Nevada: the state of optical illusions

We are now in the dead center of Nevada in Austin.  Our time in Nevada has been odd.  The past few days have been incredibly windy and hilly, with a decent amount of longer climbs.

The reason Nevada is such an odd state, full of optical illusions, is that we all expected it to be incredibly hot, flat, and car-less (we are on a highway named the “loneliest road in America”- Hwy 50).  It has actually been quite the opposite.  It has been really cold the past few days, we’ve woken to temperatures around 30 degrees, and have dressed in every warm thing we brought.  The mornings have made my toes and fingers go numb with cold.

And the coldness wouldn’t be as bad if it wasn’t for the strangely hard wind that blows the wind right at us.  I don’t even know where it comes from.  It feels comparable to the wind when standing on the beach.

And the wind wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the hills we’re having to climb at around 6/7% grade that last for miles.  During the down hills, the wind also makes coasting a struggle, which is very sad.

But of course, all of this just truly makes a strong impact for a Florida girl like me.

And for better or worse, all 30 of us are going through this together, one day at a time.  We’ve only got 7 rides left, and each is going to be special, just because they’re so precious at this point (even though I might not feel that way while I’m cursing the wind and hills loudly at times during rides).

I’d also like to add how much I appreciate all the support I receive from those of you in the “real world”.  It means so much to me, I can’t even express it through type, thank you.  🙂