Great Dismal Swamp Cycling

The Great Dismal Swamp is a unique biosystem consisting of three foot long mosquitoes, angry black bears, venomous water moccasins, black hornets, bees, and high humidity. And yet I still ventured into it Friday morning after a filling breakfast at a local eatery. Why? Because this certain stretch of the Great Dismal Swamp near the VA-NC border has a stretch of paved road, remnants of an old highway, that runs through it. This makes it a prime candidate for running, cycling, and walking which I took to full advantage when a couple of gents from work and I hauled down to the swamp to ride our trusty, dusty carbon fiber steeds. 28 miles later, and I'm convinced that I should ride that stretch more often. A continuous path with no traffic to worry about, although the car barriers are a nuisance to steer around, and nature completely surrounding you. I was mostly quiet during the ride, busy smelling the honeysuckle and other foilage that reminded me of back home, while feeling stress slip away from my body. At the end of the ride, I packed up my bike, knowing that whenever the opportunity would present itself I'll make the drive back down.

Relaxation

Yesterday when I was visiting my grandparents and chatting with them about what I've done, I reflected back on the day. The one part that stood out for me was walking by the river and hearing all sorts of life coming from the trees above me and the mud banks to my right. It was very different from the hum of huge diesel engines. A strange feeling crept over me until I realized that I wasn't thinking about the next thing that needed to get done or my plans for the following day. I was completely relaxed. There's bound to be lots of state parks in Virginia where I can go running and canoeing. I think I'm going to chase that feeling for a while.

Summers in Norfolk

Well, looks like I'll be spending most of the summer in Norfolk instead of out to sea. At least I'll have plenty of time for biking, wood carving, and attempting to perfect my violin skills. Tally ho!