So happy! ❤️

Today I will cross the Missouri River into Nebraska.  5 weeks, more than 2,100 miles.  Halfway.  Or more accurately, Part 1 complete. 

Part 2 will have to wait.

I wouldn’t change one thing about this journey so far. It’s everything I imagined and hoped it would be. Rewarding.  Challenging.  Satisfying.  Frustrating. I’ve ridden through beautiful countryside and seen stunning places. But mostly, I’ve met amazing people along the way….. So many stories to tell. 

But looking back, I had NO idea what to expect. I had never done anything remotely like this. As it turns out, I got started late, thinking I could make up time by pedaling long days. Several 100+ mile days, more than several 70+ mile days and relatively few days off is a difficult physical and mental experience.  The first 2,100 miles took me 5 weeks to complete. I feel pretty strongly, now that I have some experience, that the next 2,000 miles over the Rockies will take me more than 6 weeks, maybe 7. 

My younger self/ego might just push through, and get to the west coast. 

But after 5 weeks on the road, I am now seasoned enough to know when to celebrate a cycling accomplishment, and when to listen to and respect my intuition about next steps. Going into the mountains in late September or October doesn’t seem like a good idea. 

And I’ve been thinking that a more relaxed pace – 50 miles a day – would allow me to  take in more of the country and people. It would be a different experience, and I’d like to test that theory.  And I would rather do that part with a partner or 2. 

So Part 2 will wait. 

BUT, the Pacific Northwest has always been the final destination, and so after a visit with my sister and her family in Denver, I’m flying to Seattle with my bike and Nancy and I are going to go bikepacking in the San Juan Islands – something we’ve always wanted to do.  And then we’ll spend a stretch of time with our daughters.

I can’t wait. 

PS. Thank you for supporting me through this.  I really, really appreciate it.