Day 71. This is it. The day we have been anticipating for months. 40 miles to Seattle!
The normal routine occurred: packing the trailer, eating breakfast, and route meeting. However, we had Brendan, Bike & Build’s coordinator, who was driving the van so the leaders could all ride their last day of the trip. We completed route meeting with our chant. We rode in a large group for a majority of the day. We actually managed to get lost a lot, taking several wrong turns. Opps.
I biked with Bob, Meghan, and Michelle up to the Seattle sign where we took some celebratory photos. We met at the host site so that we could bike together to the ocean to meet our friends and family eagerly awaiting our arrival. Once the sweeps (who were our leaders) got the host, we gathered extra clothes, towels, champagne, and went on our way to the beach. The entire way we hollered, yelled, and laughed to the beach. We would yell at people and say “WE BIKED ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY!” A lot of people doubted us. I don’t blame them. It still sounds like a crazy statement to me.
We arrived at the beach where families greeted us by cheering for us. I saw my parents and my brother there! It was great seeing all of them. Once we greeted family and friends, we took our bags and shoes off and lined up our bikes by the shoreline. After popping champagne and a countdown, we all ran into the ocean, dipping our front tires into the ocean. We did it. We biked from Providence, RI to Seattle, WA. 3,940 miles.
We jumped, screamed, and swam in the freezing cold water. We got strange looks from so many people. That’s what you get when you come rolling in with spandex.
We took loads of photos, then ate an awesome potluck. SO MUCH FOOD.
Mixed emotions filled the area. Excitement. Sadness. Confusion. Shock. What’s next in our lives?
I want to thank all 28 other cyclists for making this summer a truly awesome experience. I can’t wait to see your successes and how you will continue to impact communities across the country. If you are ever in Ohio (or wherever I am in years to come), don’t hesitate to get a hold of me!
I hope that I have inspired someone to consider doing Bike & Build, go volunteer at a local affordable housing organization, or simply go on a bike ride. If anyone has questions regarding Bike & Build, please feel free to contact me via the contact tab. I’d love to go into more detail or answer questions about my summer.
Lastly after 7,500 + hits on my blog, I need to thank my readers. You are one of the reasons I made my blog (plus, I have a terrible memory, and this was a fantastic way to remember the details). I hope you found enjoyment reading through some of the stories of the trip and seeing the view of the country from a bike. Thanks for reading my blog 🙂
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