The night was restless because I could not get to sleep. I was feeling torn and had a bad conscience because I was leaving.
In the morning my cheerful friend and very capable bike mechanic Peter picked me up and drove with me to the airport. Carolin needed to stay at home with Resi. She was even weaker than yesterday.
Peter and I had a very good chat about our lives when we were young. Time flew by and we were in Frankfurt in no time.
The check-in went smoothly – so I thought. There were long lines everywhere but with patience and loads of buffer time I managed to stay in my “Zen”.
The flight itself was uneventful. 9.5 hours of dozing, ignoring noisy kids and binge watching movies.
When I arrived I first learned that my bike had been forgotten in Frankfurt. Then I received a message from Carolin telling me that Resi had passed away 😢
I felt ashamed, and then very sad and relieved at the same time. It is terrible that she is no longer with us but I am also thankful that Resi no longer needs to suffer and that Carolin no longer needs to cary the heavy burden of looking after her. And I felt ashamed that I had not been there.
And the bike situation just sucked. Rosinante, my bike, was not the only one missing. At least two other families had missing bikes to report to the lost luggage guys. If all goes well, the missing bikes should be coming tomorrow afternoon.
And you know what was also in the bike box? My tent! Hence I picked up my rental car and booked myself a room in an inexpensive trucker motel. I feel much more natural there than in a regular hotel.
Well, this was definitely a rough start into this year’s fundraising tour. But … it is what it is. One day at a time.
Rest in peace, Resi. We meet again in heaven.
