I made a quick trip up to Bar Harbor, Maine this past weekend to meet up with Jake and his family. Jake, his brother Max, and his dad had just biked 1000 miles over 14 days around Maine. It’s been an adventure in the making for about a year now and they were so excited about it. I can’t even begin to think about making that kind of trip. I was tired just thinking of their days filled with 70, 80, and 90 mile excursions.
So I met them at the finish line and spent 2 days breathing in the clean air, hiking the green mountains, sitting on the dock of the lake. It’s wonderfully simple up there. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up in upstate New York – with the forests, the hills, the crisp, fresh air.
Getting to spend time with Jake’s family was great – Max and his girlfriend Kati are big outdoor enthusiasts – although they didn’t convince me to hike the Precipice. But we did do a nice easy hike. My fear of heights is ridiculous, I know.
Jake’s dad – pure happiness is what I think he was feeling at this moment. 
And now I’m back to reality, work, studying, stress. Two days in Maine was a nice distraction.