Hi Gram!
Sunday was such a great day, following on all the great days of this road trip. I got up in the morning, did a few quick things, then headed to Monica’s. She already had the bikes out and ready, and we loaded up and put on our helmets. The ride through her neighborhood was sheltered and comfortable, then we hit the trail where I was blown away. The entire thing was wooden decking, wide enough for people to pass going both directions, and sloped so bikes or pedestrians could easily use it. It wound around, following a train track, then took a switchback up and over the tracks. Monica told me that she’s often seen parents there with their kids watching the train pass under them, which I can only imagine is a joy for the kids.

After reaching a point where the path transitioned to sidewalks near traffic, we turned around and headed back. It was fun seeing parents with their kids, older people walking hand in hand, and what appeared to be new budding romances walking along the path. Leaving the trail, we wound through the neighborhood on our way to the Buena Gente cafe, where we were greeted by a line of people wanting the same thing – a great cup of coffee. Monica got some Cafe Leche, while I enjoyed a delicious, flaky pastry with Guava. I’ll be going back there tomorrow to try their empanadas. I had already eaten breakfast today, so wasn’t hungry enough to try them, and found that they were sold out by the time we got to the front anyways.

After enjoying our treats and more conversation, we headed back to her house and dropped off the bikes. I headed back to the hotel to get a few things done while Monica mowed her lawn. We met up again at 5 with some friends at the Chipotle nearby and had great conversation and laughter. Joel commented to Monica that she was the first to bring a “guest speaker” to their FI meetup, which had me beaming with pride. I really enjoy talking with other people along the FI journey, sharing tips and tricks, learning from them, and encouraging them along their paths. PB and Sheila went to Bali for their honeymoon, and shared some information about their trip, some suggestions for what to see and do. I need to get their contact info from Monica to find out more suggestions and ideas from them to get ready for my trip. After we all parted, I headed back to the hotel, tuckered out. I’m really excited about visiting with people, knowing that I have more people to visit in DC, and really looking forward to seeing Annie and her bestie in Philly. I’m leading such a great life!