By bike is cleaned up and boxed up and will soon be shipped back to Minnesota, and I am sitting on a train heading to the San Francisco airport. It is strange to be traveling so quickly after months of traveling at such a naturally human pace. I am excited about going back to camp for a couple of weeks once I get back to MN and looking forward to working on some of the ideas that I've had in the last few months, but I imagine that it will take a bit of getting used to normalcy again. I find myself with quite a mix of emotions at the end of my journey, but my heart is filed with happiness and gratitude when I think on all of the wonderful people that I met on this trip. I remember my wonder at seeing the beauty of the land, and the accomplished feeling after battling through a difficult day. Nathaniel and I had discussed at length the differences between having an idea and executing it, between thinking and doing. Is one more important? Without the thought, there is nothing to be done, but an idea has no existence without execution. Until I got on that plane to Boston, until I actually put my feet on the pedals and started riding through my first day of gusty winds and blinding pollen, this adventure was just an idea, something a friend had done that sounded like a good idea. However, I'm not sure that I would have even thought of doing this if my friend David hadn't done a similar trip last year. I met many people that thought my journey was really cool, and said that they would like to be able to do something similar someday, but only a few actually grabbed their bikes to ride with me, even if it was only for a mile. The thought is important, extremely important, but it is ephemeral until it is realized. My point? I'm glad that I did this trip, that I realized what started as a vague idea, because I met people and saw things that I never would have even thought of if I hadn't gotten on my bike and started peddling. My continued thanks to everyone who helped me on this trip. Minnesota, here I come!