Huntsville - Triathletes, Toast, and the Matter of Happiness

Today was not a day for sleeping in. The hotel was full of triathletes marching through the halls by six in the morning, eager to be on time for their start. But that was fine – I wanted to get up early anyway, as the weather was supposed to get worse in the afternoon. So I woke Mika up, nudging him a bit towards breakfast – with gentle firmness. 😉

Breakfast: our first accommodation with breakfast. An 'American breakfast' was promised. What we got was plastic cutlery, plastic plates, and packaged eggs from the fridge (see proof photo). Along with bacon, batter from a machine that allowed us to make our own waffles and pancakes – and of course, toast with sweet spreads. It was an experience, that's for sure. 😬

Right after that, we set off, wanting to go canoeing today. I was so filled with a sense of adventure that we arrived half an hour before opening. We could have taken our time a bit more.

The friendly staff member from the previous day was back, recognized us, and greeted us warmly. He handed us the canoe, gave a short briefing (“One on the right, one on the left… communication is important… keep your balance…”) – and off we went. And what can I say? Of course, we executed it perfectly right away. 😉

We paddled along the river until it flowed into a large lake – but for some reason, we didn’t feel like continuing, so we turned around and headed in the other direction. There we came across a lake again, but this time we were suddenly surprised by a strong wind. It was quite exhausting to keep the boat on course.

Still: I was never afraid. Everywhere we saw people waving from their boats – very friendly and naturally helpful. You can just tell that everyone looks out for each other here. 

By noon, we were pretty worn out – paddling against wind and current was quite tiring. Back in the room, we had microwave lasagna, then a short trip to a viewpoint. Huntsville was still in triathlon mode, with closed streets everywhere and residents in shirts marking them as crew. We found our way. The view was beautiful – you could even see where we had paddle before.

And then there were those people who drove their cars right up to the slope, leaned out of the windows and sunroofs – and posed for photos with the view in the background. Almost as if the view got better when viewed from a car. There are certainly strange rituals. 😅

To end the day, we had ice cream and a cappuccino in the rain – back to the room, exhausted and content, but also a bit empty. Somehow everything was lovely today, but we both weren't very receptive anymore.

Oh yes, our car is very considerate. It reminds us every time not to forget any passengers in the back seat. I find that somewhat touching – even if no one ever sits there.

We don’t know what we’ll do tomorrow yet. Mika mentioned today that it might be too long to stay here. I don’t know. I find Huntsville charming.

The houses are beautifully lined up along the water, everything is green, and the people seem cheerful and relaxed. And I really wonder: are they happier here? The town has just 20,000 residents. And still, it feels alive.

But how do you actually meet someone when you live here? Do you look for a partner among 20,000 people? Probably. Maybe it’s even easier. Perhaps you pay closer attention.