The End.

For those of you who weren't there, we rode into Portland, Maine on a sunny afternoon last Wednesday. We were greeted by a crowd of friends and family and had a fun celebratory dinner afterward. Now we are settling back into life in Maine. Ray got a part time job at a bike shop until he goes back to full time work at the TV station, I am looking into what I will do next.

We ended up riding something over 4300 miles to get from Anacortes, Washington back to Maine. Now that we're back it seems like we were gone for such a short time, even though for us the journey across seemed pretty substantial and full of so many sights and memories. Though I am glad to not be sleeping in a tent every night, I miss the gentle rhythm of daily travel by bicycle. It was strange to start driving and find ourselves moving along really fast and yet not feel the wind blowing over us. At first I really noticed the terrain, too, the slight uphills and bumps that can quickly go unnoticed when driving. I'm still not quite up to full speed in the car. As soon as I make some repairs to my bicycle I hope to ride it around as much as I can.

Its funny how when travels end and you return to where you were before it almost seems like it never happened. All that's left are the memories and it reminds you that the days slip by and it is so important to notice each moment even when you are not traveling. I think we both felt a sense of accomplishment and happiness at reaching our goal on this trip, but I hope everyone realizes that it wasn't exactly a struggle or an impossible task. I guess that's another good lesson from these travels -- that often it just takes some determination and the desire to do something or get somewhere. Anyway, we had a fabulous time and I know we will always remember our cross country adventures. We hope to have our pictures sorted out soon so that if anyone wants to see the rest of them they can. Again, thanks for joining us on this trip, it really meant a lot.