To my dearest readers, friends, supporters and believers,
It has been difficult for me to swallow the reality of actually completing my journey and settling back into the groove of life in my family back in Toronto. As seems to be my habit, this update is very delayed in its delivery.
In a nutshell, I made it to San Francisco and fell in love with the city and its beautiful, progressive people. My friend and I were reunited and I was overjoyed with having such a wonderful and fun individual to share in the last leg of my journey. Mike and I decided to escape the city limits after having a glorious few days exploring. We did the one thing that I'm sure most cyclists would turn their noses up at, we rented a small car and threw all our gear, instruments and bicycle in the back and took to the highway.
Our road trip was a welcomed change from being alone and having to be so incredibly self-motivated. There were some rocky moments, but all in all I was relaxed and happy to be in good, caring hands. We visited Yosemite and experienced the glory of Half Dome, then we met our real test and got caught in some nasty weather in Sequoia National Park, but still made it to the base of General Sherman (the largest tree, by volume, on earth)! Next, we cruised down to Hwy. 1 up through Big Sur and all its stunning vistas and then back to San Francisco. There is nothing I would change about that last leg, or any leg of my journey for that matter. How can one feel regretful about soaking in natural hotsprings at 2am under a night sky that appears to be raining with stars?! Even with waking up at 4am. only to discover there is a small snowstorm outside and our things are floating in a pool of water on the floor of our tent! Moments like these are really the ones that make the greatest stories.
Mike left a day later after arriving back in San Fran. I was sad to see him go, but also feeling so preoccupied with knowing my journey was also coming to an end and I didn't know how to feel about it. Part of me was feeling so torn about not cycling all the way to San Diego and disappointed in myself. As someone who has struggled in the past with feeling less than the next person or one step behind, I believe that perhaps not "finishing" as defined by my set destination (in this case the border) helped me overcome this negative perception of myself and has since empowered me and taught me to be flexible in life and its preordained lessons. By not cycling all the way, I'm beginning to understand that maybe it wasn't about reaching the border but rather not "completing" and discovering a way to still feel good about what I've accomplished thus far. I am still struggling with this idea, and some days are better than others, but overall I believe that I really did accomplish what I set out to do and that is what counts. I wanted to see if community, or rather this idea of community and communal responsibility still existed. I wanted to live with very little in the way of material things, but still feel like I had a lot to offer. I wanted to marvel at the natural wonders of Mother Nature, be humbled by her greatness and live in harmony in the greater web of all living things on earth. I wanted to see if it was possible to do something that I virtually had no real experience with and just go for it and trust in myself, in the goodness of people and in the limitless universe around me. I discovered that all of the above is possible and more. To believe in oneself, the bounty of life and to live passionately with love in your heart is the greatest gift you can give. If there is one message I have to deliver after arriving home, it is this: Be hopeful. The future is what you make it. There are hard times ahead, of this I am sure, but when you choose to live with love in your heart and a fiery belief in the bounty of life, you will always find a way to make things work out. You will manifest what you need in the most surprising ways. It is important to remain open and welcoming of such changes.
A huge thank you to all the wonderful people that believed in me and my journey. You have all given me a gift that will last me a lifetime and beyond. I am eternally grateful. This is not the end, but instead a new beginning into a world that is full of fresh possibilities. I look forward to continuing my journey of self discovery on a new avenue.
It has been difficult for me to swallow the reality of actually completing my journey and settling back into the groove of life in my family back in Toronto. As seems to be my habit, this update is very delayed in its delivery.
In a nutshell, I made it to San Francisco and fell in love with the city and its beautiful, progressive people. My friend and I were reunited and I was overjoyed with having such a wonderful and fun individual to share in the last leg of my journey. Mike and I decided to escape the city limits after having a glorious few days exploring. We did the one thing that I'm sure most cyclists would turn their noses up at, we rented a small car and threw all our gear, instruments and bicycle in the back and took to the highway.
Our road trip was a welcomed change from being alone and having to be so incredibly self-motivated. There were some rocky moments, but all in all I was relaxed and happy to be in good, caring hands. We visited Yosemite and experienced the glory of Half Dome, then we met our real test and got caught in some nasty weather in Sequoia National Park, but still made it to the base of General Sherman (the largest tree, by volume, on earth)! Next, we cruised down to Hwy. 1 up through Big Sur and all its stunning vistas and then back to San Francisco. There is nothing I would change about that last leg, or any leg of my journey for that matter. How can one feel regretful about soaking in natural hotsprings at 2am under a night sky that appears to be raining with stars?! Even with waking up at 4am. only to discover there is a small snowstorm outside and our things are floating in a pool of water on the floor of our tent! Moments like these are really the ones that make the greatest stories.
Mike left a day later after arriving back in San Fran. I was sad to see him go, but also feeling so preoccupied with knowing my journey was also coming to an end and I didn't know how to feel about it. Part of me was feeling so torn about not cycling all the way to San Diego and disappointed in myself. As someone who has struggled in the past with feeling less than the next person or one step behind, I believe that perhaps not "finishing" as defined by my set destination (in this case the border) helped me overcome this negative perception of myself and has since empowered me and taught me to be flexible in life and its preordained lessons. By not cycling all the way, I'm beginning to understand that maybe it wasn't about reaching the border but rather not "completing" and discovering a way to still feel good about what I've accomplished thus far. I am still struggling with this idea, and some days are better than others, but overall I believe that I really did accomplish what I set out to do and that is what counts. I wanted to see if community, or rather this idea of community and communal responsibility still existed. I wanted to live with very little in the way of material things, but still feel like I had a lot to offer. I wanted to marvel at the natural wonders of Mother Nature, be humbled by her greatness and live in harmony in the greater web of all living things on earth. I wanted to see if it was possible to do something that I virtually had no real experience with and just go for it and trust in myself, in the goodness of people and in the limitless universe around me. I discovered that all of the above is possible and more. To believe in oneself, the bounty of life and to live passionately with love in your heart is the greatest gift you can give. If there is one message I have to deliver after arriving home, it is this: Be hopeful. The future is what you make it. There are hard times ahead, of this I am sure, but when you choose to live with love in your heart and a fiery belief in the bounty of life, you will always find a way to make things work out. You will manifest what you need in the most surprising ways. It is important to remain open and welcoming of such changes.
A huge thank you to all the wonderful people that believed in me and my journey. You have all given me a gift that will last me a lifetime and beyond. I am eternally grateful. This is not the end, but instead a new beginning into a world that is full of fresh possibilities. I look forward to continuing my journey of self discovery on a new avenue.
You made it! Alaska to California ! Congratulations!!! You express your thoughts in a profoundly clear manner. Your words feel so real and they melt away the fears I have in my own life as I read your posts. You are such an inspiration for the rest of us. Thank you for sharing some of the special moments you've had along this incredible journey! When can we catch up I want to hear more!! :)
ReplyDelete