We have been home two days now, but both of us are still waking up at 3 a.m. and we are wide awake. That timing is noon in Europe, so our bodies are midway between the continents. Maybe its a bit slow for overcoming jet lag, or maybe it's pretty much as expected.

As it happens, our minds are also maybe struggling with the adjustment. In the first half of the cycle trip, when the going got rough I would mentally return home and go sit on our comfy sofa. Maybe I would look on our bookshelves, where the books are clean and dry, or go put a steak on the BBQ, or look up something on the fast internet connection of the real computer. But later, these things faded, lost importance.

A new source of comfort took their place, and that was the feeling of wellness that comes from being fit. Getting on the bike replaced getting on the sofa as a way to feel good. It seems kind of cliche, doesn't it, but that's what happened.

On the other hand, the sofa, dry books, real computer, etc. are not villains in the piece. The resources and comforts of home are what gives us the ability to sally forth for several months of unaccustomed activity and experiences. We could not happily survive being out too long, super fit as we might then perhaps become. In the long run, you really do need to actually read those books, not just remember them. And your clothes need to get really washed, all of them, and really dried, etc., or maybe all replaced.

I think the reason that readjustment is a bit slow is that for us three months is just a touch short. Four months could be the right timing. In terms of the present trip, that translates into actually having been able to cycle back to Amsterdam. It would have added 1000 km. 6500 km is about right. For us, anyway.

But for now, even at 3 a.m. and ready to go, we will work on readjusting. We'll go sit on that sofa or fire up that computer. But on that sofa, and computer, will soon be maps and books covering the Southern Tier bike route. More than that, they will be joined by further European stuff. We have left a lot there uncycled!

Stay tuned, and as they say in Amsterdam "Tot Ziens".

p.s. Watch for one final bit here, soon to come, on what equipment worked and what did not.

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