Dietrich Linde Signing Off

I had some people tell me before I left, “This isn’t going to be a trip about biking. That bike, well that’s just a simple form of transportation for a great adventure.” They couldn’t have been more right, and because of that I’ll need to give some people some credit.
“The Locals:” This trip could not have worked out better. We began the trip seeing some of the most incredible sights possibly throughout those first 3 weeks. It was unbelievable. We met some great people out there and they gave us a nice taste of the west. We then departed for Kansas, and the Midwest, the place everyone told us to skip over. All people did was complain about how hellish it was going to be, seeing nothing but corn and wheat fields. But it was out there where we got to see the real, hardworking, good ole’ small town American’s. Not only did we meet all great people, but we didn’t meet any remotely “bad” people either. The worst we got was the one guy that said “you’re in the belly of hell.” These people were great and they absolutely just walked us from one state line to the next. They fed us, talked with us, taught us, showered us, and even mothered us as well when we needed it most. They would do essentially anything for us, and its great knowing that I could go back and stop in at any of the houses, and immediately be welcomed in with a place to stay. And against all the warnings of the East coast being a tough place to find help, time and time again we were welcomed into homes with such wonderful people. I think it’s best to say that we can learn a lot from these people, and I can only hope that those that read this would do the same. Some of the most frustrating times were when people we knew personally would tell us “wow, I would never allow three strangers like that in.” So, for the sake of the people we encountered, I say within reason to help those that need it: pick up the hitchhiker, open your home, and “feed the hungry.”
Now for those guys that I enjoyed waking up next to every single dang day of the trip… I remember thinking three days in, wow arguing like this blows; it can only get worse from here. Well that didn’t happen at all. Those bigger arguments like what route to take, or “Seth why don’t you have spare spokes” just fizzled into a few little petty things which would come up every now and then. We argued about dumb things like, “Bobby just sit, all we want to do is just sit. Sit Bobby” So for the fact that we spent 24 hours a day together, ate, slept, talked, saw, and heard all the same things, and had the great “joy” of seeing each other’s greatest high’s and greatest lows, I do believe we got along incredibly well. We became so dependent on each other and did not even know it. Its tough telling people things about the trip without those guys there backing me up and taking a line. And it’s not when we felt on top of the world at Moncharch Pass or riding through home that did it for me. It was those times when it was just us, the times only we know that I really knew to love these guys. Times like the 40 McDonalds lunches, or eating PB&J crammed behind a fence being deafened by the wind in the “belly of hell” when we didn’t say a word or that great 9 hour ride through the desert in the middle of the night. I’ve learned a lot about these guys, and got to really know who they are. They’re great, great guys, and I could not have asked for much greater, and for that I’ll try my best to find you some great, great girls as well. I learned a lot about them, but I learned a lot more from them, I can only hope I did might have done the same. Thanks again guys, we really did it. Maybe I’ll l cry a little now…
Finally I want to give credit to the one that changed this bike trip, and gave us something we never could have imagined on our own. It sure would have been different without Him, and singing the song “livin’ on a prayer” as I pedaled through the desert could not have been more relevant. Hope, prayer, and a “little” touch of ignorance is what completed this trip for me. I lived off that stuff. It’s something I can’t really describe. It was when the timing, the thoughts, and the emotion all came together so perfectly that God really shown through undoubtedly. I honestly have countless stories of when I really, truly, without a doubt saw Him. Weather, safety, people, routes, and timing are just a few things to where we were so graciously blessed. We were blessed by the people, and I can only hope they can say the same for us. This trip, through all its frustration definitely put your faith on the line… and then just like that through a little bit of patience everything would change and all you could say was “Wow, why doubt?” If you could walk through my shoes just one day or even one hour on this trip, you would see and you would believe, and all those we stayed with I’m sure can attest to that as well. For once in my life I have felt something that is truly indescribable, and I can only say one thing about that: your prayers were felt, they were felt. Thanks again.