We made it to the Atlantic Ocean! On Monday August 21, Christina and I spent our 67th day biking into the Atlantic ocean in New Haven CT. We were welcomed with so many friends and family cheering us on and greeting us by the water, making the moment even more memorable and joyous. It's hard to believe that biking won't be tomorrows task, or the day after tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after, or the day after...
These last few days leading into the grand finale were relaxing and enjoyable. We decreased our daily milages to around 50 miles a day (except on the last day), visited some beautiful sites, and as always, spent our evenings with wonderful people. When we got to New Jersey, our friend Josh, whom we met along the way, let us stay at his place for the night. We met Josh and his two buddies way back in Montana and since they finished earlier than us, he hosted us! It was a lot of fun getting to catch up and hear about the rest of their journey. Who knows, maybe we'll combine a trip with them some time in the future...Race Across America perhaps?...
The following morning, we continued on our way and took a break at my brother Yechiel and his wife Sara's home. We went to Synagogue with them and had so much fun seeing their adorable kids and energetic dog :P Yechiel is currently doing his residency and therefore has the craziest hours, but he finally had a free Saturday on the day that we were passing by so the timing couldn't have been better! Though it was short, it was so nice to be able to see him and spend some time with him and his family.
On the 20th, we biked through New York and crossed the George Washington Bridge which was so cool! It was a bit crowded on that bridge with so many inpatient cyclists and walkers, but I tried to ignore them and enjoy the incredible view of the Hudson River and the city. I must say, I don't really care for NYC, but from a distance, it truly is beautiful. That afternoon, we arrived in Purchase New York where my cousins live and where my grandma from Ecuador was. They greeted us at the top of their street with a huge welcome poster and lots of love. Growing up, I used to visit them regularly, so biking to their house was so exciting because for the first time since we started this trip, I felt familiar with my surroundings. I could really feel home being just around the corner. We spent the day playing outside, swimming in the pool, and spending time with the family. The following morning, we woke up early and made our way to the Atlantic.
Unlike our first day which consisted of lots and lots of rain, we biked to the coast on a beautiful, sunny day. The east coast definitely gives off a stressful and fast pace vibe that I have forgotten about since living in Colorado, but I think we were both too distracted about finishing this journey to get frustrated with the hectic roads.
We arrived at the coast in New Haven early afternoon and were greeted by so many family and friends. What a party! We ran our bikes into the Atlantic ocean, made sure our front tires touched the water, and of course, took a dip ourselves as well. It felt so refreshing and liberating. We really did it! We biked across the United States of America!
After celebrating by the beach, my dad and sister Liora joined Christina and I for the last 22 miles to my house. We biked along the Farmington canal trail and biked without our packs which felt SO much easier.
Whether it be because we have gotten stronger over these past two months, or the hills weren't as bad as we thought they would be, or because it is all over and we already forgot all of the pain, I must say that the mountains both in the west and the east weren't as bad as we thought they would be. Tiring for sure, but doable. In fact, everything about this trip was doable. That is one thing that really began to hit Christina and I these past few years, and this trip proved our observation to be true. Today in our society, we don't give the average joe enough credit. We don't give ourselves enough credit. We are so much smarter, stronger, happier, and talented than we allow ourselves to be. We hear something, such as the idea of biking across the country, and immediately think that we are not capable of such a task. We think only a macho professional biker could do something like that, but in reality, anyone with the desire, willpower and determination can do it, just like everything else in life. It is without question that there were a lot of really hard days throughout our trip, physically, mentally and emotionally. But there was not a single day where either of us thought that we wouldn't make it or wanted to quit. It wasn't a question. We went day by day, week by week. We took rest days about once a week, we challenged ourselves on some days (such as our 140 mile day), and biked easy 40-50 mile days other times. Each day had its thorns and roses, but every thorn taught me something new and every rose will forever be appreciated. I know it's obvious, but this trip really helped me realize how much influence we can have on our own lives. How we react to life is a choice. Everything we do in life will have its ups and downs, there is no way around that. We will always have our struggles and hardships, but it's what we do with those struggles that can turn them into something beautiful and worthwhile.
Looking back on these past 67 days, I will forever hold on to the endless acts of kindness that people continuously showed us day in and day out. I used to struggle with the idea of accepting help from others, but this trip has made me realize how nice it is for us to work together and share our strengths and weaknesses with each other. There are times where I cannot offer much, and other times where I can. During this trip, Christina and I have had so many people host their homes for us, give us advice, drive us to places on our off days, and just go out of their way to help us even though there was nothing in it for them. I do hope that our presence was also pleasant for them, but it cannot compare to the kindness that was shown to us each day. I am so excited to pay it forward now that this trip has come to an end and give all that I can to others. We have been on the receiving end for so much during this trip and are very excited to be able to give just as much and more back to anyone that comes our way.
It still hasn't really hit me that we are done with our trip. Though it is very nice to be home again, especially since lots of my siblings and nieces and nephews are home, I will really miss allowing my mind to wander all over the place. I will miss all of those worry-free days, having the opportunity to be out in the fresh air all day long, getting plenty of exercise, and exploring the country and the wonderful people living in it. I have had the time to think and question about so much and it has been so nice to do so. Especially having just finished college, there is so much on my mind about who I am and where I hope to see my life going. I have had so much time to reflect, question, and analyze things and have learned a lot about myself, my surroundings, and what I value. The memories that Christina and I have experienced during this trip will always be with us and I look forward to seeing what our next adventure will bee...
Starting at the end of September, Christina will be moving to Austin Texas and I will be going to Israel. I am very excited to move there and take on this next chapter, but until then, I am going to enjoy every minute I have with my family :)
I'm sorry we weren't very consistent at keeping up with our blog, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed following it and I thank you for being a part of our lives:)
~Ajelet
