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During my time off from my bicycle trip, I enjoyed the company of many of my friends and family. I was able to attend the gallery exhibitions at Ohio University, attend the New Orleans Jazz Festival, and receive and accept my invitation to join the Peace Corps. It has now become official. I have sent in my passport and visa information to the travel company that works with the Peace Corps and am on course to leave June 2nd as planned.
I did not get to see everyone that I would have liked to, but enjoyed living off the bike for a little while. It was a joy to see as my friends put the finishing touches on their graduate thesis work. All the shows I was able to see were exceptional. I am proud of the artists that come from Ohio University and love having such a talented group of friends. I have links to many of their artist websites on my links page if you wish to see some of their work.
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I am lucky to have friends in Baton Rouge that helped me orchestrate my trip back to Ohio, and than take me to Jazz Fest in New Orleans when I got back into town. Lori, Lisa, and Jenny were excellent hosts, making it hard to get back on the bike to continue my journey. Jenny is Lori’s next-door neighbor, who works with animals at a vet hospital and houses and cares for numerous pets. Jenny’s cat named Mouse entertained me throughout my visit and opened my eyes to how cool a cat can be. I am a dog guy, but if there are more cats in the world like Mouse, I could be swayed to rethink my position.
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A tremendous highlight of my break, was a visit I took to go see Ms. Juanita Hamilton. Juanita lost her home during Hurricane Katrina and I was lucky enough t0o work with her to help her return back home. Through the efforts of Project Homecoming and hundreds of volunteers, Juanita was able to get back into her home this past Thanksgiving. It was so wonderful to get the chance to see her before I leave for the Peace Corps. I will miss her while I am gone. For all of the volunteers who helped to get Ms. Juanita back into her home, I want to thank you for your help. The house looks amazing! Juanita and I walked through the house smiling and telling the stories of how and who worked on each facet of the now completed home. What a world.
After a long break from the road, Lori and I finally headed off in search of the bike route. The weather was not cooperating and it was really nice having Lori along to see the route, so we continued to drive along the country roads. We soon entered Mississippi and Alabama shortly thereafter. We stopped for lunch in Grand Bay, AL at a hamburger restaurant and watched as the rain poured down. We located campgrounds north of town and I set up my camp for the evening. This is where Lori and I parted ways and I began preparing myself to get back on the bike. I hope the rain does not continue through the night and I have a dry day of riding in front of me tomorrow morning. Good night from Grand Bay!
