all the wrong reasons, causing burn out and overwhelm. I now run for my mental health, and watching my pace slowly get faster is just an added perk. I used to think anything above a 10 minute mile was slow, but I am humbled as it has taken me six months to find this pace again.

  

  

  6. Last September I moved back into my childhood home, and I was determined to only stay a short while. I have had moments of motivation to find my own space, but they continue to be fleeting. I find such comfort in staying with my mom and my sister, and I currently need this comfort more than I realized.

  7. Before I moved back to America I made a list of things I was going to miss about Germany, and a list of things I was looking forward to about being back in my home state. One thing I was looking forward to was taking a bite of my favorite muffins, muffins I hadn’t had since 2017 or 2018.

  It took me a full year, but I finally indulged in a muffin…twice.

  

  8. Ever since I hurt my back a few months ago it has never been the same. I have had the most obnoxious and annoying sciatica discomfort for weeks, and the only thing that helps is vertical movements (ironically running helps shake it out the most), and horizontal resting. Sitting down on my bum is a sure fire way to a game over.

  I have never felt more my age than I do now.

  9. After eight years of (comfortable and content) singledom I guess my heart isn’t as black as I thought, and after six months of dating I guess I am ready to properly introduce Duncan to blogland. Time spent with him in a corn maze, and picking out pumpkins is time well spent. ❤

  

  

  

  10. Every year when fall rolls around I feel twinges of grief with regard to my “former life.” Life before food sensitivities and autoimmune disease, life before anxiety and overthinking, life when I didn’t have to meticulously plan out my daily activities or meals. I have moments of jealousy towards those who can indulge in all the pumpkin and cinnamon treats without repercussions, but at the end of the day I am reminded why I choose to live the way I do. Feeling well far surpasses a pumpkin bagel with cream cheese. Alas, sometimes a splurge is necessary.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 35 Comments Tagged Biking, Early Morning Confessions, Hiking, Pumpkin, REI, Running

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 9, 2021

  1. One month ago I had my best run since I started running again. I didn’t run far, and I didn’t run fast, but the combination of my distance and my pace showed progress from when I first restarted back in March. I was riding a high my entire drive home, and I was excited for the runs to come.

  

  2. Just a few short hours after this run, I was helping my mom clean out her garage. I was feeling amazing, and I was very motivated to get a lot done, so my movements were quick and I wasn’t being very mindful. I attempted to lift a bag of concrete, immediately causing me to keel over from a twinge I felt in my back.

  One slipped disc, endless days of sciatic pain, a week off of work, lots of dark moments alone with my thoughts, and 4 weeks later I am finally able to walk without pain.

  I’d be lying if I said taking a month off of running (or anything physical) didn’t make me incredibly sad, and the thought of having to “start over” again is overwhelming, but I know if I did it once I can do it again. Don’t forget to lift with your knees kids, and don’t ever attempt to lift a bag of concrete.

  3. About a week before my back injury I went for my first solo hike in a looonnggg time. It was a trail I had done many times, and it wasn’t anything crazy, but I had forgotten how therapeutic it is for me to walk in the woods alone.

  

  4. I’ve been home from my vacation for a month and a half now, and I already want to go on a another one. Sigh.

  5. Speaking of vacation, I spent so much time focusing on Glacier and the Sawtooth’s I never shared the very first hike I went on in Kalispell, MT. A cute little backyard hike with a cute little view.

  

  6. I think a couple of my coworkers dislike me, but I have reached the point where I genuinely don’t care.

  7. The master technician at my work has a liking for slugs the same way one would have a liking for cats, or dogs. Anyone who knows me knows I have a phobia of slugs, so you can understand my struggle each time I walk into the shop and am met with a slug calendar.

  Month after month I am forced to avoid eye contact with these grotesque creatures, all the while dodging laughs from my coworkers about my unique phobia.

  It’s all in good fun, and while I truly detest the calendar, I thought it would be funny to play a prank on my coworker. The last day of July I printed a photo of my face to put onto the slug body for the month of August, so that when he flipped the page to see what he considers to be “cute”, he would instead be met with my face. It was unbelievably difficult for me to actually touch the photo, but it was so worth it.

  

  8. Someone once told me putting bananas in the fridge helped to prolong their life. Makes sense, so I started doing it. I can now only eat bananas if they are fresh out of the fridge. The flavor change of a cold banana is unbelievably delicious. Cold bananas > room temp bananas.

  9. I went for my first bike ride in over a month last week after my back finally started feeling better, and I was honked at by an asshole driver. I was already having a rough week, so this hand to the horn gesture might have made me cry. I will neither confirm nor deny that…Either way it was great to get back on the saddle.

  Five days later I rode 22 miles. I’d say we’ve officially healed from the above mentioned chaos that was a back injury.

  

  10. I’m sick of summer. I am so ready for cooler weather, pumpkin patches, crunchy leaves, and sweater season. Fall please hurry up.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 34 Comments Tagged Biking, Early Morning Confessions, Hiking

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 5, 2021

  1. I shared my love of cemeteries in a previous EMC post, and the love is still alive and well. I visited an abandoned cemetery recently with graves of people who were born in the 1800’s and it was unbelievably cool. I’m convinced my pal who took me here thinks I’m crazy, but I assure you there is beauty almost everywhere.

  

  

  2. I had my first ever edible at the ripe old age of 32 (sorry mom and dad). It made me extremely sleepy after a few hours, but I have never been so in tune with the movement of walking in my life. I presume this is what The Buddha felt on his quest to enlightenment. 

  3. I recently took a trip to a town I used to adore. The town is no longer what it used to be, and while I am sad about it, I also appreciate change in every way, shape, or form. In typical Brittany fashion, I find this scenario to be like a metaphor for life. At least the lake still looks good, I spent many emotional days running around this lake.

  

  

  4. Last April I started journaling regularly to help me express my emotions better, and I have now been journaling for a full year. What an amazing outlet. I don’t journal daily, but oh boy there is some intense stuff written on those pages.

  5. On that note, I have become so in tune with my emotions lately, while sitting with my cat the other day I literally started crying while looking at him. I have so much love for him it sometimes physically pains me to imagine him not in my life. 94.591% of my anxiety revolves around him having another emergency. 

  

  6. I have been working reallllyy hard to live more of a “good enough” life rather than a “everything must be perfect” life. Life is TOO SHORT TO BE STRESSED OUT.

  7. I busted out my hybrid bike a couple times last week and had one of the best rides I’ve had in months. I had fleeting thoughts about selling it upon my return, but I am so thankful I didn’t. While riding it I had the biggest snot rocket fail of my entire life. It was awful. And messy.

  The more I learn about bikes and different quality features, the more I want to upgrade to the next level in the hybrid hierarchy, but I adore this Cannondale so much I cannot let her go just yet.

  

  8. I go out of my way to ensure I spell someones name right when I am writing it in some form. I also find it somewhat impersonal when someone spells my name wrong. I literally have no idea why I care so much.

  9. I’ve been obsessed with German music lately – German rap, German pop, German folk. I still find comfort in hearing German, and it reminds me of every time I would leave Germany to visit another country. I felt like the odd man out anywhere else that didn’t speak English, yet upon my return to Germany I always felt safe. 

  I have very loose plans (I’ve paid a small deposit) to visit Scotland and Germany in summer of 2022, and I cannot wait to walk around Garmisch without the stress of having to work. 

  

  10. I used to loath the idea of getting older. Being in my 30’s felt like a death sentence, when in reality I am still so incredibly young. Being in my 30’s is like being in my 20’s, but caring so much less about what everyone around me thinks. This new decade of life is like obtaining a free super power, and only those who have hit this milestone truly know what I am talking about. 

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Biking, Early Morning Confessions, Olympia

• Things I’m Loving Lately

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on March 8, 2021

  Despite the fact I do not follow a Catholic faith, I decided to partake in Lent this year. I was raised Catholic, but I have moved towards more of a relaxed Christian faith that I am happy with. Still, I have participated in Lenten fasts in the past, but this year was different. This year I genuinely wanted to give up something to challenge myself on more of a mental and spiritual level, rather than a physical one.

  This year, I have given up social media.

  My blog has never been a space where I can escape from reality, so my presence here is “allowed” and encouraged. Instead I have given up Instagram and Facebook, one of which I can easily get lost on for hours looking at photos from strangers I will never meet. Initially I thought this would be difficult. I thought my addiction to the mindless escape of scrolling on Instagram would be a painful missing piece of my mental distraction repitour, but what I have found has been the complete opposite.

  Rather than curling up in a corner scratching at my face for the next fix, I am more present on here. I am more present with myself, I am writing more, and I feel calmer. My eating habits have been more balanced, my mood has been stable, and my sleep has been better. I’ve spent more time reflecting on deep thoughts as well as superficial “fun” thoughts.

  Thoughts that have inspired this post. Thoughts of random things I am enjoying lately. Let’s dive in, shall we?

  

  • I am enjoying wearing a Garmin watch without the obsession.

  I will forever have a soul tie to my OG Garmin Forerunner 110, but he is no longer with us. I bought that watch in 2011, and we made it through many, many runs together. What I loved most about the 110 was the fact that it didn’t have any bells and whistles. No calorie counts, no step counts, no heart rate counts, it was just a watch that turned into a GPS when you asked it to.

  I have avoided a new Garmin because of the bells and whistles. As someone who struggled with an exercise addiction and disordered eating it can be hard to separate from that extra data. If the day of movement wasn’t perfect it was bad news. So I stopped wearing anything, I stopped tracking movement, and I did the unthinkable – I intentionally gained weight and spent many days inactive. I truly believe this temporary hiatus helped me to have a more balanced approach to exercise.

  I now use a Forerunner 45, one of the more basic watches with just the right amount of bells and whistles. RIP to Gary my Forerunner 110 shown below.

  

  • I am enjoying new work skillz.

  I finally know how to change my own bike tire/tube. I’ll never forget the time I got a flat tire years ago. It was my rear tire aka the “entering Mordor tire” with regard to taking it on and off. I was successful in getting the tire off, took it into REI to fix, and everything was going great. Until I couldn’t get the tire back on.

  I accepted my failures and asked one of my neighbors for his help, a neighbor I had never spoken to in my life. I knew he rode bikes so I figured it was worth it to ask. He was most helpful, and as a thank you I baked him (and his family) cookies and gave them a pound of coffee (back when free coffee was up to my neck.) I left it on their porch and never heard anything.

  I hope his wife didn’t think I was hitting on him. Awkward.

  

  • I am enjoying spending money.

  Hear me out on this one…I am one of the most frugal people you will ever virtually meet. I hoard my money like I am preparing for some kind of apocalypse, and it’s honestly a bit ridiculous at times. I rarely if ever buy myself something, and it takes me a long time to justify a purchase unless I “need” it. Although “need” is such a relative term.

  I refuse to fall prey to consumerism, but I have been spending more money on myself lately. Buying nicer hiking gear, buying an extra pair of shoes, the aforementioned Garmin, etc.

  I will never forget something a small southern man I used to work with in Germany told me. We were talking about my frugality one day, and I was telling him about all the ways I tried to cut costs while traveling (like using a hostel pillowcase for a towel, perks of short hair), and he looked at me and said: “you cannot take your money to the grave.”

  Ever since then I’ve been more mindful about letting myself live a little. I can’t take it to the grave.

  

  • I am enjoying my obsession with “Happy Healthy Hippie – Go With The Flow Hormone Balance.“

  If you have been around these parts for a while, you will know I have a bit of a “crunchy granola” approach to most things in my life. I avoid pharmaceuticals, I rarely wash my hair, I spent an entire summer without wearing deodorant, I try to eat mostly whole foods, and shaving my legs is an afterthought to…everything.

  When my menstrual cycle returned after being gone for five years, I knew something was still off. My hormones were ALL OVER the place. Being the professional obsessor that I am, I spent far too much time on the Google trying to find out what was going on, until one day I decided I had to do something because my PMS symptoms were taking over my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but I am completely serious.

  No this post is not sponsored, however it SHOULD be. This blend is literally just a mix of herbs so I knew I had nothing to loose. And let me tell you…I have lost nothing and GAINED some of my sanity back.

  

  • I am enjoying winter hiking.

  I never imagined I would be someone who enjoyed hiking in the winter months. As someone who struggles with Raynaud’s I tend to avoid being outside in cold temps for long periods of time. Not only have I enjoyed winter hiking, my extremities have not fallen off like I anticipated they would.

  

  

  My hiking pals and I took a trip to the Hoh Rainforest last week, a place I hadn’t visited since I was 17. The last time I took a trip to the Hoh was for a team building weekend with my dad and a group of others who were all planning a trip to Mexico for a mission trip. All I remember from 17 year old Brittany’s experience was hating the five mile hike to our camp site, hundreds of thousands of black slugs, and being stuck with people I didn’t mesh with.

  Ultimately the mission trip was amazing, and it was all worth while.

  

  Now that I am an adult, and I enjoy hiking, five miles in (and five miles out) is no big thing. We hiked (or rather walked, this area is very flat) to “Five Mile Island” where we enjoyed some snacks and views before heading back. Lush green trees, mossy rocks, waterfalls, ferns large enough to engulf an elk, and rivers rushing loud enough to lull any white noise lover to sleep.

  Worth the three hour drive, five hour walk, and three hour drive back.

  

  Life without social media feels good. I am reading more, I am listening to amazing music, I am daydreaming about people and places and adventures to come. When Lent comes to an end I plan to be more intentional with my time spent online. Life feels good right now, and I am enjoying this whole “one day at a time thing.”

  After all, today is all we have.

  Q: Have you ever taken a significant break from social media?

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Biking, Garmin, Hiking, Hormones, Lent, Life, PNW

• Leiphmier Moos

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on September 3, 2020

  When I first arrived in Germany I set a goal of traveling to one new country every month. I planned to live in Europe for 15 months, which meant 15 new countries total. My original plan was to leave Europe in April of this year, and I successfully visited 15 new countries by the time April rolled around.

  Then Covid hit, the world shut down, and I was forced to stop moving.

  The Corona quarantine months were some of the best months of my life. I had already been feeling burned out by all the travel, but I am living in a culture where this is what we do. We work, we travel, and we repeat. Not much time to rest. Heaven forbid I actually stay in Germany instead.

  

  It has been nearly six months since I have been on a plane, or taken a train or a bus to a different country (I have biked to Austria a few times, and one time took a train, but Austria is literally a pebbles throw away.) Instead I have been throwing myself feet first into Germany – by bike.

  I never considered myself a biker, but now I can’t imagine my life without this sport. When I was a runner (many moons ago) I never felt the way I feel when I bike. Exercise is meant to be therapeutic, to celebrate what your body can do, and I feel this whole heartedly when I bike. My bike has been my saving grace, and I have grown quite attached to it.

  

  I regret to say it took me FAR too long to figure out how/get the courage to take my bike on the train. The whole process reminds me of when I first bought my Cannondale (which I cannot wait to ride again next month) and rode it onto the ferry sitting among the other bike commuters of Seattle.

  The ticket process is simple enough, there is an all day bike ticket for Bavaria and with this I am able to bring my bike onto the train any time, all day long – for only 6 euros. Knowing where to take the bike is another story. Sometimes cabins are full, and I have to pretend I know what the train workers are telling me when they are trying to guide me through narrow rows to another cabin.

  

  With my newfound knowledge of transporting my bike, I decided to visit my dear friend MaryBeth in her new city of Ulm for a Sunday of biking. I have biked all over Bavaria (and still have so many untouched bike paths), so I wanted to explore another state. Ulm is in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and the landscape is like night and day to the state of Bavaria.

  Not only is Ulm a larger city than where I live, there are few mountains around and the bike paths take a bit longer to get to. MaryBeth and I decided to bike to a wetland park that is about 15 miles from where she lives in Ulm. This made for a beautiful and different than what I was used to 30+ mile bike ride.

  What I loved most about this midwest looking terrain was all the corn fields and sunflowers. There were no big hills, just open fields of farmland. 

  

  

  Our chosen destination was called Leiphmier Moos, and I wanted to go here because MaryBeth told me this wetland preserve is home to some Highland Cows. Perhaps it’s what they signify, or where they come from, but my love for the Heilan Coo is strong.

  Moos is the German word for moss, and I have found the areas that end in “Moos” are typically wetland areas. Moss aside, this preserve not only had Highland cows, but it also had bull frogs, ostriches, and water buffalo. I was only lucky to see the first three.

  

  

  After my temporary pretended teleport to Scotland, we headed back towards the city. We made a pit stop along the way at an abandoned lake where we had a snack and escaped the sun for a moment. My adventures with MaryBeth are always a good time, no matter what we do I always enjoy spending time with her.

  

  The last six months have been incredibly eye opening for me. I don’t want to say I regret how I spent my first year living in Germany, the travel was wonderful, but I do wish I had prioritized this beautiful country more. I’m thankful I was forced to slow down and thankful I was able to bike my heart out in southern Germany.

  I see myself living in Germany again someday, which is wild to say because my heart has always been set on Ireland or Scotland. I have a soul tie to the UK, but I now have a soul tie to Germany after my time here. All this to say, you never know where you will end up. All I know is that I am open to just about anything these days!

  Q: Is there somewhere in the world you have an unexplainable draw towards? 

  

  | 35 Comments Tagged Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Frosty

• Murnau Meilen

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on June 22, 2020

  Has anyone noticed the alliterations I have attempted for some of my titles the last few months? Todays post is a German alliteration meaning “Murnau miles.” Murnau is a town in Bavaria I have blogged about before, and although I biked to Staffelsee about two months ago (which is the lake right next to Murnau) I hadn’t yet biked directly to Murnau.

  A friend of mine reached out to me a bit ago asking me if I’d consider biking to Murnau, because she was in need of a magnet for her boyfriend. Due to the Coronavirus restrictions with her job she was unable to leave town. I had no immediate plans to bike to Murnau, but after she asked me the seed was planted.

  

  I took about three weeks off from biking longer distances after my previous longer biking adventure (which was less than ideal.) I was feeling refreshed after this break and decided it was time to go for another bike ride further than my usual 20 or so miles round trip. While trying to decide where to go, my friends request popped into my head.

  I set my sights on Murnau, packed a bag full of water and snacks, and off I went. 

  The ride towards Murnau follows a path I had done before, but eventually comes to a fork. I had previously followed the fork to the right, but Murnau was to the left. Per usual, as I approached new territory my excitement grew and my energy surged. I had also just seen two naked men standing and chatting in the river enjoying a beer.

  New bike path, or naked men responsible for energy surge? One may never know. (Also, I only saw backsides…so this story is definitely PG-13.)

  

  Not the men, but same river.

  I wish I could say my desire to do a good deed and buy my friend (honestly she is more of an acquaintance) a magnet was the sole reason I wanted to bike to Murnau, but that would be a lie. It was a good initial reason, but the icing on the cake was when I decided I could also visit my favorite coffee roaster.

  I discovered the Murnauer Kaffeerösterei a handful of months ago when I bought a bag of beans from my local grocery.

  I’m a big fan of buying local coffee, but the first time I tried a blend from this company I didn’t like it. The coffee was too bright for me, and while the tasting notes were predominantly flavors I enjoy, there was a citrus note in the mix which I should have known I wouldn’t like. I gave the company another shot when I saw a Latin American blend – Nossa Senhora Brasilien.

  Tasting notes of nuts and chocolate – absolute perfection. 

  

  This coffee has been my favorite coffee in all of Europe thus far. It’s so good I have a hard time not drinking a cup every morning, even on the days when my body tells me she doesn’t want coffee. I knew the roaster was in Murnau, but I didn’t think about actually going to see it until I went for this ride.

  The path to Murnau is fairly flat, and passes by rivers, small towns, livestock, and open rolling hills. My favorite. 

  I arrived in Murnau after an hour and 45 minutes, walked around the city center, bought a magnet, and then headed down to Staffelsee to soak my feet. It was a warm afternoon and I momentarily thought about going for a swim in my birthday suit (inspired by my river friends), but there were too many people around. Although it’s legal to be nude in public here, my modesty always wins.

  After I sat by the lake for a while, I headed to the roastery. 

  

  I didn’t plan to drink any coffee, it was already 1500 and if I drink coffee after noon I have a hard time sleeping, but I still wanted to see where all the magic happens. The building was a small trailer like building, similar to what might be seen if two shipping containers were made into a coffee shop. It was cute, with just the right amount of outdoor seating.

  I went inside to browse the merchandise, and I was surprised by how many people I saw. I thought about buying a mug, and I sat staring at it for 15 minutes (I wish I were joking, pray you’re never with me when I’m considering purchasing something) before deciding against it. I was going to buy a bag of coffee, but they were all whole bean.

  I am sure they grind the coffee for you, however I felt oddly intimidated by the language barrier with all the people around. I’m usually fine – but this day I decided I didn’t want to ask. 

  

  I plan to return sometime for a morning cup at this adorable roastery, and maybe then I’ll buy some beans. If not, I always have my local grocer. The ride back to Garmisch was beautiful, but when I got about an hour away from home the weather changed for the worse. Torrential downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightening.

  I have never biked so fast on flat ground in my life. 

  I prayed out loud over and over as if I were meditating on a mantra, asking God to keep the lightening away from my bike. I made it out of the storm unscathed, and I was exhausted by the time I got home. I managed 40 miles round trip by the time I made it back, and although I was tired I enjoyed every moment of this ride.

  Except for the stretch of ill weather. 

  

  In typical Bavarian fashion, the weather flipped a switch at the drop of a hat. I wonder if the cows ever complain about this climate. I usually love it, as long as I’m not miles from home on a bike. This ride was my final long ride before returning to work full time (the hotel I work at opened last Monday), and it was the perfect way to bid adieu to a chill work schedule.

  I’m thankful my body felt so great on this bike ride. I never take for granted all that I am able to accomplish these days, and the difficult rides make the smoother rides that much more enjoyable. ❤

  Q: Have you ever gotten stuck in a storm with no option but to keep going? I thought about stopping in somewhere if the lightening got too bad.

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Germany, Murnau

• Mind Over Matter to Mittenwald

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on June 8, 2020

  I created a mental check list of places I wanted to bike during my last few months living in Germany, and I have officially completed this list. Anything else is extra, and at this point I am feeling a bit ambivalent about biking long distances. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my long bike rides, they have been indescribably wonderful, but I found myself feeling a bit dogmatic with regard to biking.

  I had to go far, or the bike ride wasn’t “worthy.” How quickly I can fall back into addictive behaviors that damage both my physical and mental wellbeing. 

  

  I am thankful for my ability to recognize this behavior, but I usually have to slip off track momentarily to noice. I went for a bike ride a few weeks ago to a town called Mittenwald, when I noticed my motives for the bike ride were skewed. I didn’t want to bike to Mittenwald so I could see the town, I had seen it twice prior, I wanted to bike to Mittenwald to challenge myself physically.

  A physical challenge in and of itself is by no means a negative desire, however the day I chose to embark on this adventure was a day I wasn’t feeling my best. It was a day I should have listened better to my body telling me she was tired, and that she didn’t want to go for a long bike ride. It was a day I ate too much peanut butter with my breakfast – and suddenly my inner food critic began screaming at me to move my body.

  

  I sometimes wonder if the little disordered devil on my shoulder will ever fully retire, or if I will always have recurring thoughts of needing to “make up” for something I have eaten through exercise. I am lightyears away from where I used to be, but I still struggle sometimes. For most people, having a dedicated workout routine is sought after, it’s praised, but for me it can be more destructive for my body because I push too hard.

  Alas, the anxiety of stillness kicked in, and off I went.

  The ride to Mittenwald was beautiful. I rode on new bike paths I hadn’t seen before, and I felt the surge of energy I get when I find new landscapes. This was great for a while, but at one point the distance of this bike ride proved to be further than I expected. I began feeling fatigued, but I didn’t want to quit. I felt like biking far had become my “go to” while I was on leave from work. What else was I going to do with my day?

  Heaven forbid I actually just…rest. 

  

  The first time I visited Mittenwald was March 2019. I attended a Fasching celebration that was supposed to be family friendly, yet I found myself terrified by the children running around cracking whips in traditional Fasching masks.

  I did however enjoy the most elaborate tea experience including a tea light and a timer.

  The second time I visited Mittenwald was December 2019. I came for their Christkindlmarkt, where I drank a glass of Glühwein, ate goulash out of a bread bowl, and split eine bratwurst mit mein Freund. All in less than an hour. I didn’t feel so hot after.

  

  

  This bike ride was the third time I visited Mittenwald. It took me four hours round trip to bike 37 miles, with 2935ft of elevation gain (kill me.) What I got this day was attacked by the above pictured cat and a raging post bike ride headache. It’s safe to say Mittenwald and I have a love hate relationship, and third time was not the charm.

  I love the beauty of the town, but hate how my body feels every time I leave (my own doing. Except the creepy kids.) 

  I never regret a bike ride, they always show me new places and/or teach me something. I had to learn an uncomfortable lesson on the ride home. I chose to bike back a different route, which ended up taking me higher in elevation than the route I took into Mittenwald. I was annoyed, exhausted, and anxious.

  

  I knew I had pushed my body too hard and I was scared of the repercussions (I really hate feeling out of commission for days.) These thoughts made it difficult to enjoy the surrounding views as I was biking home. I took an amazing bike path, with endless rolling hills, but I was so preoccupied with my mind I had a hard time stopping to smell the roses.

  Not to mention my body kept telling me “I told you so” when I was struggling up the hills. 

  I had to dig deep into the mind over matter thought process to get myself back home. I told myself on this ride, that I was done biking just to bike. I need to ensure I feel well enough to endure the miles, and I need to ensure my mind is well enough to appreciate the discoveries. I don’t regret biking to Mittenwald, but I do wish I had waited until I was in a better physical and mental space before I did it.

  

  My headache lasted nearly 24 hours, which was to be expected (despite drinking extra water.) My fatigue was at a high the next few days, but I made sure to rest. I sometimes forget that I will never be able to live my life the way I used to when I was elevating my heart rate to its max capacity all the time.

  I took about three weeks off from riding longer distances after this ride. I know my happy place is somewhere between 15-35 miles at one time. I have also resumed working, which was a choice I made when I realized my two months of LWOP were starting to come as a cost.

  I know myself, and the desire to go, go, go with too much free time is inescapable. I either push myself too far, or I fall prey to negative thoughts.

  

  My time away from work was amazing, and I am thankful for all the adventures I was able to embark on in those two months. My plan for my final few months in Germany is to continue biking, but never to force it. I don’t want biking to become my enemy.

  This post is not to say I won’t push myself again before I leave, my human nature makes me akratic at times, it’s just a reminder to myself and anyone who needs to hear it that we remember to listen to our bodies more. I think one long bike ride per week is much more sustainable than every day/every other day. 🙂

  Q: Do you ever push your body when you know you should rest? I suppose for “normal” people this wouldn’t be a big deal…but I often ignore that my body is not “normal.”

  

  | 26 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Mittenwald

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