Hello;
Thank you to those who followed the blog during its inception; your attention helped to motivate me. If anyone should ever consider bicycle touring as a way to travel there is no doubt in my mind that it is one of the best modes of travel I have experienced. I will be happy to return the favour of an audience during your adventure. My advice is to pack as lightly as you can and be resourceful. Use social networks such as warmshowers.org or couchsurfing.org. Strangers who can open their homes to travellers are often the type of people you want to meet while on the road. On the next bicycle adventure I'd like to be more aware of the route and avoid roads that have no shoulder, using the google street mapping program to view the route beforehand.
Thomas sent me an email on January 28 from which I feel compelled to quote the last sentence:
"Does it feel like it has been too long since we were biking, can you believe that it will be three months since we left Vegas in a couple of days?"
In time the simplistic routine Thomas and I temporarily lived by has become a cherished memory. The motto we toured with was; bicycle, eat, sleep. I miss the freedom that lies in such a lifestyle. Concerns for the long-term were limited and the all encompassing act of riding over 3500 km consumed my focus. I am not any more set upon a path for the future now than I was while cycling, but it was much easier to ignore the future when I thought I was 'on vacation'. It was uplifting to engage in the simple act of travel, although obviously there were many difficulties while cycling. After we broke in our saddles, we often found ourselves tired and sore at the end of any day. I had never before experienced numbness in my groin due to consecutive hours on my bike; I'm glad it wasn't permanent and would quickly go away after dismounting. There was roadkill spotted daily and it is strange to think that a white line is all that separated us from the myriad of cars that raced by. The best roads to ride were ones where no vehicles were present as it only compounds the danger of being hit to cycle near cars travelling at highway speeds. We had not planned the trip extensively and simply drew a line southbound along a succesion of maps that led us through National Parks with the final destination of Vegas. The flexibility of the plan made both Thomas and I comfortable to
take suggestions from those willing to offer advice.
With the demands of reality we have both transitioned onwards in our lives; complexities arise out of a changing set of daily values. What was temporarily quite satisfying is no longer an option. Thomas has returned to work at the Aquatic Centre in Jasper and I have begun to adopt a new community on Salt Spring Island. Often while riding the goal was simple: keep pushing until Las Vegas. In the months following the trip I often find myself wondering what I want next. As I consider it from different frames of mind, the answer remains the same: I am a free spirit. Plans happen to me and I am not capable of making plans that I adhere to. Thank you Thomas for coming up with a plan and commiting to it. I would never have done this without your influence.
