Final map update!

The map is finally finished, we made it from Seattle to our wonderful arrival party in Brooklyn!  Photos will be coming soon.  It may have been hard to tell who has been writing what on this blog at points, since Molly and I have been essentially one human for the past couple months (by the way, it’s very nice of my friends and family to assume I wasn’t responsible for the screw up at the border, but I should come clean and admit that Molly is way smarter than I am).  But it’s definitely Anna now, and after the first night without her in over 2 months, I gotta say, that girl is a true champion.  Always up for anything, always ready to laugh in the face of adversity, always seeing the best in people, and most importantly, always starting every day ready for the universe to make it a great one.  It takes a special person to sign up for something as unknown and difficult as this trip.  Molly Gaebe is that person!  Way to kick ass, Molly!!

Safe and Sound

We made it! We were welcomed by the most amazing welcoming party ever, and my parents surprised me and flew from Miami to meet us! It’s been a surreal day. More on this tomorrow, I am currently in my own bed, well past my bed time. Holy crap.

Dave Thomas: 1,000 points

Go Wes! My dads college buddy from Wesleyan, Dave “THE BEST” Thomas, hooked us up with amazing accommodations for our last night. We were expecting to camp in a dog run behind a bike shop in Nyack. But instead, we are now living it up in an amazing room at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. We definitely feel like we earned it after one of our more difficult days. We can’t thank Dave enough (THANK YOU!). It’s a very special way to end a very special trip.

This is a “bike path”

Guys, this is our bike path to NYC. Now do you believe us that the universe is doing everything to keep us from New York? It never ends…

It just never ends.

Not a mile out of the door…

Can’t Sleep, End of Trip Thoughts

I’m just too friggin excited, home is just around the corner! This is our second to last day, and it is completely surreal. I really should be trying to sleep because, like yesterday, I’ll probably fall asleep on the tile floor outside a tattoo parlor bathroom again in the middle of the day. As excited as I am, it’s moments like that (and many more) that I know I will miss when I get back. The afternoon unplanned nap under a tree or by a tattoo parlour. Boiling eggs in an alleyway. Applying gold bond powder to my butt on the side of the road. Peeing by the side of the road. These last two are verydear to my heart. All these little moments are ones that only being on a bike tour (or being homeless) can provide. I have laughed to tears more in the last two months than I ever have, and I have some damn funny friends at home. It has made me appreciate the little joys in life SO much more. A bed, shower, clean clothes. Guys, these things are AMAZING. And now I know everything I need to live can fit in 4 small bags! I had never camped before this journey, and my mother fancies me a ‘hoarder’, so I’m very impressed and content that I kicked ass at living the minimalist/homeless lifestyle. Ah! I could go on and on about all the amazing people who have inspired me along the way, about how breathtaking America is, about how proud I am in the strength of my body and mind, but like I said, I should try to sleep! I could go on about how I have learned lessons that only hard work and flat tires can teach, about how disconnecting from screens and distractions has led to more deep thinking I have ever done, and about being in a vulnerable position (looking homeless) brings out immense kindness from strangers, but I should try to sleep! I could go on about how amazing Anna is and how spending so much time with an awesome, strong, kickass, hilarious person makes me better, but I’ll probably cry. She’s my Misty May, my better half, my ordering at restaurants and splitting delicious meals soul mate. Without her, I would never have done what is to date the most incredible thing I’ve ever accomplished. So guys, if Anna ever emails you and asks you to go on an insane cross country bike trip, SAY YES. You won’t regret it.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse…

It did! Anna got ANOTHER flat. That’s right, her 4th flat of the day. As we moved to a side road and as Anna tried not to go postal, a guy pulled over and asked if we needed help. We told him our situation and he said he has 26″ tires he could give us. We were skeptical, people usually do not have that size tires laying around. But, EGG ON OUR FACE, he comes back 5 minutes later with a tire that works! Our Savior, Steve. So awesome. He gave us directions to Beacon and we were finally on our way. He even appeared in Beacon as we arrived an hour later! He said he came because his girlfriend said to check on us. What an AWESOME GUY. The universe is fighting our arrival to NYC, but if the amazing people we have been meeting have anything to do with it, we will be there on Sunday, safe and happy.

STEVE!

Update to the Highs and Lows Count

Still in Rhinebeck…

High:
Just found a new awesome flavor of Clif Bar at a bike shop where Anna got her tire fixed.

Low:
In a shitstorm of green

Back in the Hunger Games

New York State is doing everything it can to keep us from getting to New York City. Anna got 2 flats yesterday and 3, YES, 3 flats THIS MORNING. Also it’s pouring rain and we have headwinds of course.

Highs and lows report:

High:
Right now we are in Rhinebeck where a very nice lady was so impressed with us that she bought us a fancy lunch and desserts.

Pear tart:

Lows:
Got out of free fancy lunch to find this flat in the pouring rain:

Anna’s about to bust a cap in someones ass.

Tom Moench is Everywhere

Even in books on how to survive in the wilderness.