It’s so late. I’ll be tired tomorrow. It’s humid out there. When it comes time to actually get up and leave the house, sitting on the couch watching TV often seems like it is the better choice, but I cannot think of a single time I went on an adventure and wished I had just sat at home and stayed on the couch.

There are times when it didn’t work out as I imagined it – when I wasn’t able to complete my goal – when I twisted an ankle and had to abort the hike (but not before getting an amazing view) – when I got some scrapes and bruises… but I never regretted making the decision to go out and do something.

 

But yet, last Thursday night, when the Wilson Bridge (a drawbridge near Washington, DC) was scheduled to open at 11:30PM, and my friend told me I should go check it out, I was skeptical. It’s a mere 2 miles from my home, an easy enough bike ride, but it was late, and even at that hour it was hot and humid. As 10PM came and went, I thought to myself that I should just stay in for the night. I started to make excuses. There would be other opportunities to see it. I was sure I would be happier the next day with an extra hour or two of sleep. Would it even be that interesting?
Thankfully, Cliff was gung-ho. If he had agreed not to go, I would have happily stayed home, and by 11:30PM I’d likely be cozily under my covers, well on my way to sleep. Instead, he reminded me of all of the reasons I should go.

It was an opportunity to try night riding for the first time, to see something we wouldn’t otherwise see, to take out my good camera.
So we went. And it did not disappoint. A bridge opening up like that is quite a sight to behold, and doing it from the bike/pedestrian path afforded me a great view.

And I was actually more energized from having done that than I was tired from being out that late.
I definitely don’t regret leaving the couch.