The US is Alive and Well

Hello party people. 

The past two weeks have flooooown by. We have lost all concept of what days even are. All we know is that once the sun has risen we're up and riding and once it has set we're sleeping (somewhere). But honestly, I love not caring what day today is specifically, and that all we have to worry about is where our next destination is, where we will be sleeping, and what we will be eating. 

Warm Showers continues to provide us a wealth of hosts who surprise us with their no-strings-attached generosity. But, we've also met others not from Warm Showers who amaze us with their kindness. This whole trip has shown me that even though many people want to escape the US and go somewhere "better" to live, the US still has plenty to offer, especially in regards to the people. Certainly, the news appears to demonstrate that there is only bad news happening in this country; however, one bad lot shouldn't define the rest. If you think about it, how many of y'all have been to every nook and cranny of the US? Or even half of it? Even with us on bikes, Ajelet and I are missing a whole bunch in each state (there's just not enough time to do it all 😭). Putting this into consideration, can we fairly judge the rest of the country based on the actions of a select few? 

Last week, we stayed with our friend's parents in Spokane. You can check out Ajelet's last post for more details about that, but what really stuck with me was their genuine compassion. On top of that, when I got my first flat, a lady had pulled over in her minivan and with no hesitation offered to take us wherever we needed to go even though her car was half full with her stuff, her mother, and her three year old daughter. Yet, we managed to squeeze in two bikes and all of our bags. A few days ago, Google Maps took us to some dirt path that involved me and Ajelet swearing like sailors--in our heads (okay, maybe it was just me)--and took us in the opposite direction of where we needed to be. So, we went back down to the campsite that we had passed and sat on the side of the road waiting for any truck to pass by so we could hitchhike. Luckily, Steve and Andrea spotted us looking pitiful eating our PB tortillas in the middle of the road and offered to help us out. 

We ended up camping at Beauty Creek and went over to their RV in the morning, where we enjoyed lots of blueberry pancakes, eggs, and sausage. Steve then drove us to Kellogg, ID to get us back to where we needed to be on our journey. Funny story, he accidentally drove us all the way up the mountain pass before we realized where we were...but we felt like that was cheating so he drove us back down to Kellogg, though it hurt our souls to lose the distance we had just gained. 

Anyway, the point of all of these examples is that everyone we have met thus far has done the above and beyond to help us out. As such, people like them make me truly believe that the US is alive and well and not dead like many people (and the news) believe. You just gotta open your eyes a little bit more. 

Xtina