ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

A while back, my chiropractor (and friend), Dr. Nunn, made the suggestion that I start doing yoga.  Like most things in my life, I hemmed and hawed about it for quite some time.  I guess my basic concern was that I would make an ass of myself.  Eventually, I found an "at home" yoga channel on YouTube that was perfect for me.  I was able to prove Doctor Nunn correct...yoga does make me feel better...without publicly subjecting anyone to my "downward dog."  My little at home  YOGA WITH ADRIENE sessions have been very beneficial for me...but there is a phrase that is often repeated in those sessions that have weighed on me... "Find Your Authentic Self."  What, exactly, is my "authentic self?" I think I am at my most "authentic self" when I am with my wonderful wife, Robin.  She is the one who stands by my side and sees all aspects of my authentic self...my highs and lows...the good and the bad...and still chooses to love me through ...

Last weekend, completely unexpectedly, I found myself putting my Roubaix on top of the car and driving 70 miles east to Valley Forge National Historical Park .  I've always wanted to take my bike there and ride through the park...and, with my Saturday completely wide open, I snagged the opportunity.  Granted...I wish my wife could have been with me...or, for that matter, any of my riding friends...but I was perfectly content to be there by myself.  Just me and my bike and a whole lot of nerdiness.  I've been to Valley Forge quite a few times...but never on my bike.  The thing that amazed me about my bike ride through the area used as a winter encampment by General George Washington and the Continental Army in 1777 and 1778 was how much of more of the park I was able to see by riding my bike as opposed to driving through.  I saw entrenchments, land formations, and smaller monuments and markers that I had never noticed.  So cool...and yes, very nerdy....

One of my college professors once said that the three best perks about being a teacher are June, July, and August.  I'm not sure if that is true...there are so many aspects of my job that are incredibly rewarding...but I have to admit that I do love my summers.  My boss likes tells us to use our summers for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.  The amount of actual "rest and relaxation" I gave myself the past few months is up for debate...but I can definitely check off the rejuvenate box.  And so, with August rapidly coming to a close, Labor Day just around the corner, and the 2019/2020 school year already in full swing...I'm beginning to take stock of just how many ways I've had to rejuvenate mind and body over the past three months. .   Enjoying an amazing hike to Black Rock Summit near Skyline Drive in Virginia. -- July 20, 2019 It's a poorly kept secret that I ride my bike as much as I can during the summer months...but there are so many ot...