where the sidewalk ends.

I headed out on a ride, determined to go as far as i possibly could on this island, despite the little drops of rain falling and the sky smelling like campfire (there was a big fire in georgia and the smog had come our way). i should confess that where i really wanted to go was over the bridge to the mainland to find the outlet stores! but biking on hilton head is wonderful, as there are bike paths all along the major roads and its mostly flat, so my one speed bike 'beauty' with the pedal breaks has me feeling like partly a princess, sitting all upright with a basket on the front...and then it brings out the tomboy when i can stand up and pedal as though on a bmx. i wish i could have this bike back in vancouver, but its all hills where i live so it just wouldn't work (plus i already have 2 bikes to choose from!)

after about an hour of biking i could see from my little map i was nearing the bridge. and then. there it was. where the sidewalk ends.



yearning to shop, it was dissapointing for 10 seconds, but i turned around and faced the traffic to keep on moving and then something happened. it was something about the sound of the highway that made me feel free. there was so much white noise around me and i was on the move that i just started singing as loud as i could. the thing is you see, that i haven't felt like i could access my voice in a long time. through last summers whole funk and the recovery from it, i haven't really been singing. and singing makes me feel the most alive. so on this day somehow it was back. it started out surprisingly by being church songs that wanted to come out, then of course i moved on to the entire indigo girls repretoire (church was probably the first place i learned to sing high and loud and my sister and i would sing indigo girls together, harmonizing). it felt amazing to have the songs in me again.

halfway home i could see the beach peeking out from a long road, and knowing it would get me home, it drew me in. biking along the beach is phenomenal. as long as its low tide, there is a wide area of solid sand that everyone bikes along. it takes biking to a whole new bliss.



and soon after this picture was taken i looked to the ocean and saw a pair of dolphins bopping up and down. another 5 minutes down the beach were yet another pair, these ones really close to the shore. its amazing here. how am i going to tear myself away from this haven? i suppose saying the words 'ladybug and elliot' will do the trick, but i'm pretty sure i'll have to find my way back here someday.