It is coming very close to an end to an era. I have lived 20 years in West Michigan near the beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan where I honed my cycling skills, learned the crafts that keep me well above the poverty line, met my lovely wife, found a common base for new friends that are now adorned all across the globe and just plain loved this place... no matter where I spent time during my travels.
I still remember the astonishment of the green landscape... and the whiff of "fertilizer" in the Spring... firsts for an East-sider from the rough and tumble GM-city of Flint. I've shed tears for the past few weeks as I see the "lasts" of things I've come to accept as commonplace. The 4th of July fireworks. The non-existent traffic. The great variety and quality of trails to ride. Meijer stores. Oh, will I miss Meijer!!
There are trails where I plan to go for a bit. Though I hear the land is flatter than here in the Grand Rapids area. How can that be?! Also, it will be different as I will initially go it alone and with 1 bike. Road or mountain? Road or mountain? I'd like both... :-/. Though within an hour or so, there are many more options like Kettle Moraine. I'll find a way. There is a nice shop in town so I hope to get back into a cycling scene pretty quickly....
Back on the Meijer thing... the closest equivalent is a Walmart. D'oh! And the grocery stores around there are Piggly Wiggly supermarkets. And where do I get clothing?? The only department store of note is a Younkers... um, I like my Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole wear... Younkers doesn't seem to hold up to that standard... hehehe... looks like planned trips for crazy shopping sprees and outlet mall raids... sigh.
Anyway, the big decision is MTB or road bike? I'll eventually get them all there, but which way to go first? If I had one, I would take a cyclocross bike and have both in an all-in-one dealie... but I don't have that at the moment. MTB or road??!!!
Monday
Always Moving Forward
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1 comment:
Congrats on the new gig Roque! I saw the news in Linked In. West Michigan is a great place, but you will enjoy discovering the features of your new destination and (believe it or not) they have 4th of July fireworks outside of GR!
As far as mtn or road...my vote is on mtn. You can always do a road ride on an off-road machine (although not preferred). If you find a gnarled up stretch of curvy single track you will want to hit it. And the roadie just ain't gunna cut it. My 2-cents.
It's probably healthy to mix up your life's experiences sometimes, even if it means moving away from places/friends that you love. Maintain a positive attitude and look at this opportunity as an adventure. Keep us in the loop on your new experiences via your blog.
Enjoy the "ride".
Thad
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