All my bags are packed . . .

I'm ready to go (home) . . . I think.

For the last seven weeks, my life was reduced to basic needs:

-Food: LOTS of it and ALL the time, and calories and nutritional value were not always the most important factors. Ice cream once or twice a day was not only normal, but desirable! When we found out that we got to eat dinner in a dorm: "OH BOY!!"

-Liquid: all kinds of liquids, and the colder, the better . . . pitchers of water, all you can drink pop, more chocolate milk than I've drunk in my whole life (for recovery purposes only, of course!), weak Gatorade which was de riguer at all Big Ride water stops . . .

-Shelter: A dry tent was home. Staying in a dorm room was like staying at a four-star hotel.

-Cue Sheets: These were our daily guides for living. Where were we, where are we, and where are we going? Look at the cue sheet. What day is it? The cue sheet will say. The burning question that all Big Riders would ask each morning was, "What time will cue sheets be handed out?"

-Outlets: When a Big Rider arrives in camp each afternoon, one of the first things he/she looks for (sometimes before searching for food, liquid, and a tent space) are electrical outlets. Any available outlet would quickly have cell phones, Garmins, and/or camera batteries plugged into it. Hordes of internet addicts would be huddled with their laptops around all available power sources.

-Towels: Yes, towels. Most of us used quick-drying camp towels, which only have one redeeming quality. They dry quickly. They dry themselves quickly. They do not dry a person quickly or satisfactorally. It's more like smearing the water around on your wet body, so any time we had a chance to use a real towel, it was a luxury!


Now, I'm at BWI (Baltimore airport), waiting for my flight home, and I've found an outlet. I'm fighting the urge to drink chocolate milk and eat massive quantities of high quality airport food. When I get home, will I be able to handle clean bath towels and a real bed? And all the outlets . . .


This group of 37 Big Riders was diverse. Our ages ranged from 19 to 69, we came from all over the country (Ash and Pauline came from Canada!), and we came with all levels of cycling abilities and experiences, but we all had one thing in common: The desire to do something amazing and to raise funds for a worthy organization.

We all accomplished our goals! We ALL rode all the way across the country on our bicycles!!!

I tended to ride with the same group of riders most days, and their pictures were featured often in this blog. There were many other riders, though, who were too fast for me, so other than hearing an "On your left, Diana," I rarely saw them during the day. Here they are:

Ed (and Mark)
Bob, Darrell, Cliff, and Bruce
Steven, DeWayne, and Chad
Noah
Austin and Rueben
Simon
James
The two Pattys: Patty Campbell and Patty Harm
Stephanie
Greg
Kevin and Jim
and Brendan

It was an amazing ride. Thank you all!