Greifswald and the Joy in the Big and the Small

As soon as I reach my destination Greifswald, I want to continue cycling to Lubmin for a swim.

Magda hasn’t finished my room yet 😥

We once went to Lubmin with my grandma. Back then we followed the road and packed meatballs and potato salad.😋

Thinking of it makes me hungry, but I am more looking forward to a cool-down since it is unbearably hot again.

This bike tour is unfortunately quite unremarkable. Well-paved bike paths, no action. The castle in Ludwigsburg doesn’t entice me today either. 2 km to go. Too far in this heat, but too close to ignite my competitive spirit. I’ll stick to my path.

The sun is blazing 🔥 in front of me, a boy with a towel on the luggage rack. I follow him discreetly. Now another cyclist joins us, with a backpack on his back. I make a note: the older the people, the more luggage they carry. This can also be applied to life. With age, more and more ballast accumulates. 🤨

And that’s why I try to declutter my home every year and get rid of a few things. Last year it went quite well. Even my neighbors found some items and took a few from me.😀

It turned into quite an event, and many acquaintances showed up spontaneously. Also, or maybe only, to have a coffee with me in the garden. 😜☕️

It’s already 5 PM, and I will start my way back. I only went into the water once. The bathing spot turned out not to be a hidden gem. You don’t need to remember Gartow before Lubmin.

How else could it be? The wind 💨 isn’t just blowing from the front but feels like from all directions. I'm making no progress at all.🥴 How unfair. And everyone, really everyone, overtakes me on an e-bike. Are there no normal cyclists left? Well, just…no, actually not. He too has (is that even a thing?) a battery on his luggage rack. (Definitely retrofitted)

A jogger appears in front of me. And even the distance between us does not decrease. Now he takes a break. My chance, I think. And indeed, I pass him, take the lead, and give it my all. Made it. I ride into Greifswald.

Earlier in my vacation, I had taken off my wristwatch.

Self-monitoring through—maybe another fitness tracker—and the ensuing self-flagellation doesn’t fit into my personality profile. I briefly considered getting such a computer for my wrist, but quickly dismissed the idea.

These monitoring machines are just an expression of our feedback-hungry times. The need for likes and a thumbs-up replaces the recognition and praise that seems to be lacking elsewhere. At the end of the day, I thankfully already know what I have done. And while cycling, it should be more about slow travel and relaxation rather than fitness training. And ultimately, I don’t need any machine to acknowledge that.😚🚴‍♀️