Before Pennsylvania put this whole election to rest, I have to admit, I was afraid. The air is thick with conservative values and people can be…unpredictable. Would we be able to talk to our family members, friends, colleagues, in a genuine way without dancing around the Elephant in the room?

Now I found myself back in a hometown bracing itself for crisis on all ends — economic, social, political, civil — my feet pedaling hard on crumbling roads as I tried to gain ground on 11 years of missed birthdays, holidays, and just … time.