(BTW, above is the video from Day 1; I have another video done on my iPad, just not enough signal strength to upload it from the cottage here.)
Good morning from York, Maine.
I’m typing from the couch at the Strub household.
Yeap, you read that right … Night 2 was spent at “home.”
And what a beautiful home it is -- a cottage owned by my Aunt and Uncle, a couple hundred yards from Long Beach, Maine. So super grateful to them for letting me crash here for a day. I got a ton of work done on the car yesterday afternoon and had an excellent night’s sleep.
I went for a run this morning along that beach and it was simply incredible. It’s still pretty chilly and a bit overcast (it rained last night for a bit), but just absolutely perfect weather for a jog.
If you want to see more photos from the beach, and from the dive bar I had dinner at last night, and a whole bunch of other things, add me on SnapChat -- @ChrisStrub -- and check out my story.
Tonight, I’ll be in Nashua, N.H., at my first hotel of the trip. It’s a Holiday Inn Express, so here’s fair warning that I will repeatedly abuse that punchline tomorrow on Twitter. Before I head into N.H., though, I’m going to try to visit the Lighthouse up the road here, and maybe snag some more GoPro footage.
Sunday, I’ll be in Boston. I’m super stoked to visit Fenway Park, though I do not yet have a ticket to that day's matinee (against Tampa Bay). I’m also open to having a drink or two with any Binghamton University alums in the area -- send me a Tweet and we’ll see if we can touch base!
Monday, it’s on to Providence, Rhode Island, where I’ll probably unwind and recharge a bit, maybe try and get a massage somewhere (driving takes a lot out of you, and I picked an aggressive route for days 1 & 2). (And If ya'll know of the best LMT in Providence ... Tweet me a recommendation and you'll make my day.)
Tuesday is Hartford, and I’m eyeing the series opener for the New Britain Rock Cats that night. Unfortunately, they just finished a series against the Binghamton Mets; that would’ve been cool.
And the journey doesn’t slow down from there; the next three nights are Trenton, Philly and Baltimore, where I might encounter some familiar faces.
Part of me regrets booking this Northeast passage so tightly; I would LOVVVEEEE to spend another night or 10 here in the cottage. With the late addition of Rhode Island, I’m staying in 20 cities in 20 nights -- including a half marathon day!! -- before “finally” reaching a two-night stint in Nashville.
But am I tired? Hell no. I have been so unbelievably energized by all of the positive energy you guys are sending me. Tweets, Instagram comments, adorable SnapChats, text messages … I really love hearing from you guys, and knowing that I am making you smile is what keeps me going every day.
I do need to keep an eye on my diet moving forward, though. If Adam Richman is reading this, I’m sure he knows what I’m talking about; when you travel, you want to eat the most amazing things at every single spot … but it catches up with you. I had that feeling last night, after dinner, which was a *really* delicious pulled pork sandwich with French Fries. For lunch, I’d eaten a super tasty pastrami sandwich with macaroni salad. Both meals washed down with a local beer. Laying on the couch afterwards, you just feel sort of, blerg.
Was the food awesome? Of course it was. But do you need to balance food with exercise? YES. Thus, I’m staying at the HIE tonight (with a gym), instead of saving about $25 at the treadmill-less Motel 6 down the road. The run this morning helped, too … and I cannot wait to get down to Williamson for that Hatfield-McCoy Half. Believe it or not, I want to end this trip in *better* physical shape than I started it, and a few weeks ago I ran a 1:39 half marathon. For every pastrami sandwich, I’ll pay for it on the treadmill (or, geez, at the beach) … believe me.
Sorry if this post comes across scatterbrained; I could sit here all day and write, but I want to get back on the road pretty soon.
One more thing: If you have QUESTIONS for me, I’d love for you to Tweet them to me! Please Tweet at me (@ChrisStrub) and use the hashtag #TeamStrub … I will do my best to answer them all. Moving ahead, I’ll probably try and set up a designated time that I’ll hang out on Twitter to chat; I want to do it Sunday nights, but I think I’ll probably be out and about this Sunday, given that it’s my only night in Beantown.
Lastly, thank you thank you thank you all again for following along, and super extra thank you to everyone who has purchased a shirt. For those of you awaiting a shirt, they should be in soon and will be shipped right away, I promise -- and remember, buying a shirt today will still earn you a daily sponsorship with a special shoutout on my itinerary page and on Twitter. (Today is sponsored by Christine Stezzi!)
Keep in touch! More soon ...