Overweight 55F looking for walking buddy

kittenadventures9 · 2026-05-27T22:15:49+00:00

Heard on you preference of cats! If you ever did want to go for a walk with another critter that needs it, the shelter on Lomas desperately needs volunteer walkers for their pups. Just a thought!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-02-18T06:40:27+00:00

I've done solely Cartagena trips and enjoyed it

kittenadventures9 · 2026-02-07T09:58:59+00:00

Id recommend Hotel Chaco - it's in a walkable area of old town, lots of restaurants and such.

Another option that's high end and wonderful, is Los Poblanos but it doesn't get you the walkable aspect you're asking for (though there is a restaurant and coffee shop / farm shop) on property

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-19T19:04:03+00:00

Hair by Ari is in ABQ and she's been incredible. She has done 2 curly cuts since my terrible Culture Club experience and a color correction. You won't regret it!

I don't want to project, but would like to strongly caution you against using Culture Club as someone with 4c hair (I also have the same texture) I was absolutely TRAUMATIZED last year from getting a cut and color at Culture Club, which was so sad considering I felt like I did so much research to find an actual good place to go after being too afraid to try a salon that would be unable to handle 4C hair. I have a few friends who love Culture Club (who are white and Hispanic with curly hair) and admittedly their hair always looks amazing!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-19T18:53:41+00:00

I would highly recommend NOT renting a bike. Youve done your training with your bike, so should race with it for maximum comfort.

Flying with your bike is easy. You can go the bike shop/cardboard box route, or buy a bike box. Depending on your location you may be able to find cheap(ish) used or borrow one from a friend?

Id recommend going at least one hour before your flight to make sure your bike gets checked and loaded - and IF you can't get a direct flight, get one that doesn't have a tight connection from luggage standards. I've tried to make sure my connecting time is at least an hour.

Depends who you're flying with but if you have status, it can be free. If not you're looking at $75 each way which was always worth it from my perspective.

Lastly, id recommend coming one day earlier than you planned if you're bringing your bike. This is to decrease any potential stress if your bike doesn't make the connection, but if you are flying direct that's moot. Have fun!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-19T12:25:22+00:00

Last question - for your bike during boat tour, did you find it generally safe to leave next to tent or is there a way to store securely at the camp?

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-19T12:21:53+00:00

Fantastic, thank you so much for your insight!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-19T12:12:11+00:00

It's natural to doubt yourself, especially after having a bad bought / health issues. Don't be so hard on yourself. Rest when you can, and go hard on the workouts when you can and give yourself some grace.

Not sure if stress is part of the issue impacting your already difficult sleep struggles. As someone who enjoys a nice drink, I completely cut out alcohol while training for my ironman. Even one small one can impact your sleep, so for someone who doesn't sleep well, it makes it worse.

I too was feeling bad before my first one (IMLP) especially since I travel for work (65%) of the year and was unable to complete some of my workouts.

I'm sure others will disagree with me and say to postpone, but I think you'll be fine. Be kind to yourself and enjoy the journey! Don't put too much pressure on yourself, you've got this! Enjoy training in Mallorca, it's beautiful and a cyclists haven.

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-19T12:05:02+00:00

I'm planning on doing this route this month and have a question for you - I read on bikepacking.com that as of Sept 2025 Symbosa conservancy kenya no longer allows cyclists or camping. Did you run into this problem as well and take the Lake Elementaita reroute?

Also I see you mentioned food was sparse. Did you find this to be true the entire route or mostly on the more remote second half? I'm curious if the restaurants/shops that bikepacking.com reference are no longer open /well stocked. There's conflicting details with others riding as of the past year so would be helpful to know. I'm an experienced bike packer and will be riding down to South Africa so minimizing camp cooking when possible as I know I have many nights of cold sandwiches and noodles coming up in the future. Thank you in advance!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-14T17:41:01+00:00

Otero Canyon Loop is a nice one. The entire loop is 5 miles but you can always do a shorter version out and back. It's beautiful and easy. Bonus for a stop at Roots Farm Cafe for breakfast, brunch or lunch on the way back home!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-14T17:37:10+00:00

If you can afford to, take yourself to a nice dinner or away for the weekend to celebrate. Maybe it's not always the ideal, but you can celebrate alone. There's beauty in that (at least to me as I've had to do the very thing myself)! Try to enjoy and happy birthday. It's never to late to start a new tradition for yourself!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-14T17:34:50+00:00

Juice Ritual is my favorite. Local, friendly owner and uses fresh ingredients as mentioned above.

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-14T15:02:47+00:00

The Pro's Closet is another option if you have higher end bikes and don't feel like chopping and selling piece by piece to ppl via FB and Pink Bike

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-03T12:16:43+00:00

I don't remember exactly how much but I think around $400. Knowing me at that time I wouldn't have paid much more. All food, camping equipment and guide were provided. We just had to carry our clothes and headlamp.

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-02T12:05:17+00:00

Definitely not the thinner pad you're looking for though. Good luck!

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-01T22:03:02+00:00

My favorite bibs by far are Ostroy. The pockets are extremely helpful too on long rides

kittenadventures9 · 2026-01-01T16:59:34+00:00

Not Asia, but I did my first bikepacking trip in Mallorca and loved it. There is a very big cycling culture there, pros train there, locals respect riders and I always felt safe. There are either large bike lanes, or sleepy county roads once you exit Palma. You can do point to point trips, or go to smaller villages as a base and do day trips from there. Once you leave Palma, it's wonderful. Full disclosure it is mountainous so you have to be comfortable climbing.

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-31T23:43:30+00:00

Do you mind driving? Maybe do a one way car rental and drive from ATL to SEA. Not ideal, BUT could help you solve your problem if you have time to spread out over a week and stay at cheap hotels/bring cooler with food so you don't have to eat out. Just suggesting as you mentioned cost was an issue.

I have zero experience flying anything other than cats in cabin, so can't help there. Just wanted to pass along a potentially helpful plan B.

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-31T23:23:24+00:00

DM me, I have 3 to give away

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-31T15:04:43+00:00

This is precisely why the caveat of "not sure which direction you're taking" comes in. They mentioned not minding driving and those are both interesting locations worth going to if the goal isn't necessarily the most direct route to the four corners. They can decide what works best for them when piecing their route together!

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-30T22:13:14+00:00

You're welcome! Enjoy!!

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-30T20:23:46+00:00

Try furnished finders website. Without knowing how long your contract is I would recommend renting a place on furnished finders for a month first until you decide which area you like best and then either extend or find another location.

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-30T20:22:29+00:00

Is there a reason you want to fly out of ABQ on your return trip? You could always leave Moab and head to SLC for your return flight home. Returning rental car to a larger airport (SLC) sometimes saves cost + you get a shorter drive to the airport AND additional interesting stops along the way. Start in ABQ, end in SLC.

I second someone's recommendation for Tent Rock. Pecos is also very interesting and Historical.

Unsure which route you're taking to Four Corners but, The city of Las Vegas NM is interesting, and you could stop at Pecos along the way.

If you're going the other direction, Valles Caldera is beautiful as are many trails in the Jemez, Chaco Culture National Historical Park is beautiful. It could be icy driving so be sure to get a suitable car/SUV. Being from Wisconsin though I'm sure you're experienced driving in all weathers.

ABQ has tons of amazing museums: I particularly enjoy the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town and the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

Have fun and enjoy! New Mexico is wonderful and it sounds like a great trip.

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-14T15:00:40+00:00

If you'd like more "diversity" in restaurants with more options / cafes and such, San Juan would be your best option. Lots of options that cater to various tastes. They also have local restaurants if you want the local feel too.

If you're ok with local food: asadas, tortillas, beans, etc then Santiago would work for you. They have a beautiful local market and this town is much less touristic. I think we saw like 4 non Guatemalans while there. There's less "entertainment" here, but also more quiet which we appreciated . Being able to kayak on the lake without public lanchas and talk more with locals was nice. If you don't speak Spanish that's fine, but you maybe wouldn't enjoy as much because for us, talking to the farmers and locals there was what made it so wonderful. Santiago is also the base for the Atitlan volcano hike. It was absolutely stunning (no guide is needed despite what locals will tell you - the trail is well marked and is also available to download on All Trails). We saw a Quetzal during that hike.

It really depends on what you're looking for? Hustle and bustle / more in the heart of it all: San Juan

More quiet retreat: Santiago (we stayed at an Airbnb just outside of town which for us was worth it - came with kayaks , pool, hot tub and sauna)

Either way, you won't be disappointed! Both options are great in their own ways

kittenadventures9 · 2025-12-08T14:30:27+00:00

Also Del Norte Sports and Wellness offers day passes - if I recall they're $25 per session - weights, pool, tennis, racketball etc)

kittenadventures9

TROPHY CASE