Trouble comes in pairs

 That’s a saying right? Well if it isn’t it should be. What a few days. 

I had so much energy and enthusiasm for what I was doing. Legs were noticeably stronger just days in, set new bests for distance two days straight. Things were looking so good. 

Then of course, shit happens. I had made a TikTok of my end of day campsite being closed, didn’t phase me. I kept peddling through adversity. Not listed on my route was a lakeside hotel about 15kms from where I was. So I powered through and got myself a room for the night, hot shower and some good food was in order. 

I knew my shower was going to be long, so I took my phone with me so I could watch some videos while I soaked. 

Fucking dropped my phone and shattered the screen AND the back glass. Like truly fucked it. No matter, I’ll just stop in the next town and buy a new one, didn’t really budget for this but i absolutely need a phone. 

Next day the rain starts, pedalling through 5hrs of rainfall isn’t fun and I swear that headwind….I would have to pedal to go DOWNHILL those damn winds were so strong. 

So finally make it to the next town, stop and get something to eat and make my way down to the closest cellphone spot, they don’t sell phones outright you gotta go in a plan, fuck…

So I say fuck that I’ll rip down to the pawn shop, stop at a grocery store first and buy some food for the night and morning. Card declined..wtf 

Go to atm…declined…WTF 

Broken ass phone so can bring up app, can’t use 2FA shit either, so just call the number on the back of my card

“Sorry to report your account has been frozen, it appears that you received a fraudulent e-transfer and you now have no money until you prove to us you weren’t apart of what ever fraud they were apart of” 

Fucking livid. 

Let me tell you the hopelessness and fear that came over me at that exact moment. 

I left the grocery store, jumped on my bike and rode towards the nearest bushes. I dove into the bushes with my bike and was having a hard time keeping my thoughts straight. But, I thought to myself, this is where you will die and nobody will ever find you. I had left my job, my home, my love, my kids, my friends, everyone and everything I left behind for this journey, challenge, whatever. And a week in I now have no phone and no money. 

Rain POURING down, feet SOAKED, I stood there in the bushes for close to twenty minutes trying to fight the dark thoughts. I think of my girls, I cry when thinking about their reaction. I think about my sister, I cry when thinking about her reaction. I think about her, I have a hard time even imagining her reaction. Fuck her anyways. 

Think rational thoughts. Be objective. 

I started to think what’s the worse outcome if I continue? I die on the side of the road from some bulshit diabetic shock thing, but I go out not quitting and that’s the most important thing. I’ve quite everything, but not this. Not now. 

So I walked out of the bushes and low and behold there was an underpass a few feet away and so I stood under that overpass for about two hours waiting for the rain to stop 

Dangerously cold and wet it was close to sundown, I decided to ride again to an area where I could set up camp. I got my tent together, stripped from the wet clothes and let me tell ya, those warm ass dry socks were the best thing I’ve felt in a long time. I warmed up quite quickly and soon passed out. 

The next day I went about 20kms to the nearest big city and spoke with my sister, and two very supportive and very worried friends. 

My sister ordered me a pizza online and I went and picked it up, first meal in a day, was so good. I went to a pawn shop to try and sell my tablet so i could get a phone and maybe a few bucks till I figure out the bank bullshit. 

Only pawnshop in town won’t take my tablet because my ID isn’t a physical copy but rather pictures of them. I had lost my ID a while back and never would have predicted the urgency in which I needed it. 

So at the end of this day I’m sitting in the library getting warm, I ate, so for now I’m good. If I had a home to go to I would have went there, but I don’t. My home is west, on the other side of the country and as of now my only option is to take it day by day. 

The bank shit will apparently take 4 to 30 days to work through so I have to formulate a plan based on not having any money, a bank account, nor the ability to get one. 

This will be tough…