Final Remarks

Ride across America. Impossible dream; Romantic Vision; or Drudgery. For me is was an impossible dream. For Alicia, Romantic Vision. Reality: much drudgery, but also freedom, simplicity, surprise, and delight.

We have talked about the possibility of this ride for decades. Alicia is responsible for this life goal. It is her dream. I'm always one for adventure with tendencies to take up self sufficient expeditions. This is evidenced by a couple of 10 day backpacking trips and a stint living in a motor home (with Alicia and two babies) as a traveling evangelist. I have also always preferred endurance sports with cycling one of my favorites. How though does a working family ever, and I mean ever, get the time to take a trip like this. Almost no one gets that much vacation. Unless one is financially independent, I did not see how it could be done.

Effortless, large strokes, wind rushing through your hair, sky blue, sun gently kissing the skin, wonderful evenings in camp visiting with new found comrades: this is part of the Romantic Vision I think Alicia had. Even if things started out roughly, surely in a couple of weeks in we will arrive at this cycling Nirvana. Bugs, pressure points, pain and numbness that never leaves, daily grinding out miles that never really get easier to do even though more distance is covered, just plain evil and careless people, and let's not forget, headwinds, a true bane of cycling: these other elements are present and don't fit the Romantic Vision.

As I sit here writing, I do remember the good times. You see I am the optimist; Alicia my perfect pessimist (Don't ask me were her Romantic Vision came from!). I took great joy in meeting strangers and engaging them, letting them talk, listening to what they had to say, offering explanation of our trip, letting them steer us in a different direction. These were good moments, all.

The wind howling in the sky, blowing down the road, pushing 28 miles per hour on the flats. Awesome. Really, what can be better. Well, being pushed up hills by the same wind was pretty cool too.

Even the heavy rain dumping in buckets endlessly for hours had it's own joy, the experience unparalleled, meeting nature face to face, enjoying the dynamic creation of God, feeling the rain drops and yes the water running everywhere. Even while streaking along the road.

There are delightful surprises out there waiting to be discovered. The reed rimmed lake, green and lush, overlooked by tall spears of evergreens nearby. The deer leaping over 6 foot reeds just feet from my passing. The Curlews plying their trade leading me away from their young. The birds. Many birds. Loud, cheerful birds. I never tired of their constant song. Before dawn, ushering in the new day with their loud din.

Leaving care behind. Well almost. You see, we found the time to do this trek while looking for work. The ramifications of unemployment are still with us. We are still looking at losing some material things. Big things. I expected there to be a lot of time to conceive of new ventures, make plans, dream up some new inventions. Which did occur. There was also an abundance of time just being. Not really thinking about anything. Leaving the daily troubles behind.

This allowed me to rediscover the feelings I felt with Alicia when we first met. When we did not have the cares of life crowding out the simple pleasures of being together enjoying each other. Just being together. It is sublime and serene. Alicia is great!

Life on the road is very simple. You can't plan too much because you really don't know what is next. Nor do you know how you and your partner will hold out. How far can you go? What will the weather do? Who will tell you of something you must simply take time to see? Where will the next camp be? Is there one (not always). Happily, with camping, life on the road is also very cheap. It is cheaper than being at home. And it certainly occupies your time. I love simplicity.

The trip took everything we had - every day. We pushed. As we are wont to do. It is who we are. Consequently, even the easier days meant we rode longer and faster, not easier. There were some nasty folks. I forgive them. We all are frantic about our lives and the things we just have to get done. Don't get in our way or inconvenience us. I get that. I feel that, when I'm unsuccessful at being generous.

My biggest wish is that we would all give each other a break. The cyclist riding along is a wonderful piece of our landscape. Remember how fragile we are. Simply a blow by from a vehicle can knock us off balance or suck us toward the traffic or maybe even the car behind. We are not that stable though with panniers we appear so. Going up hill we are oblivious to all but the next few inches and we can veer easily into the lane of traffic without consciously desiring to. In a contest with a vehicle we die. Not kidding. Do you really want to kill us or leave us mangled for life? We just want to ride. Give us a break. Come out and join us. Cycling is fun and nearly everyone can do it.

But really, it's not just us cyclists. We all need to give all of us a break. Take care for the brother more fragile, less skilled, less able. Or the guy who maybe who just isn't thinking about your needs, only his own. We are, after all, a very selfish society. Let's not be. Care. It's a good thing.

For those of us unemployed, hopeless, worn, and tired. Dream big. Look around you and take heart. We have life. And hope. All will be better. Act. Be well. Look at the simple things of life that surround you. Spend time being at peace with creation. God is there. He does care. We will get through this. Joy.

~Pete

================================

Blood, Sweat & Gears

We are home: clean, shaven, getting sleep, relatively pain-free, ensconced in our daily routine. Now what?
Wow, what just happened over the last several months? It seems like a dream, alas a dream come true!

To say the least, I got over all my romantic notions of the Ride Across America, and yet it was a thrill and a joy. I spent hours following behind my best friend with a smile on my face and a song on my lips, humming and singing as I rode. I am sure passersby thought I was crazy, but who cares, you have to be somewhat crazy to take on an endeavor like this. To quote the lady who took our picture at the Atlantic Ocean, "I admire you and what you did but, you are f'n nuts!"

There was blood: when my gear sprocket goudged a 4" long by 1/4" wide strip of flesh from my leg and there was more blood donated to the relentless bites of mosquitos. There was lots of blood on the roadway from roadkill due to the relentless hurry of people driving fast like there is no tomorrow. People, please slow down, you will save an animal's and a bicyclist's life and possibly your own! Slow down and smell the breeze (ahh... Montana filled with the perfume of lilacs, a high point). Slow down and feel the wind blow across your skin and through your hair. Slow down and feel the rain on your skin. Nothing like cycling through a down pour, it was fun in its own way. Memories came back of my childhood in southern California; when it would rain, I would get on my bike and look for the end of the rainbow! (Talk about romantic notions!) Slow down and see the beauty in the sky: pink sunrises, orange sunsets, amazing cloud formations. Slow down and see the beauty in the forests and fields: the juxtaposition of fresh, green growth and old grayed buildings, waterfalls cascading down mountain sides, the tapestry of planted rows in farm fields. Slow down and talk with your fellow beings, wanderers all, listen to their stories and make a connection.

There was sweat: lots of sweat, sweat in places that I never thought could sweat, sweat dripping down, sweat in sheets, cold sweat and hot. The sweat was at times due to the weather conditions, humidity like I had never experienced in both hot and cold temperatures. The sweat was at times due to exertion, exertion that was empowering. To think that my physical body could produce enough power to get me, myself across this great nation, over hill and mountain, through valleys and plains, is just amazing. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made." There is nothing like the sweet sleep you get after a full day of exertion. The sweat was at times due to frightening situations that we found ourselves in, mainly due to traffic.

And gears: What an amazing contraption a bicycle is, combined with muscles it can take you anywhere and it did. I have loved bicycling since I first learned how to ride at age 5. It is so freeing, the wind in the hair thing, and all! Our bicycles performed better than I had expected, they took a lot of abuse and yet were ready to go again the next day. You become one with your bicycle, you learn its limitations and your own, you learn its strengths and your own. I have since ridden without being fully loaded, and the feel of the bike is totally different, the balance is different, it was much smoother with all of the added weight... I must start a new and different relationship with my bicycle. On the ride we shifted gears on our bicycles to account for the difference in terrain we encountered as we rode, we also had to shift mental gears through out each day.
Every day brought something new, something to be discovered, something to learn, something to overcome. I know I think differently about things since the ride, my mind is working in a whole other gear now. I think a few gears have been added!

Hope you all have enjoyed our RAAM blog. We enjoyed our ride and sharing our adventure with you.
Slow down, have faith, keep pedaling forward! God bless. - Alicia