And Then I Moved to...: I HAPPEN TO LIKE THAT

Paul and I vacationed in Nantucket last year. We had a great week exploring the island by foot, by sailboat, by Jeep and by bike. It was the first time I had been on a bike in years so I was certainly a bit shaky in the beginning. I was nervous riding on roads for fear that I would lose control or fall or get hit by a car – maybe all three.

We managed to ride several miles to another small town and a beach on Nantucket’s west coast. Trusting our Google Maps, we got somewhat lost when trying to find roads that didn’t seem to exist. We found the non-existent roads, which turned out to be dirt paths that were somewhat grown over in parts and very rocky. We ended up walking our bikes through much of the roads until we made our way back to the asphalt.

The scenery was beautiful and, even though we were frustrated, we enjoyed our day riding along Nantucket. I think we ended up doing more harm to our bodies than good that day, but the adventure will never be forgotten.

Photos of Nantucket beach

I had an idea to bring back that experience here in Singapore. We live just across the highway from a large park that extends along the eastern portion of Singapore’s south coast. The park continues north and a 7 km path connects the East Coast Park to the Changi Beach Park on the northeast tip of the island.

We walked to the park and approached the bike shack. The first day, we tried to rent bike but we did not have an ID or the required S$200 deposit in lieu of an ID, so we ended up walking the park. The second day, Friday, we were prepared. We biked east and made it to the airport in time to see a plane take off. As we were biking in the park, we could see all of the large planes coming in for a landing above our heads.

The sounds of the planes flying overhead and the waves crashing into the shore were amazing. I declared to Paul that I wanted to wake up every morning and hear the sounds of waves crashing along the shore.

There were a few people on the trails but not many, as is to be expected for a Friday morning. I went back this morning on a solo ride and there were a bit more people but not the crowds I was expecting. To come around a corner and see bright green grass, palm trees and other exotic foliage next to the beach was great. One of the things I happen to like best about Singapore is the amazing scenery. Even in the run down areas of the island, I believe there is something awe-inspiring about the look of almost anything here.