Mein Fahrrad

The other day while riding my super cool Raleigh to school I had a multi-generational deja vu. You know--one of those moments when you are living a part of a story you've heard dozens and dozens of times about your ancestors? Except now it's you?

My parents told us at least a million times how grateful we should be for our lives and how primitive their grad school days were. The last time I clearly remember hearing it was when I was 16 or 17 and, of course, the part that stuck with me most wasn't that tuna was a luxury or that they patched together carpet samples to make a rug--it was the fact that they only had one car, so they had to bike to school. I was shocked and embarrassed--and vowed that I would never, no NEVER, come to that point in my life. I thought I was, for sure, too cool to bike to school.

Turns out not anymore. And it turns out that I really, really like it. My school is only about a mile away, so I can zoom over to class in about five minutes and the weather is absolutely perfect for bike riding right now. As I was feeling the slightly cool air rushing through my helmet-covered hair and relishing in the thought that I was keeping this insanely cool multi-generational tradition alive (two generations is definitely multi), I thought life couldn't get any better.

And then I got run off the road by a Budweiser truck. I love Baltimore. It definitely keeps me grounded (although I have to admit that I'd rather not be so literally grounded while flying from my bike).

I still love it, though. My bike, that is.