Wind Therapy

Jumpmaster, Bugsy, L.F. and Big Bird at Hanger Hotel and Diner

I've been working too much lately.  There, I said it!  The last several weeks have been the heaviest workload for me this semester.  It's the end of the semester for our students and all their projects and writing assignments have been coming due that require lots of feedback and grading.  I really enjoy teaching, so I'm not complaining, but it sure is time consuming and mentally exhausting.  So after 24-hour staff duty Friday night, I decided that the remainder of my weekend would consist of sleeping and riding; that's it!

Inside the Hanger Hotel Diner

When I finally got up this morning, I rallied up with a few friends for some much needed wind therapy and lunch.  I love that I can send a text that just says I need lunch and a ride, and I am provided a rally point and showtime!  No thinking required on my part...perfect :-)

The day started off a bit hazy, so the sun wasn't blazing down on us which made for a very enjoyable ride.  Not that I would be able to retrace the route anyway because I'm so directionally-challenged, but I absolutely let my mind zone out for the ride to clear my mind.  Don't worry, I'm paying attention to the road and my riding.  To be honest, that's all my mind was focused on, which is why many of us consider riding to be a kind of therapy.  I've never been able to calm my mind enough to "meditate", but I suspect this is what it would be like.  To be in the moment (or the ride), so intensely that every other thought is crowded out.

Ice cream in downtown Fredericksburg

We rode out to Fredericksburg and had lunch at the airport at the Hanger Hotel and Diner.  Click on the link to find out more about it, but it's right on the runway of the regional airport and was built to resemble  a 1940's style aircraft hanger.  All the polished fixtures and hard wood finishes exude an air of a bygone era of classy travel.  The place really did feel like a step back in time, or an old Hollywood movie.  We sat out on the porch and watched a couple of planes take off and told  aviation stories from our past travels.  Although the sound and smell of turning engines always make my stomach knot up just a bit as memories of aircrew or skydiving/parachuting experiences come flooding back, it truly was a relaxing scene.  We followed that up with a roll and stroll through downtown Fredericksburg culminating into the hot fudge sundae you see me enjoying here :-)

All in all, a great day of riding and camaraderie...just what I needed to remind me that it's OK to work hard as long as I remember to take a little time for myself too!