Monday- The day of material blessings.

Monday was good. It was just a great day for me. I woke up at the KOA and packed up camp. As I was leaving, I went into the office to see if there was anything I needed to do to finish checking out. Jim, the owner, told me to just leave and I would be good to go. He said if I wanted something to drink before I left, to go into the back room. We went back and talked for a bit. He had these packs of hot cocoa that they give kids when they leave the campground. He told me just to take them, because the adults always drink coffee, and usually don't let their kids have any hot cocoa in the morning. So I got to try 8 different flavors of hot cocoa over the course of two days, because he let me have all the flavors. Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Graham were my two favorites. He also gave me a ton of cookies for the road. So free breakfast there.

Material Blessing 1

I left Rawlins and went on the Interstate for 22 miles to get to the highway I needed for my route. When I got off onto highway 287, I stopped at a gas station for some more lip stuff. (my lips were SUPER dry and chapped.) This truck rolls up next to me, and this guy yells out, "DUDE! I keep seeing you man." or something along those lines. I was thinking, what the heck is going on. Well I ended up talking to this guy. His name is Erick Cedeno. He is from Panama, and has crazy cool dreads. He is a biker too, and is wanting to do a tour of the West Coast soon. But Erick works with Napa Auto Parts, the sponsor of a ton of International Soccer Programs. He tours the country following games as a rep. Well I was talking to him, and I dropped my glasses right as he was stepping on them. Hahaha (my fault definitely). He felt terrible, so he bought be a new pair in the gas station, which was awesome of him.

Material Blessing 2

Well I found out all of this about the soccer game stuff, and found out he was heading to Denver that day for a game. He invited me to come hang out at the field. So Mr. Erick is giving Fletcher, Will Cannon, and I some sick tickets to the Mexico vs. New Zealand soccer game tonight at Invesco Field in Denver. Isn't that crazy. I am pumped.

Material Blessing 3

So I left there and headed out through the Medicine Bow National Forrest. The tail winds were blowing between 30 and 45 miles per hour. If you have never biked in that kind of wind, it is wild. It pushes you up hill, which doesn't even make sense. I didn't have to do anything for 60 miles. I pretty much just sat there. Once I started to head South though, that sucked pretty bad. It is impossible to bike with a perpendicular 45 mph wind. I kept getting blown into the opposite lane, which was pretty funny, until I started to see more traffic than I would have liked. I ended up just getting off the bike and walking it. Well a van pulls up and offers to take me the last 6 or 7 miles into Laramie (which would have taken me the rest of the day walking). I accepted and Randy and his wife took me to Laramie, which was super nice of them. They are from Arkansas, live in Rawlins, and on their days off, just drive around looking at countrysides and mountains. What an awesome day off. So they took me to a McDonald's so I could get wireless, and as I was getting out, Randy hands me 20 bucks and tells me dinner is on him. I tried to say no, but he kind of just drove away at that point, while I was still holding the money. So that was the last I will ever see of Randy. Thanks for two days worth of food Randy, you are the man.

Material Blessing 4

I left Laramie hoping to get the last 26 miles or so to the border of Colorado/Wyoming. I ended up getting a flat tire (AGAIN DANGIT), about 5 miles outside of town. A flat tire in itself isn't such a bad thing, just a quick 20 minute fix. The bad thing was I was out of tubes to repair the flat tire. When I discovered this, I sat down and began my self-pity cry, when Sam drives up. Sam is just some dude who goes to school in Laramie, asks if I need anything, and chucks one of his spare bike tubes(that miraculously are the same size I need) at me and just drives away. Pay it forward. That is all he says. Sam, you too, are the man.

Material Blessing 5

That was my day. I slept on the side of the road, under the stars. I woke up with a sleeping bag covered in ice, and happier than I think possible.

The stars were unreal.