August 2, 2023 to September 2, 2023
Day 76, 77, 78, and 79: The Finale!
Grand Isle, Vermont to Coloma, California
The finale!
Yesterday we flew out of Burlington, Vermont after four days of family and lake time. We talked, ate good food, enjoyed a boat ride to a beach on the New York side of Lake Champlain, took the pontoon boat to dinner at a restaurant on the lake, and endured a couple of runs after not running for two and a half months. Actually, they were quite pleasant as the scenery and topography were pretty enjoyable. The weather was pretty comfortable as well. We could not have asked for a better way to end our journey; thank you Dee Dee and Loomis for making that possible.
So, now we are safely back in Coloma, California where we started our journey. It doesn’t really feel like we have been gone for seventy-nine days, but we have. During our journey, I told myself that I would appreciate every moment and not linger on the comforts of home or what we might be missing during the summer months in California; I tried to live in the moment and to cherish the simplicity. I will really miss the simplicity of life on the road. Life is reduced to the basics and meeting the daily goal, whatever that might be. This mindset is really the only way to be present in the moment and open to taking in all the journey has to offer. The experience of being mostly unconnected and not worrying about the mundane aspects of life, that can often stress us out, was really something special. And, even though I am excited to resume our former lives, I will miss knowing exactly what I will be doing every day: making coffee and breakfast while Mike is packing up the tent, riding, eating, foraging for food, navigating some directional and weather hiccups, meeting interesting people, and seeing the country. I will miss being present and not thinking about the future except for the trip at hand. This trip was a true gift, and I look forward to the future during our golden years when Mike and I get to reminisce about our past and this trip.
Don’t get me wrong, not all elements of this trip were comfortable, but comfortable is not going to get me the adventure or experiences that I might be seeking. Remember, “Too much comfort kills our drive, and it makes us stay where we are rather than venturing out to the unknown to become better.”
Did I become better? Well, I think I recognized more of my faults and what I can work on to be a better person and partner; I think that is something positive. The trip also reinforced that I like being challenged in all aspects of my life; this is something I knew about myself, but it was embedded again. I just really like to see how I will react and endure. The idea that most people are good at heart was also reinforced on this trip. Another thing that was reinforced was that Mike and I make a pretty good team, and I am really grateful for that. Lastly, I hate to admit this, but I learned that I am a napkin hoarder; yes, it is true! I would hoard paper towels from State Park bathrooms and napkins from anywhere I could get them. I really hated my hands being icky. It really became a luxury while on tour to have an abundance of napkins… So, I guess, a tour like this also makes one appreciate the luxuries we often take for granted.
So, this is farewell, and probably farewell to the multi-month tours, but not farewell to bike touring or packing - there will just be shorter trips in our future. Lastly, I wish those reading this blog the chance to experience enjoying the simplicity of life and living in the moment, and I hope it’s through a bike tour; however, if not, I hope you do it your way - which ever way that might be. Remember, risk being uncomfortable; it is worth it.
Team Bean
Stats
- Cribbage Game Wins: Mike 19, Dawn 10; Kathy and Dee Dee each kicked our butts at Cribbage…
- Tortillas Eaten: Mike 194, Dawn 54
- Jars of Peanut Butter: 8
- Flats: Dawn 2, Mike 1
- Bike Haters: 4 (We had our first one in Montana yesterday.) None in North Dakota that we know of.
- We may have had some bike haters in Canada…not sure; they do it in a polite way…
- Bags of Salad Consumed: 30
- Dog Encounters: 2
- Beers, too many to count
- Bags of M&M’s: 5 of various sizes (I swore off of these about a month or so ago…that is why there are no updates. I have been tempted though.
- Fritos: 11 of various sizes
- Bear Encounters: 1
- Major Inclement Weather Episodes: 3
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