Sunday, July 19, 2009

"Three young men who left on a journey and returned very much men" T.S.










07/17/09 ~ Well this was the day. It came upon us to quickly and yet it felt like years since we set out from San Diego. So many places we've seen, so many people we've met, so many things we've learned, about ourselves and others. We couldn't have asked for a better experience in our beautiful country, and it truly is a beautiful country with incredible people.
We gathered our things at Ben's and headed out for our last ride. It was foggy and we agreed that we liked it because it embodied every image we have of New England before the trip. This day was a day of lasts. We ate our last breakfast together which consisted of honeybuns at the last gas station that we would stop at. For our last lunch, we hit the last McDonalds and had our last McDonalds dollar menu items. It was a weird feeling today.
About halfway through our ride, Will Charles and Karl Linde met us to take the last of our stuff so we could ride completely unweighted for the last section of our trip. It was great to see them and we felt like we had been given wings when we emptied our racks and set out for Lubec.
We journeyed onward and soon made our last turn onto our last road that we would ride on. The traffic was minimal and we rode side by side enjoying the last few moments that we had with just us. Soon was saw the beautiful town sign for Lubec and stopped for pictures.
We continued on and flew through the small fishing town that is the most easternmost town in the US. As we came down to the Canadian border, it was a cool moment because we came down the hill and through the fog saw all our parents and family cheering us on. They had gathered right at the border with a banner strung high that we rode under in sheer joy as we had finished the journey.
It was all smiles as we took pictures at the border and hugged family. Even some tears were shed in the realization of what we had accomplished. After some photos, we rode down to the pier and touched the marker on the rocks marking Canada. Than, we rode down to the water and Dietrich led the charge into the frigid cold water. There we hugged, and on the count of three all dipped under bathing in the cold Atlantic water that we had road all summer to feel.
From there, we returned to the hotel and were presented with medals courtesy of Seth's Grandparents. Afterwards we showered and spent the rest of the day touring Lubec and sharing stories about the trip.
I don't think the three of us will ever realize quite how much this journey has changed us. It has challenged us physically, challenged us in how we relate to others, and challenged us in our relationship with God. The trip taught us that life truly is a long journey where you need to continue to press onward towards the goal. People were placed along the way to provide for your needs when we felt weak and tired; to provide words of encouragement when we felt like we couldn't pedal another pedal. We thank everyone who has helped us, fed us, provided shelter for us, encouraged us, and prayed for us and we acknowledge that you weren't placed to help us by chance but that God was guiding every part of our trip. So with all that said, let everyone who reads this know that America is a beautiful country. The landscapes of this country are incredible but more important is the kindness and generosity of its citizens. There are many genuine caring people in this country. Take time to meet them and share with others.

Note- this is not the closing post, as we mentioned before, we will each add our own conclusion, they should be up in about a day or two.

3 comments:

  1. Congratulations! We knew you'd make it.
    Your friends, David and JoAnn in Tipton.

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  2. Congratulations guys! What an awesome accomplishment! We have really enjoyed following you on your blog since we met. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
    Take care & God bless! Stop by & see us if you are ever in the area.
    Maloney's in Missouri

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  3. Seth, what an incredible accomplishment for you and your buds. Enjoy the memories for many years!

    Neil

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