Sitting at home looking at photos I took when I was hopelessly lost, 30 miles off course, with hours and hours ahead of physical exertion ahead of me before I reached my hotel room is a bit strange. All the fear and exhaustion are gone. The only thing that’s left is disappointment that I didn’t take more and better photos.

Cycling in rural areas without a cell phone or a GPS means long periods of tedium and the fear of being lost punctuated by brief moments of elation. You go for hours in the middle of nowhere (but where everybody still seems own a huge pickup truck or SUV) having no idea where you are. You can’t really enjoy the pretty scenery because you’re so worried about getting your bearings. When you finally run into a sign, it’s distinctly underwhelming. Nevertheless, every once in awhile you came across a stretch of road with no traffic. You sit back and savor the view.