You know you are an Angel Rider when.....

After the AngelRide, I read everyone’s heartfelt messages about how life changing it is, and how much they love it and what it means to them and I agree 100%. And then I wonder why I couldn’t come up with something equally as touching and well written. I have to think on things a bit, and turn them over in my head a few times. And what I came up with was this. I added photos from facebook  (I did not take most of these, my thanks to those that did, I took very few photos, too preoccupied with turning the pedals.)

You know you’re an Angel Rider when:

•  It's May 23 and you wonder why you are up so early and why is it so cold.
•  It’s May 26 and you wonder if it is too soon to sign up for next year.
• Your jersey number equals your age, and you know there are no coincidences.
  

• Winged creatures are everywhere, and one of them may be named "Moose"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Someone asks you a question and you pump your fists in the air and answer YES!! YES!! YES!! times 3.
• Helmet decorations are haute couture.
  
  
  
  
• You begin to think that this really is where marshmallows come from.
  
• You think you hear banjo music.
• Gorilla Grape mixed with red gatorade makes the best cocktail on the planet!
  
  
  
  
• You think to yourself, how bad can the last 18 miles be? So you smile with a friend for a selfie before you leave that rest stop, and then you find out how challenging those last 18 miles are!
  
• You DO believe in Angels
  

• You are on your nightly ride and hear a motorcycle behind you and automatically give the thumbs up
  
  
  
  

• Your first day back at work and the first thing your manager says is “You look tired”, and all you can do is smile and say “but it is a GOOD tired”.

• You see a sign saying “Dangerous Intersection” and you have no worries because you know motocrew will get you through safely.
  

• A sleeping bag and a bunkhouse give you a better sleep than a 4-star hotel

• A night at the theater means Rider #1 and the State Troubadour, and you enjoy it more than going to Broadway.
  
  
  

• A night at the theater means hearing about the success of a young man who may have given up if it wasn’t for Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and their programs.

• In the theater, there is a slight delay and a groan before every standing O. (because legs are dead!)

• The Mayor of Angelville knows your name

• The wake-up call involves a fife and drum corps, and you get up before they arrive so you don’t miss a second of it.
  

• You hear “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” (Michael Jackson) and it really does get you up a hill.

•  You rejoice because every single portapotty you visited along the way had an ample supply of TP.
  

• A little push from a stranger going up 219 goes a long way.

• You realize that there are no strangers on this ride.

• You may be riding alone but you are never alone.

• People lie and tell you it is the last big hill, and you forgive them (heck, you even appreciate the little fib).

• Your legs burn and your breathing is labored, but it is the best you have felt in ages

• You pedal every mile and every hill because you are just too stubborn to give it up

• You just have to shake your head and wonder HOW, those 250 mile riders are still turning the pedals.
  
  
  
  

•  Rest stops take a gourmet turn (Thank you Mohegan Sun for the food)

• The potato salad is the best you ever tasted and you get seconds.

• You get a fleece with the AngelRide logo on it and wear it in 85 degree weather.

• You thank the people that donated to your ride over and over again, because truly, their support means so much to you. Not only because they have faith that you will actually do the ride, but also because they realize how important this organization is to children and their families.

• You see pictures of smiling kids, and it motivates you to keep going.
  
• You know that not everyone is as fortunate, and it motivates you to keep going.
  
  
  
  

• You pass kids on the road that are waving flags and saying “Happy Memorial Day”, and signs like this one, and you pedal harder.
  

• You love the sound of a cowbell. There can never be enough cowbells.
  
  

• You want to hug every one of the motocrew.

•  You are really glad someone else is driving you home because you can’t keep your eyes open.
  

• You see your favorite bike tech at a rest stop, and his smile makes you want to keep going (Thanks Spencer). Pedal Power

•  The GOOD that comes from this ride lasts a whole lot longer than any pain you feel in your legs at the moment.

• You can’t say THANK YOU enough to Lynn McCarthy, the entire MOTOCREW, the WINGS, and every single volunteer that helps put this ride together.
• You pause to remember why we do this and also to remember the man that started it all, and give thanks that there is humanity at it's best at every turn.