In The End
the finish pose
final odometer reading: 3703.1 miles
November 06, 2008
In the end it wasn’t about four riders independently setting out to cross the continent. One of the initial goals for each of the guys was to cross the country self-contained, meaning having everything one needs to survive on their person or on their bike. The journey would make one thing become vibrantly clear; there is nothing independent about a cycle across one-sixth of the earth’s circumference. Rather, it is a community effort on such a grand scale that it came to embody the entire continental ride. We found that the spirit of American hospitality is alive and thriving.
We threw ourselves out into a world we were initially unaware of and were received in ways we couldn’t imagine. From the hospitality, friends and places we fell in love with, to those that cheered us up, helped us find our ways, or put complete trust in four total strangers with a silly dream of crossing America by bicycle.
As for the finish, we all came away changed. It is truly a surreal experience to dismount the bicycles that we have lived on, pondered on, grown on, and spent an average of 8 hours a day on for the last two months, to step back into the beautiful reality of human existence. For the future, we will be going down to Nicaragua with volunteers and equipment for two weeks following up to Easter. It is our passion to make a difference by saving lives. Specifically, it will be a hectic two weeks for us. Our itinerary consists of teaching volunteer lifeguards in accordance to universal life guarding policies and international red cross standards in Spanish and English. We have been in constant communication with the Nicaraguan Red Cross and anticipate an incredible and unique experience for everyone involved. We ask that you check back to this site often for the news on how we are doing.
It is a great honor to feel so much support from such an incredible community of people- from the microcosm to the macro… the local community we live in- to the amazing country we’re apart of, we have all been deeply affected. Thank you to the friends and families that followed us online and made us feel loved, to the donors that see potential in us and agree with our cause.
Tags: american hospitality, in the end