Around 35 miles into the trip I took a right turn when I should have taken a left, because I wasn't able to really see anybody else from our group, and I thought I saw some people go that way. Anyways, I rode all the way down the road, over the hill, and then to a highway. I knew that I had to cross the highway to get back to where I started, but it didn't look crossable at that intersection. Fortunately, some nice driver who took notice of my plight gave me directions to an intersection that I could cross. I followed his directions, crossed the freeway, then went down the road I was on until I reached a T-intersection. Later (after all of this), I compared my route to the route given on the map and realized that I had miraculously got back on the intended route unintentionally. However, I was without any sort of map at the time, so I took the direction that seemed more populated. I literally said "Halelujah!" (or whatever) when I saw the sign saying "Entering Mount Vernon."
After entering the city I asked the first person I saw if he knew the way to the fairgrounds (ie the place where we started). He said he wasn't from there, but he then changed his mind and said he would tell me where to go if I gave him my money. Being in desperation mode, I gladly forked over my four bucks, and he gave me directions to the playground. There's a big difference between the playground and fairgrounds.
After realizing that the fairgrounds were on the other side of the river, I crossed the bridge. Righ in front of me were two girls out walking who gladly provided me with accurate directions. However, when I got to the place I found that nobody was there, and that the truck that held the bikes was gone. Seeing this evidence of absence, I came to the conclusion that nobody realized that I got lost, and then left without me. I started fretting about where I was going to sleep. I worried about sleeping outside in the cold, or worse, with one of the weird Mexican families in the nearby apartment complex. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded, and I was found half an hour later. Once they got back, I realized that the other vehicle that we had been there the whole time.
What can we learn from this experience. Quite a lot of things, actually:
- Always give everybody a map.
- Sometimes choosing the left is a good option too.
- Stay together even if it means slowing down.
- Priestcraft is bad.
- Always have a good bike seat.
- Pray, pray, pray, pray, and pray.
- Always have a chase vehicle.
