Why I Ride ...
I'm a proud supporter of the PMC because it is leading a charge to beat cancer. In fact, last year 100% of rider-raised revenue went directly to support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's tireless commitment to finding a cure. Even though I'm not riding the actual PMC in Massachusetts, I wanted to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and I felt this bike ride/adventure followed the spirit of the PMC. I thank all of you who've accessed this website and your interest in my trip. I will try to update it daily (if I have any energy left at the end of the day, that is) and if I have access to a computer. If you'd like to donate and your employer generously offers a matching gift, please consider taking them up on it. Thank you
My Trip
From Key West, Florida to Eastport, Maine
The trip can be described in several ways. From the southernmost point of the U.S. to the easternmost point of the U.S., from west to east, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Maine. Either way, the trip will total around 2,500 miles. I will be skirting the Atlantic coastline the best I can.
Daily Updates
Day 1 - Due to some delivery problems, I did not receive my bike until later in the day. I headed out from Key West at around 6:00 pm and rode around 30 miles until it was too dark to ride any more. Key West was tough to leave, it beckons one to stay and relax.
Day 2 - Well, it was a tough day and I didn't get as far as I wanted to. It's probably not that hot but hot for a Yankee from the north (actually a Red Sox). Wishful thinking to make more progress I guess plus I'm learning how my body is adjusting to the Florida heat and trying to figure out what and when to eat to prevent 'bonking' (running out of energy on a bike) in this 46 year old. Riding out of the Keys was neat, lots of bridges (one was seven miles long) and many waterviews. Near the end of the day, I took a detour off of Route 1, out of the way, but great smooth road with less traffic through a wildlife preserve. Wanted to rest here and there but it wasn't practical considering it was a crocodile reserve with a sign warning sign about some type of 'cat' for the next seven miles. Well back to civilization which can be just as scary sometimes (traffic).
Day 3 - Heading out from Florida City this morning for Miami and then north up the Atlantic coast. Good fortune in the that smoke from the fires in western Florida are not blowing toward the east coast today. Well, it was a long day. I understand now why the Miami basketball team is called the Heat. I rode by Homestead Motor Speedway and the military base, up Old Cutler Road, through Coconut Grove, and towards Miami when due to my fascination at the first bridge I saw to get over to the coastline I took the wrong bridge and ended up in Key Biscayne. I took a quick dip there in the bay but realized my mistake and had to head back to the mainland. Guess I just couldn't bear to leave some kind of Key. Ended up riding through the heart of Miami and by the place where the Heat won last night (sorry Celtic fans), over the Venetian Causeway and finally made it to the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful beach and eater. Now I was heading due north as close to the coast as possible, A1A. Some parts are nice right along the water while others were difficult with the amount of traffic, turnoffs, bridges, hotel after hotel with the Trump name on many. I did get a chance to swim for about 20 minutes later in the day, great water/waves for my tired body. Getting used to the ride now though I can't say the same for, to protect the inncoent, my posterior. That will get better with time. Leaving Lauderdale-By-The-Sea early now, about 6 am to try and avoid some of the heat today, think the road/traffic conditions will be more favorable after getting through the mass humanity of Miami. In fact, it seems that many local bicyclists ride at later night or early in the morning due to that. Met some nice people along the way so far. It's funny, when I ask for directions sometimes to a particular destination up the road, I'll get the response "Oh, that's really far away, like 6 miles or so". I think I'm going to stop asking since it's depressing to hear that even though the road I'm on is in the thousands. Time to go, have a great day everyone and thanks for your continued interest. Jeff
Day 4- Today I got to Fort Pierce. It was very peaceful at the city of Palm Beach. I swam at Singer Island and also went to Jensen Beach. It was hot, but I had a beautiful ocean view the entire day.
Day 5- Today I left Fort Pierce and went up Hutchinson Island North. I followed Route A1A. It was a great way to ride to Coco Beach. Then I went inland to avoid Cape Canaveral. I saw the Meritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I ended up in Edgewater. Check back soon for more updates...
Day 6 - Left Edgewater and rode up to Daytona Beach area, riding on the beach with my roadbike for a half mile, didn't want too much sand on the bike. Very hot, kept riding up A1A where Mother Nature hurt me, then helped me. In the distance I could see dark clouds forming up the coast so I was trying to get to next town on coast which happened to be Marineland. As I pulled into the Marineland site, the winds become cool and pretty wild, gusting to I'd say 50 miles per hour making it difficult to pedal anywhere. I took cover under a sizeable overhang. Some folks and their family setting up a triathlon competition for the next day had to as well as they were previously set up in an adjacent county park. While I waited it out, I got to speak a while with these nice folks and they offered me some of their preday pasta meal which hit the spot. I left when it seemed good enough to in the rain but no impendng threat of thunder/lightning and rode with my lights on. The storm brought much cooler air and it felt great since the previous heat was about to break my spirit. I riode up to St. Augustine, very nice, and decided to ride fast up to Jacksonville Beach area. It was cool and beuatiful with the waves crashing to my right. Of course, I ran into some difficuclty finding a hotel room since the Players Championship was going on in Ponte Vedra, rooms were booked but local folks helpmed me find one. Off from Atlantic Beach, Florida to Mayport Ferry and into Georgia today. Thank you for all who have contributed thus far, have a great day!
Day 7- This morning, after a good breakfast, I left Atlantic Beach, Florida with favorable weather. The day started off great. I took the Mayport Ferry over the Saint John's River, and it was so nice to be on the water for a bit. I then rode up A1A to Amelia Island and Ferdinandina Beach, which is quite a beautiful gem of a town. However, I then began taking a road headed west, back inland, and it was under construction. The road surfaces made me fear that my tires would pop or get wrecked. Plus, there were west winds going at 10 or 20 miles per hour blowing right in my face. I was a peloton of one- no one was breaking any wind for me. After that little adventure, I took Route 17N into Georgia, where the road was quiet. The interesting thing about Georgia bike paths is that they are extremely thin, and very close to the roads! I feel like a circus performer trying to walk the tightrope at times, but I'm making sure to be very careful while riding. Anyways, I kept pedaling until I reached Darien, GA, which is where I am staying tonight.
Although I have already said it, I would just like to let everyone know that I really, really appreciate everyone's support of this ride. The donations and inspirational messages that I see online and/or hear about through Margie and the kids are invaluable to my motivation. Your support is the reason I am able to wake up every day, get right on the bike, and pedal until nightfall. At this point, I have come to realize that this is the most I have ever challenged myself before. Your support helps me approach this challenge with determination rather than uncertainty. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Day 8 - Left Darien, Georgia heading for Savannah and South Carolina. Headed out about 8 a.m. for which ended up being a real long day ending up on the outskirts of Charleston late. The route went from the smells of the sea to the smell of pine tree in Georgia. Didn't think I'd be running into logging trucks near the coast but where there are lots of trees, there are lots of paper mills. Reminded me of the logging trucks out in Montana back in 1988 but these truckers gave me good space. Route 17 North in Georgia wasn't too bad now since I was used to it, just had to stay focused as always. Headed right down into Savannah and crossed the long bridge over the Savannah River. I had asked some of the local tourist run operations about the bridge and the sign that said no pedestrians/bicycylists but they didn't mention that I could have taken a water taxi across??!! Sometimes the local info you get is really helpful, at other times it's not.. A bunch of the local people don't know the area they live in that well but that's no surprise, no different than me not knowing a name of a road only a mile away from my home probably. Then I had to walk my bike over another bridge into South Carolina. South Carolina is like a daisy, not as to whether she loves me or not but rather I love SC, I love you not SC. The roads are not pedestrian/bicycylist friendly, not many shoulders to lean on, especially heading up to Beaufort, where I encountered some rain. From there, I made it back to Route 17 North and found a nice bike path for a little bit which unfortunately stopped and I was back on the road which was under construction which actually helped me since the construction crew let me ride on the new pavement, my own lane in the SC countryside for many miles. I know North Carolina has the Tar Heels, but for this afternoon South Carolina had a couple of Tar Wheels, on my bike that is. It was a long ride bringing it into the outskirts of Charleston, the toughest day so far for sure from a mental perspective.
Day 9 - Left for Charleston and stopped off at Charleston Bicycle for some brake tweaking, thank you Mike for taking care of my bike and giving me real good advice as to how to get through Charleston safely. Nice town, nice architecture. The bridge out of Charleston (Ravenel Bridge) is magnificent with a wide protected bike/pedestrian lane, great views. Since the day before was tough, I spoiled myself a bit by taking a detour down to quiet Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms on the coast crossing yet another 2 bridges (lost count of how many bridges I've crossed now!) As I pulled into Sullivan's Island, I noticed a pub with outside dining and a Red Sox sign out front, Dunleavy's Pub. I had to stop there of course being a Red Sox fan myself so I had some seafood chowder and had a nice talk with one of the owners who was from Connecticut. Also met a few people from RI at the pub, it was as if I was back home in New England. Great pub inside, check it out if you're in that area. Anything right near the beach, the bicycling roads are fine as one would expect. Back up to Route 17 North, wondering how the roads would be. The roads in SC "are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get" (Forrest Gump). They change from county to county, town to town, etc, Rumblestrips to the right, to the left, no rumblestrips, no shoulder, bike path, a rollercoaster ride for sure. And if you get caught in the rumblestrips, it's like you get stuck in them and can't get out. take comfort in every church I pass taking in the message on their welcome board for perspective, reminding me that God is watching over me and all the drivers that pass by me safely. I crossed a long bridge out of Georgetown over a wide river that looked like chocolate milk with whitecaps, cool. Well, I ended up making it to Surfside Beach, a little south of Myrtle Beach. The ride near the end of the day was real nice with a great bike path that winded through the woods near Murrells Inlet and a ride right along the ocean. Had to pack it in due to dusk, plus it's biker week so it was pretty busy and loud with my all my 2 wheel friends out there with me. Ended up at 1st hotel on a beach, nice for a change. Looking forward to quieter roads today heading out to Cape Fear. Thank you each and everyone of you and your families (from CT, MA, PA, CO, CA, etc.) for contributing to cancer research and all of your messages of encouragement, they're like a lifeline pulling me back home. I need all the help I can get since I'm going uphill, on the map at least.
Day 10 - Good morning. I went for a nice walk on the beach at sunrise. Beautfiul morning here, and walking through the warm water felt real good on my feet. Nice to walk rather than pedal once in a while. Will be heading up to North Carolina later this morning. If you can believe it, I shaved this morning finally, no more Rambo heading into town. Hi to everyone at work, thanks for your words, they're inspiring me! Have a great day!
Day 11- Hey everyone! I caught the 6:00 boat to Ocracoke on Thursday and now I am going to ride on the Outer Banks. I hope to get to Virginia Beach by tonight. I'll give more details when I find a computer.
This is Jeff's son Joe giving an update because my dad can't find a computer. Jeff rode up to Chesapeake, Virginia but couldn't catch the ferry so he will ride to Virginia Beach tomorrow.
Day 12- Once again my dad couldn't find a computer so he can't provide details on his trip but I'll give you the basics. My father biked to Ocean City Maryland and stayed the night. He is now taking the 10:15 Cape May ferry.
Day 13 - I went from Ocean City through Delaware coast up to Lewes, Delaware. I missed the first ferry by 5 minutes, so I caught the next ferry to Cape May. I rode to the Cape May point and headed up the coast. It was much cooler outside, and the head winds were tough near Wildwood. Then I went to Avalon to Atlantic City. I walked to the beach and the water is cooler.
Day 14 - I'm heading to New York City!
Day 15 - Well, so you had a bad day yesterday? Me too from a bike perspective at least, my first flat followed by another flat along with a sizeable detour and a bad shoulder for 20 miles in mid-Jersey led to a long and delayed day which led me to miss the ferry to NYC but I'm trying to catch it later this morning and then go over the the Brooklyn Bridge to Long Island. Thank you all for your interest and donations. If you know of others who know of me, pass the word/website as to what I'm doing, word of mouth seems the best way. I appreciate all the comments from everyone from home and at work and the nice people I've never even had the chance to meet (even the Go Yankees comment Lee!). When I left yesterday morning from Atlantic City, it reminded me of Springsteen's song Glory Days because back in 1988 the cross country trip ended there on the boardwalk (from Seattle) and it was a great moment seeing my Mom and Dad and brothers and especially Margie (the longest and best hug ever in my life). I reminisced as I rode my bike down the boardwalk yesterday morning, at least the day had started out great. Seems every day has it's ups and downs depending on all kinds of variables. I'm pretty tired now after 2 weeks so I run out of energy at the end of the day when I should be providing descriptive updates. I'll provide some other details when I catch my breath and catch up on some sleep. Have a good day everyone.
Day 16 - Got up early and left hotel near Monmouth Racetrack (horsetrack) and rode at hard pace trying to catch 8 am fast ferry to Manhattan. The pressure to ride to catch certain boats and to get in before dark takes somewaht of a toll on one's psyche after a while but it probably makes for a good workout. I caught the ferry out of Connors(sp?)/Highlands, NJ though the signs seemed to be directing to go further up to Atlantic Highlands, NJ, several miles up the road for another wharf location. It was as if this was the secret boat for the locals. Well, I'd say I didn't fit in with the crowd on the boat, Wall streeters looking sharp as can be though not particularly happy since they were on their commute to work. The boat ride was nice and I spoke at length with a man named Steve who brought his bike in to the city for commuting and worked for an ad agency doing animated computer graphics or something for Verizon, "can you hear me now". He told me about working in the city and the convenience of utilizing the ferry. The boat ride was nice, seeing all the big ships lining up to come up the river, passing the Statue of Liberty, going beneath the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (as all you NYC marathoners know well), the Staten Island ferries, the busy activity of Manhattan and docking near Wall Street. From there, I wandered around trying to find a way to get on the Brooklyn Bridge. After asking several people and policemen, I did find the entrance. In my dealings with policemen, I noticed a heightened sense of scrutiny due to the security issues in the city, understandable. Seems like there are cops everywhere which is a good thing. Rode over the Brooklyn Bridge with everybody else in the city which was neat, it has a good path for bicycles and pedestrians. When I got to Brooklyn, I was trying to get back over to the East River to ride along the water. I asked a young and very sure of himself policemen how to get over to that area and he proceeded to ask me why I would want to head down to the Coney Island area so I told him I was on a long bicycle trip and that's where I wanted to head. He continued by lecturing me " do you realize how big the city of Brooklyn is?", in and of itself, "it's one of the biggest cities in the U.S.". The discussion was pretty amusing and he ended up suggesting that I make beeline down Flatbush which I did. It took forever and the traffic and humanity was nonstop but it wasn't a bad ride. I didn't look out of place, everybody seems to be unique in NYC, I just rolled with the flow using the sidewalk whenever possible. Finally made it down to the Gil Hodges bridge to head over to Rocakaway beach to hear and smell the Atlantic again. I went east as far as the unrestricted roadways would allow, then headed back up north and started using the Long Island Bike Route map I received from the NY DOT. It'spurpose was to try and keep bicyclists away from busy roads wherever possible onto lesser traveled roads. It was pretty useful but since you had to zig and zag here and there, progress forward was affected. Did I mention that Long Island has a lot of cars and people, at least 3/4 the way out east from NYC. There was a real nice bikepath near Bethpage and the rest of routes were fairly reasonable considering the humanity there. Due to the amount of time it took to keep moving, I could only get to Riverhead, which unfortunately is a town that's a bit pricey but one nice hotel cut me a break, relatively speaking, since there didn't seem to be a happy medium for motels there. I got in late and was not near any food place so I ate what I had left, an orange.
Day 17 - Left Riverhead at 6:40 (no continental breakfast so I was running on water or fumes you could say) and once again had to ride at a fast pace to try and catch 9 am boat out of Orient Point since I was trying to meet with my family in New London for a brief reunion. I thought the ride was like 30 miles but since I was on the other end of town, it was more like 35-40,not a nice wake-up call. At least the roads weren't as congested since I was heading further east on the North Fork. In the morning with the quicker pace, I definitely notice the cool sweat on my brow. Maybe it's me but you're riding best you can and when I saw updated mileage markers for distance to Orient Point, they seemed to be contradicting with my pace, based on the info on the Cateye at least. It's probably just a mind game thing but all the work sometimes doesn't feel like it equates with the distance. I made it with about 10 minutes to spare, got on the boat and pulled the Mr. Rogers routine again, no not the change to sweater and slippers but the change to long pair of long shorts/T-shirt/hat/sandals so as not to offend the paying ferry customers with the cycling garb. The morning was absolutely beautiful, the temperature, the picture perfect sky, and the waters I'm familiar. It was a great feeling to be on that boat, seeing my homestate of Connecticut across the sound and knowing my family was trying to get down there to meet me. The sound, Niantic, Waterford, the Race, Fisher's Island, Avery Point, New London/Groton, the Thames River, some places where I've kayaked, the Amtrak trains, Electric Boat, the sub base, all felt like home even though I live in Coventry. As the boat backed in, I saw my family, all seven of them, in the distance. I counted to see if everyone was there and when I got off the boat, I walked over, laid the bike down and had some wonderful long hugs. It was real nice to see them all again. They all said I looked thinner which kind of makes sense and noticed my tan, biker tan that is, one of the rare times I actually have a tan before the rest of the family since most everybody has Margie's pigmentation. Even though later than expected in the number of days it took to get up the coast, I picked a great day to sail in to CT since it had been raining in New England like everyday the past week or so. I have been really fortunate weather wise since the storms/rain have been moving away from me each day. We hung out a while and talked but I had to move along so I switched out some of my gear that I didn't need anymore and they proceeded east towards RI since I needed help getting over a few restricted bridges. I crossed the bridge over the Thames and headed down to Avery Point, UConn's beautiful satellite campus on the sound then headed east on Route 1 and encountered the hardest hill on the whole trip so far, Fort Hill, in my homestate of all places, welcome home! It was tough but I made it all the way up without stopping then headed through Mystic, great scenic town with great memories since my grandparent docked their boat there, past Stonington, into RI and down to Watch Hil, my favorite beach since I was kid. I was happy to be riding on familiar roads. I saw our van, left a note in the windshield wiper as if it were a ticket and found my family on the beach so I hung out a while taking a quick dip in the cold ocean with Olivia and Julia. To Wakefield, RI then a little help from my friends (my family in the van) getting over the Newport and Sakonnet bridges which are restricted, resuming in Tiverton RI once over the bridge. Unfortunately I had a flat due to really tough roads. Seems that whenever I'm changing a flat, mosquitoes like to stop by. I made it further up the road to an area with motels but since some were supposedly by the hour and darkness had arrived, my cousin's wife saved me by bringing me to their house in Marion. Learned that I have to be flexible, smart, and safe on this journey more than anything else and accept whatever comes my way with weather, flat tires, road conditions, safety, etc.
Day 18 - Left Marion, MA from my cousin's house where I received a great welcome and wonderful hospitality (including a great meal of scallops, swordfish, salmon, and rice prepared by Bob and a great breakfast the next morning prepared by Alison and a great bagged lunch for the day. It was great to stay there and visit with their family, it rejuvenated me physically and mentally (and nutritiously). I left the next morning riding out towars the Cape through Onset down to the bike trail along the Cape Cod Canal. The bike trail was great, smooth and right along the canal and it was a beautiful morning. I rode it from the train bridge near Mass Maritime under the Bourne Bridge to the Sagamore Bridge which I crossed by foot since the drop to the road would was precarious plus it gave me a few more minutes to enjoy the view. Once over the bridge, I followed the northern route on the Cape, Route 6A, which meanders along over slight rolling hills, a beautiful road even though the shoulder was minimal but drivers seemed to go with the flow easily and keep at a safe enough distance. The day had turned Cape like with some fogginess and saltiness in the air, a good riding day. I caught the wide bike trail out near the elbow on the Cape and followed it until it ended further north. Great trail and there weren't many people on it which made it an easy ride out towards Provincetown where the weather was cooler and foggier and misty. I was planning on taking the 4:30 pm fast ferry to Boston and luckily got there a few minutes before 4:00 pm because the boat schedule changed it to 4:00. Of course, their credit card machine was down so luckily I had enough cash to get on the boat. Nice ride and much better weather in Boston as we passed through the Harbor islands and all the busy harbor boat activity and airport activity at Logan. The scene in Boston on a Thursday afternoon was great with happy hour on the wharf. Hung out a little while enjoying the atmosphere. I noticed another shuttle ferry with the name Winthrop ferry which turned out to be easier than taking the "T" (subway) over to Winthrop where I stayed at my brother-in-laws Mom's house right near the water and Logan Airport. Again, great hospitality from Ginny who was sitting down to dinner when I arrived. Chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, broccoli, and ribs were great (she must have known that I needed to put some meat on my ribs). We went for a walk on Deer Island early the next morning before she had to go to work and I had to leave but she set me up with peanut butter and jelly, bread and bananas so I could make some sandwiches and lunch for the road.
Day 19 - Left Winthrop, MA about 8:30 am and headed north along the water out of Winthrop, past Rever Beach to Marblehead, Salem, Beverly and out to Manchester before heading up towards Ipswich and Newburyport. Lots of great riding along the beach or coves then into the marshy inland. Ended up in Kennebunk, Maine (will update with more details when able, ditto for Day 20).
Day 20 - Left Kennebunk and ended up in Thomaston, Maine, very cold day, overcast, foggy, and misty, stopping at Margie's friend Linda and her husband Andy's house in Old Orchard Beach for a nice visit and staying overnight with Blake and Alethe Donaldson's house, both places where I was treated like a king, much appreciated.
Day 21 - Leaving for Bar Harbor, Maine in cold, overcast weather again, have a good day and thanks for your support.
At the end of this journey, I'll provide full updates
In meantime, some songs I've sung or thought about while I've ridden that motivated me or kept me going, yes I can actually multitask, ride and sing at the same time and no one is hurt by my singing voice except the birds maybe:
Watching The Wheels Go Round and Round (John Lennon)
I Go To Extremes (Billy Joel)
Take It To The Limit, Already Gone, Desperado (Eagles)
Southbound, Midnight Rider, Jessica, Ramblin' Man (Allman Brothers)
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne)
Peace of Mind, Long Time (Boston)
Move Along (All American Rejects)
I've Been Everywhere (Johnny Cash)
The Middle (Jimmy Eats World - the song, not the video, but no complaints here)
Running Down A Dream, Into The Great Wide Open (Tom Petty)
No Surrender, Glory Days, Out In The Streets (Bruce Springsteen)
It's My Life, I'm a Cowboy ("on a steel horse I ride", not titanium for sure) (Bon Jovi)
Ney York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
Highway To The Danger Zone, Meet Me Halfway (Kenny Loggins)
Rumbleseat, Real Life, Ain't That America, Your Life Is Now (John Mellencamp)
Nimrod ("unpredictable") (Green Day)
Fire and Rain, Secret of Life (James Taylor)
Take The Long Way Home, Dreamer (SuperTramp)
Against The Wind, Turn The Page (Bob Seger)
The Long and Winding Road, Get By With A Little Help From My Friends (Beatles)
Don't Stop Believing (Journey)
Rocky Theme
Be Not Afraid
Day 22 - Made it to Bar Harbor yesterday and rewarded myself with a lobster roll, clam chowder, and blueberry pie, always the tourist. Headed back out to Ellsworth where I stayed overnight. Off to Lubec to see Eastport and the end of the journey, the Quoddy Point Lighthouse.
I rolled down the hill to the Quoddy Point Lighthouse earlier this afternoon to finish the journey. Did I mention that Maine has hills and they never seemed to give up right until the end. Of course, for every hill climbed, there's a wonderful descent to enjoy or vice versa depending on how one looks at it. The credit for this day in my opinion goes entirely to my cousin Frank Albano from southern New Hampshire (and his wife Shauna and son Tristan who didn't see him for the day) because he drove up to meet me at the end. Since my trip had been delayed from the start due to a bike shipping issue and it took me longer to finish (I am no Lance Armstrong), I was ready to end the journey in Bar Harbor since I had to start heading back towards Connecticut and the easternmost point in the U.S. is a very long way from CT. All along, I didn't feel it was reasonable to expect anyone to go up there, it was my intention to ride back to a closer location but my days were running out. In fact, I dipped my front wheel in Frenchman's Bay on Sunday afternoon to signify the end realizing that I gave it my best under the circumstances and was ready to ride back south. Like the Rolling Stones say, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you get what you need" and I was ok with that, I was satisfied with my effort. But lo and behold, I received messages from Frank and Shauna that night encouraging me to in effect "go the distance" because they were willing to pick me up and bring me back to their house on Monday night. What an opportunity they provided me, I cannot thank them enough, I''ll never forget it. I will need to take one more of my vacation days to ride home but I am looking forward to it, there's nothing better than a homecoming.
Everything seems to be a blur right now as if it was a dream, I'll need to let it all sink in. I had doubts at times but all your words of encouragement kept me going and God willing we were able to complete this journey together. Thank you and your families for your generosity in donating towards finding a cure for cancer, you're all making a difference.
I'll be thinking of these songs tomorrow as I bring it home and provide some final insights after I get home:
I Got A Feeling "That Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night" (Black Eyed Peas)
100 Years To Live "chasing the years of my life" (Five for Fighting)
I'm Going Home "The miles are getting longer it seems, the closer I get to you" (Daughtry)
Who Says You Can't Go Home (Bon Jovi and the Sugarland girl with that twangy voice)
I Run To You (Lady Antebellum)
Give A Little Bit (Goo Goo Dolls cover of Supertramp)
Hi everyone, I did make it home but I needed a day of mental recovery, I plan on updating with final information Thursday night, sorry for the delay. One thing I do know, my brain has finally told my body that it can stop now...
Take two, the energy drain continues at nighttime, I'll update by end of weekend, thanks
