I used to do these really bike rides. It started out as something to do because a friend asked me. “Wanna go on a 150 mile ride for charity?” “Sure, why not.” Then, in graduate school, I decided to use those same rides as the setting for my thesis research. In order to get the right data, I had to do several rides in a short period of time. Some I did by myself and others I roped friends into.

My friend from college, Delicious, went on the Cleveland ride with me. I was in better shape, only because I had spent the summer on a bike, but neither of us was in such good shape that we flew through the ride. In fact, the best part, BY FAR, was any section of the route that went down hill. We could either pedal as fast as possible to fly at unheard of speeds OR lift our legs and glide down the hill like we were flying.

The last few days, over lunch, I’ve found a way to reclaim this feeling of flying. I walk a few blocks from where I work to a playground. School is still in session for the year so I am the only one in the park and I just swing. As in on the swing set. It’s awesome. I feel like I am a little kid and the air floating over my skin makes me feel light and free.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.