Final thoughts...

June 26

We drove home from Boston on Sat/Sun, and the transition from seeing the roads as a cyclist versus driving a car was a little bizarre. I was still assessing right of ways, traffic, terrain, etc for a while, and then, I became a driver again instead of a bike monk. I did clean my bike thoroughly on Sunday after unpacking, and I am slightly embarrassed that I rode Tues, Wed, and Thurs. This only bothers me a little because I know Raff and Bill both rode their bikes as well - leaving the life of a monk will be a process.  It felt good to be on familiar roads and back on two wheels. I also rode bikes with the grandkids, and then  we ate donuts in the pool. Funny after the experiences in Kansas that Dorothy had it right all along - there is no place like home. 

A few thoughts on the trip in retrospect...

• I keep getting asked what was the best part, biggest surprise, neatest state, etc. Superlatives are always dangerous... I am reluctant to answer because calling something the 'best' or the 'most' diminishes everything else, and a journey like this does not fit in simple categories for me. Every day was sensory overload, which explains why we were all mentally drained each day but in a good way. I am still amazed at how quickly your mind and your body adapts to doing something like this. A large surprise to me from the trip was the other riders on the trip: high quality human beings, and we quickly became a larger pack than the Griffin guys, and we all looked after each other - this was cool to see happen so naturally. I think God wired us this way.
• Cycling across the country and doing it daily made me appreciate the noise and sounds of the road and being fully exposed to all elements while on a bike. The bike also slows everything down because you can see what is coming long before you get there and appreciate what is right in front of you. This idea of slowing things down will stay with me as it allows you to be much more present; this is only a gift if you accept it. 
• A few movies/clips will remain in my head forever: first and foremost: riding hard and fast in a small group over terrible pavement very close to the wheel in front of you and just trusting the line of the rider while cars are barreling past us - this felt like cheating death many times; those rollers in Missouri and Ohio where we could ride side by side through farm country; that one day from hell in the Kansas winds, changing flat tires on The 40; the feeding troughs at breakfast; board meetings at 5:15 am in the hotel lobbies; the sketchy hotels and Cracker Barrels ad nauseum plus the numerous bars that we visited to have a beer/drink after each day's ride.
• I have so much respect for people that do a trip like this by themselves, but I am so thankful to have had a tight group of friends to do this trip together. I am also thankful for the folks that sent me text messages, music recommendations, LinkedIn messages, e-mails, humor, quotes, prayers, photos, etc....you will never know how much a quick reach out impacts people. 
• I have never blogged before, and I am glad that I did it; otherwise, all of the days would have run together. The idea of having a quote or a specific prayer in mind was a great exercise for me while on the bike when I needed to disassociate from riding. Listening to music, podcasts, or books has been great for me on the bike, but I will spend more time now listening to the sounds from the road.
• I have said it many times, but I am so grateful to have been able to do this trip. First of all, Gina is a rock star, and I married way over my head...if you know us, you know this. Secondly, to be able to do the trip with 3 good friends is another huge gift; yes, we fought, but we also forgot, and we would all do anything for each other. Third, this country is so beautiful and diverse, and being able to see a huge piece of it from a bike seat is hard to fully describe. Last, and not least, my love for the outdoors and riding a bike is the way that God made me, and I know that He loves us more than we can understand, and He wants us to have amazing and full lives. These are all priceless gifts.
• This leads me to my final quote from the trip, which is more redneck poetry/country music" God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy." I could have gone deep, but I chose to go shallow. 

One last giant thank you for following along on this journey and suffering through my ramblings. I hope that you enjoyed the trip and maybe even got inspired to do something strange outside. If you do, please let me know. Be well.