Health Check: Mind, Body, and Bike After 10 weeks

It's now been over 10 weeks since I left and this will likely be the last checkup until the finale.

MIND
As I near the end I've started thinking more about what comes next. Some of that has been centered on the near term such as getting a vehicle and traveling the East Coast and the South. Other times I've been occupied with what to do for a job when I return. Go back to my previous employer, to the friends and familiar work? Or try something new, and if so in what field? I've been spending more time thinking of these things but not getting much further so I try to keep myself busy and push these thoughts away since I'm no closer to settling them until I myself am settled back in the Bay. Mentally I'm ready for this last stage until Boston, and excited to see friends again when I get back. It's been amazing so far and I'll continue to live the rest of the trip to the fullest but I'm also thinking of the fun to be had after.

BODY
My body is very comfortable on the bike at this point and I've had no big issues recently. My neck is still a little sore in the mornings but it fades away typically early in the day. My first day in Michigan gave me some chafing since I pulled my short legs up a bit to work on my tan lines and the loose fabric chafed my legs. So tan lines it is! I had some soreness in my left knee awhile ago but I tweaked the angle of my shoe cleat and it went away pretty quick. I've adapted to the heat and humidity of the Midwest fairly well and other than sweating a lot I'm comfortable.

BIKE
The bike has been doing great and I've had no issues recently other than a couple broken spokes in Decorah. I've also not had a flat since Rapid City with Steph, which has been over two weeks now! And after writing this I slapped a tree, figuring that knocking on a wood wasn't quite good enough. My thighs rub the sides of the saddle just a little but it's been like that since WA when I forgot to cover the leather overnight and it soaked in the rain, then deformed a little when I rode. I'll try and form it back a bit when I'm done with the trip but it's been okay for now so I'll leave it be. I'm a little nervous about the bottom bracket since it was clicking in WI but it's stopped recently so I'm just hoping it'll last another 1000 miles.

GEAR
I finally sent back my air pillow with my dad, and the stuff sack with clothes seems to be a bit better for my neck. Everything else is working pretty well and I'm generally past the trials and experimenting.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
I've stopped seeing the pink pavement indicative of local quartzite as I saw in WY through IA. Instead I've been seeing a lot more insects. There are little flies and crickets and spiders everywhere so I have to be a lot better about zipping my tent up.
Iowa had the worst roads by far. They were cracked laterally with no paved shoulders, and had a frustrating tendency of turning into dirt roads out of nowhere.
I'm expecting some more daytime showers here in MI bit so far it's been pretty dry and good for setting up and breaking down camp.
I've been surprised since WY to see so many motorcyclists riding without helmets. To give you a sense of how many, I'm now actually surprised to see a biker WITH a helmet!
I saw some ditchweed (looks like marijuana and grows wild) in IA but that was about it.
On some of th longer days where I'm pushing hard, I can really tell just how much my legs are working. They are so swollen with blood that when I cough I feel the pressure in the veins of my thighs.
Overall there have been some truly gorgeous stretches of highway and I'd be lying if I said I didn't strongly consider stopping in the Flint Valley of MT for good. The 70 acres going for $389k was so tempting but I was able to get out of the clouds and keep riding. So many of the cities and parks I've passed through have been so appealing, it's been a lot of fun to explore.
In the Midwest I've had a lot of rolling hills. While the up and down is frustrating and is surprisingly hard work, it isn't too bad. I'm just glad I have the shifters integrated into the brake levers. I can't imagine moving my hand down to the top tube or the bar end every time I need to shift on these hills.