Sea-to-Sea Wrap-up The trip home went well, everything was on time, the luggage arrived, the bike boxes followed although I have not opened them up yet. I hope that all riders had the same pleasant experience. Reconnecting with family and friends, although started will take a few weeks. In our case we will finally make it to our home in the Picton area late Tuesday night. Now that the tour is over we will have to get used to many things again; the speed of car travel and the limited visibility and sensibility around us as we travel, for me getting used to a cold toilet seat will take a few days (the luxury of only 2 or 3 seats for 100 men is that the seat is always warm), sleeping on an elevated bed in a room bigger than 7’ square but we had some nice scenes in the morning out of that tent window, not having to scout out a new tent site every day and setting up etc. We have lived outdoors for 2 months, 24 hours a day and being inside will take some getting used to. Our life has had a very narrow focus for 9 weeks – that of riding a bike to the next appointed stop every day – and everything focused on that, eating, sleeping and conversation. It was almost all we knew and had to worry about. Now as we return home all the other issues of normal daily life close in on us and for a while we may seem overwhelmed by them. One adjustment that is more profound is a kind of time warp. I found this after the 2005 trip also; it is like having been in a dream for 9 weeks. When we left the summer was starting and now it is over but you have not been home to experience it. True you have done other things but they were out of the norm and do not count as summer. The trip seems to be classed as something else in your head. True it was hot but it was not ‘summer’ as you have known it your whole life, so now as I sit on the patio it is difficult to convince myself that it is September and not June. What permanent changes will we make in our lives as a result of hearing about and discussing poverty issues for the past 9 weeks? Will we continue to raise the topic in other discussions bringing out a new perspective on the issue? I for one am more aware of what our church is doing in the poor areas of the cities in the USA. I will continue to work for DRS (the disaster response service of the CRC relief committee) as I have prior to the tour but now I may look farther a field for projects that I can help with. Jesus said to his disciples that we would always have the poor with us. Proverbs mentions many times the plight of the fool and loose living people. The bible also tells us to love our neighbour but we are not expected to give everything we have to them so that we become penny-less ourselves (the good Samaritan) but we are to make sure that they are taken care of, that there is justice for all and we can do that on a small scale on our home front or some of us have the opportunity to do it on a larger scale. Thanks for reading this blog. As you know it is not always easy to post and thanks for your encouragement in that respect.

Sea-to-Sea NA Day 58 The police car came roaring by with siren blaring and lights flashing. Oncoming cars moved out of the way as best they could. Bikes shifted to the right tightening the pack. This was the escorted ride to Liberty State Park, close to 200 riders all in their Sea-to-Sea jersey. It was quite a sight as we drove through the poorer sections of Newark, people cheered, cars honked and trucks blew their air horns. Ladies hung out of windows taking pictures and shouting. Two local boys joined in the procession and asked what this was all about, then phoned his buddy to tell him while riding along with us. Kyle got a flat but continued to ride not wanting to be left behind. As we entered the park, more people, wearing Sea-to-Sea clothing and holding signs congratulating this or that son, uncle mother or the riders in general. In the water ahead were Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, not far from the peer we were riding on. At the end of the boardwalk/peer (which was really surfaced with paving stones) was a large group of family and other tour supporters all cheering in chorus with the hoots of the riders. Earlier I had wondered if the boat launch would be long enough to accommodate us all but it turned out there was a beach as well, which was just long enough for all the riders to line up. Len lead us in the Lord’s Prayer and we proceeded to dip our tires in the water. I did a virtual dip in my head. Brent was the only one who ventured in up to his neck with his bike held high above his head. Later he went for a swim. Pictures were taken, mutual congratulations offered, hugs of welcome and goodbye, a few tears were shed and then it was all over. The 9-week ride from sea to sea, finished as it began, at the sea but on the other side of North America some 6500km away. We loaded the bikes into 2 50’ trailers, packing them as best we could, then we boarded busses for the ride back to Sussex. Quick, quick unload the truck, set out the tent and sleeping bags thanks to the soggy night we had had, get a bike box out disassemble the bike, shower, dress, pack up the stuff that was drying, board busses go to dinner, attend a celebration service (which was very good) board busses, continue packing and saying goodbyes, prepare for sleep in the gym and finally at 12 midnight out went the lights and sleep. The day had started at 5:30 because wagon-train-master had decreed that we should start earlier and have the gear truck loaded by 8. It had rained during the night and there was a light drizzle when Rita, Anne, Val and I set off about 7:20 (Val is a GR rider from Manitoba). It was not exactly an insignificant ride as we climbed many small hills and rode 85km before reaching the staging point. Another group photo was taken on a lawn outside a factory among the evidence of at least a couple of Canadian Geese. We had a near record of flat tires because of the rain and roads littered with glass particles. I will make one more concluding post to the blog in a few days so please check again.