a pretty big deal. The American Embassy has a gym downstairs and I had a card to get in and use it. I typically took the metro but occasionally I would ride my bike.

On my way home from lifting one day I saw a number of streets were closed and it became clear the Pope was going to be passing by soon. After a few minutes he drove by. I rode my bike alongside him on the sidewalk. The crowd on the sidewalk was about 3 or 4 people deep but by the time we got to the bridge there was a gap where the crowd thinned out and there was essentially nobody else there. For about 10 seconds it was just me riding alongside the Pope in his Popemoblie and he was smiling and waving to me while I pumped my fist in the air.