It’s rather intimidating to write a blog entry for the very first time, especially when It has a title that carries such high expectations: “The Journey.” I’ll just dive right in.
Roger isn’t exactly sure when he first thought about riding his bicycle across the country, but he remembers seriously thinking about it in 2009, after he had a very positive experience cycling in an organized ride from Maine to Washington D.C. that took about nine days.
Fast forward to two years ago, when I agreed to accompany him and drive an RV as his support vehicle. Roger began planning the route, which would find us spending some nights in an RV, some in hotels, and some with family or friends. People kept asking us if it was going to be a fundraiser, but we wanted to try something different. We thought, since we’re going to be stopping in so many towns across the country, how about if we talk to people, and learn a little bit about them? Thus, the idea for Conversations Across America was born.
Many hours of planning later (and training, and research, and Amazon purchases of everything from new bicycle shoes to a little $3 fan that circulates the air in the RV fridge), we found ourselves in Florence, Oregon yesterday for the start of the journey.
Over the course of these first two days, I’ve experienced a range of emotions. I’m so proud of Roger for making his number one Bucket List item a reality, and proud that I’m able to help him make it happen. I’ve also been awed by the breathtaking beauty of Oregon in the spring, stressed out by small challenges as I take on tasks that are part of our new routine, and grateful for the many loving and generous things my brother and sister-in-law did to give us a memorable send-off.
Tonight as I was hoping to post this, we discovered that we are truly off the grid, with no internet or cell coverage. That’s going to be the case many times over the course of this trip, so I might as well learn to live with it now and not get so unnerved by it. Everyone will just have to be patient if we don’t answer a phone call, a text or an email, or if we don’t update our blogs every day. So now, as we start to drift off to sleep with the soothing sounds of the McKenzie River just outside our RV window, I will simply plan to post this tomorrow when we’re in a more populated area.