Day 1.21 Mate

I don't really know if there is an equivalent of manic-depression with the physical. If you had the misfortune to read yesterday's post , you learned that I was, a short distance from the literal perhaps, feeling as if on my death bed.

That was yesterday. After a dreary day of over-hydration, rest, comfort food and a solid 9 hours of sleep, I am happy to announce that I am back. Live from Seattle.

Our spin session this morning was just the jump start I needed. And now as I type to you and watch (and film) the splendid sunrise over the Emerald City, I feel like a new man.

Hence the reference to polar extremes in the opening sentence.

It is hard to imaging anything more dramatic. From the depression of sickness to the wonder of vitality. For me, If there once was a question on this binary example of how important good health truly is to the quality of our lives, the last 24 hours removed any lingering doubt.

I feel like I went to bed in Kansas and woke in OZ. (Those of you in Kansas please know that this is the second reference to your beautiful state today - as earlier in class I used the metaphor of constantly riding hills and then riding the flats in Kansas as an example of how intense efforts make everything else seem easy. I added the verbal fine print that there are, contrary to popular cycling belief, some outstanding bumps in the K-State topography.)

So I am happy to have had the experience. It was most humbling. I had a chance to witness the empirical sensation of being out of gas. On empty. Stalled, stuck and stranded, red lights flashing from every gauge. Down and almost out.

And now this glorious start to the day. What a turnaround. Miraculous. I thought thinking about travel, movement, energy might help, and it did.

I want to get back to Australia and just walk about. Sit on Bondi beach and play my didge. Mix it up with the locals. Swim with sharks. Advance the story.

Send good vibes back home.