Wolf Point, MT

Today's my day for the group journal. Here's the entry I wrote for today:

An open letter:

Dear Wind,

We have to call it quits. Frankly, you’re smothering me and I can’t take it anymore. Sure we’ve had our ups and downs (Bowling Green, OH), but it’s just gotten to be too much. Since North Dakota, you’ve been around me all the time and after today’s ride I decided that we need to end it.

It was a short day, only 54 miles from Culbertson to Wolf Point. It should’ve been a piece of cake, but you were in my face the whole day. The first 20 miles out of Culbertson were rolling hills. I’d call them rolling mountains, but you know that I don’t like to be dramatic. Whatever they were, it wasn’t too bad; I wasn’t going that fast in the first place. But then you messed with my downhill. It’s a problem when the fastest you’ll let go is 18mph on a downhill. You crossed the line.

The last 30 miles of the day were flat terrain and you were there for every inch of it. With you around, I can’t hear myself think. You’re physically and mentally draining. I need my space. You seem to be everywhere, but behind me. You’re outbursts have gotten so bad that the only thing I can do is stick my head down and hope to make to make it through—my back hurts, stop.

You know I’ve never gotten along with your best friend rain, but you keep hanging out with her. Theodore Roosevelt National Park was the last straw. I had to hide in the bathroom while you had a girl’s night out.

I can’t deal with your temperament. You’re fine in the morning and at night, but the tantrums during the day are too much. I’ve begun to wake up earlier to get my day started so we can spend more time getting along and less time fighting.

We’re just not moving in the same direction anymore. You’re headed east and I want to go west.

You blow,

Craig Lee