Fargo...not all about the wood chipper

It is bright and early on Friday morning and we are in the most fabulous hotel in Fargo, ND. Fargo is surprsingly hip and happening - who knew???? The hotel is Hotel Donaldson and it is affectionately known as HoDO in Fargo. http://www.hoteldonaldson.com Last night was the first time since Missoula that I felt connected to culture and I felt like I did not stand out like a sore thumb. My friend Kent told me Jay and Hank and I would stand out as we were driving through this part of the country. I had NO idea what he was talking about until I started going to gas stations in the middle of nowhere South Dakota. South Dakota by the way is the LONGEST state in America. I felt like I was in hell and would never get out. Before I forget this thought I want to comment on Wyoming. Jay did not like Wyoming at all - I did not understand that until he put it in perspective. "Brenda, I do not like any place where I feel if I broke down my safety is in jeapordy." Food for thought my friends....

Travel is an amazingly personal thing. Jay and I are on the same trip but yet our experiences are different. I get up early every day and work out. I also get up early because Hank is having a hard time sleeping in strange rooms every night. He wants to play at 4am EVERY day. I got a chance to see downtown Fargo at 4:00am. I love being an athlete while I travel. I get a chance to see places in a VERY different way. I see it bright and early and I see things most people don't. Today I am heading off for a quick 25 mile ride and a short swim. I am riding on the local trails along the river and then swimming at the local Y. The combination of my two favorite things...training and travel makes me really whole. I actually meditate while on rides because it gives me a chance to connect with myself even while I am in a different place every day.

Jay is sleeping in every day, checking out the local coffee shops and sending fun postcards. We are having a great trip and we are having fun catching up. We have been friends for 20 years this fall and have had lots of laughs and lots of fun. We drink a hell of a lot less than we used to, but we still laugh hysterically at the same things. We have decided we should be married because we finish each others sentences and we think of the same wacky things at the same time. Keep watching for more funny vacation photos - we have stopped in odd places and taken pictures of odd things that only we would laugh at.

I drop him off in Minneapolis tomorrow and I will be sad for this segment to end, but looking forward to the next.