Day 19 - May 13 - Farewell Louisiana

"Don't put your tent there - there's fire ants there."

Touring With Others

Today I did a lot of biking. About half of it was with Isaac. I've never done an overnight tour with somewone else, and didn't realize how great it is to have two hands on deck for everything. Tent set-up, food carrying, and just spinning ideas of where to go and where to stop were wonderful things to do on the tour.

I kinda wished I was going to Austin, TX instead of towards Dallas, just so that we could bike together some more. Isaac, if you're reading this, I'd love to tour again sometime.

And so, we parted ways, and I started biking north. I found a campground charging only $10 for the night, and I got there quite late. I moved my tent away from an area riddled with fire ant mounds, and avoided what could have been a very painful introduction to Texas.

The Things I've learned

Below is some advice on biking on highways:

• When you cannot use the shoulder, use the center of the lane. This makes you more visible to cars.
• When moving into the car lane, be deliberate in your action, don't veer into it slowly.
• Be predictable.
• It's safer to bike with traffic than against it. Plus, you get the gusts of wind from passing cars to push you forward.
• Trucks, while most intimidating, are actually the safest drivers.
• Gas stations appear on intersections, and most highway intersections have gas stations.
• A car honking might just be trying to alert you that they are passing.
• Pavement > stone dust > dirt > gravel > sand > 2m-deep water. Anything past gravel will destabilize the bike.

I've also learned some things about stores:

• Gas stations often have hot fast food, which is rarely vegetarian.
• McDonalds has vegetarian breakfasts (thanks Isaac!), outlets, WiFi, and clean bathrooms.
• Dollar Generals have cheap cereal bars (thanks Isaac!).
• Mexican restaurants often have cheap vegetarian dishes.
• Produce is hard to come by, and should be stocked well.
• Not a store per-se, but churches often have water, outlets, and grass, and are not inclined to kick out campers.

The Things I Need

Isaac told me that he enjoys living in a way where he only thinks about the things he really needs - food, water, and oxygen.

It made me think about the things that I need. I need more than Isaac. I need friends, I need routine, a community, I need validation, and assurances. I need a good night's sleep, and a hot shower. I need Sarah.

Sooner or later, my needs will only increase. I will need more money. I will need a house. I might even one day need a car (or a cheater, as Isaac calls them). I will need more time. Some day, I might decide that I need a couch, a TV, another meal out, a better phone.

This is lifestlye creep. I make more money, and I start spending it. At some point, I won't even be able to imagine how I've survived as a graduate student. Lifestyle creep is not something I want to avoid, but it's something I want to be aware of, and to always keep in the back of my mind the things that I don't need, but rather just want.

The Image Gallery

Isaac taking down the tent.

Eunice, the southwestern prarie.

Isaac and I were wondering what this thing is. Anyone know?

The first of many oil pumps I'm gonna see.

Very high speed limits. But the shoulders are incredibly wide, so I feel very safe.

The Map

Today I biked about 165km, and I am very happy with myself. My legs aren't so happy though. Tomorrow will be tough.

Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow!

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