Sorry for the delay with this last post. It took awhile to decompress after we finished our trip and I needed some time before I finished off the blog. Anyways, the last few days have felt very strange. It is odd to not peddle all day and to sleep in the same place at night. Really, both Mom and I just can't believe that our journey has come to an end.
We woke up Monday morning to a steady downpour of rain. Since we only had to peddle 40ish miles and our friends couldn't make it to the beach until around 3, we had a nice lazy morning. The rain was still coming down in buckets when we left, but what can you do? When it wants to rain it will rain. So we peddled through puddles and gave up all hopes of remaining dry as the water worked its way underneath our rain gear. Once we got 10 miles from the beach we holed up in a coffee shop to dry off and wait so our welcoming party could get to the beach. Thankfully the rain lightened up and by the the time we left our refuge the sky was grey but the precipitation had ended.
As we biked along the familiar roads Crescent Beach, we were struck with a sense of disbelief. It just didn't seem like we had come that far. We were excited to see friends and family but didn't want our trip to be over. We talked about stopping and turning around more than once. And as we approached the shoreline the most amazing thing happened. The clouds broke and blue sky emerged. It was perfect. We rounded the corner to meet our family and friends in the parking lot and were overwhelmed with their enthusiasm and support. Flowers, posters, happy faces, and cheers greeted us. We felt so loved in that moment and could not have asked for a better celebration. The crowd followed us as we dragged our bikes through the sand and into the water. My father brought out two bottles of champagne and special Northern Tier jerseys that my grandmother had bought for us. Kathy from Mass Vest a Dog had beautiful posters with our trip highlights. Better than all the flowers and bubbly, however, was the ability to share the ending ceremony of our long journey with family and friends. We are truly grateful to all those who showed up to support us. For those of you following along that were unable to join us, we understand and appreciate your support as well.
That night we ate at my father's favorite sushi restaurant in Portland before heading back to Camp Winona where he has spent the summer without us. It was actually the first time that I have been back at camp for quite some time and it was nice to see old friends and relax on the shore for a day before heading back to NH. Currently, Mom and I are holding down the fort at NH while dad remains at camp. She starts work again next week and I need to drive back to Massachusetts and move into my new apartment. Things will pick back up again for us very soon but right now we are still in a weird lull. Already we are talking about our next trip. It will definitely not be as long as this summer, but we both get some vacation time and a week isn't unfeasible.
We will continue to keep our go fund me page up for a little while more to see if we can rally up any last donations. Please consider donating if you have not and share our journey and cause with your friends and family. Every little bit helps and we appreciate all donations!
Anyways, I hope that you have enjoyed following our adventure. So many people come up to us and tell us that they are so impressed and can't believe what we have done. Honestly, it doesn't seem like such a big deal to us. We took one day at a time and just peddled. The hardest part of the trip was making it happen and taking the commitment plunge. So if you are considering some crazy adventure, my mom and I have three words for you: "GO FOR IT!" Really, we have had an amazing summer together and are so happy that we believed in ourselves enough to pursue the dream and that our friends and family supported us through it. Thanks again for the encouragement and support.
Best,
Casey
