... just under three weeks and three-thousand miles, i'm home ...
... after a relaxing stay with mike and beth, i made a nice little back road wander up to a wendy's on route 9 just outside worchester, where i met up with roger who was returning back to maine after completing his madawaska to key west to san diego to seattle iron butt "four corners" ride ... we had lunch, then, both of us a bit road weary, we motored north ... the ride back to maine was uneventful ... uneventful, that is, as long as you don't consider mid-50°f temperatures in june eventful ... i think that between the recent hot weather i suffered and my i'm-almost-home lack of energy i probably chilled easily, whatever the reason i had to stop and don much of my cold weather gear ...
... i've covered the bike, piled all my gear on the table, enjoyed a hot shower, and finished a piping hot bowl of fresh cooked ramen noodles ... it's true, life is good ... as soon as i finish winding down i'll go slip into bed, which is awaiting me all freshly made just as i left it, but first i'd like to provide an epilog to my little story:
... carl and jane and family, phil and susan and family, for your wonderful hospitality and high "moocher tolerance" level, which allowed me plan and enjoy a much richer experience, thank you ...
... jon, for lending me your home, as if i'd booked a suite in the finest of hotels, thank you ... it was difficult to leave (your refrigerator i emptied might've had something to do with it, i'm afraid) ...
... mike and beth, thank you for making it so that on my drive back east i got to return home twice ...
... adrien, who jumped out of an airplane while i was away, who nourishes people, and liz, who dusted my apartment, who helps little children learn to love learning, thank you, your encouragement and support means far more to me than i can ever express ...
... and, of course, all of you, who shared my journey, thank you ... without you at my side this would have been nothing but a drive across the countryside ... instead, by allowing me to connect my life to yours, you helped insure that this wandering would become one of my life's great journeys ... thank you, thank you very much ...