Warm Tea

There’s a part of Into Thin Air, where Jon shares he and other Westerners would have “steaming mugs of Sherpa tea in our sleeping bags,” brought to them by the Base Camp cook and the cook boy. 
I thought about how lovely it would be to wake up and have warm tea or coffee to sip while nestled in my sleeping bag. 
There’s a part of bicycle touring that is just so freeing and fun. The day is your own and when solo-traveling, all you have to take care of is your own needs. But having been married for almost 23 years, I’ve appreciated the partnership that I have with my husband. He absolutely would bring me a mug of coffee (or cortado, equal parts steamed milk and espresso), which makes me anticipate how much I will miss our in-person partnership while I’m away. 
We will absolutely still have partnership that comes in the form of talk, text and video chats. But the in-person, home sharing and family rearing will be on pause while I’m away. 
I suppose I will find ways to appreciate the small tokens of care that my husband will share with me, along with the ways I’ll be caring for myself. 
I can absolutely boil my water and make a tea or coffee to sip in the morning before heading out. But I already know that a big challenge for me will be longing to be back home with my family, where mugs of coffee are made and brought to each other in the morning. 
I’ll be gone a short bit, in the scheme of things! I’ll have to remind myself I’m not gone forever, this bicycle ride is of my choosing and I can push through challenging times. 
Cheers (raises coffee mug)! 

Loyal Coffee, Colorado Springs, Colorado