Hooray!! We made it to Natchez! It was a huge success after both storms and COVID had put forth so many hurdles over the last 3 years. Natchez was such a welcome site to all of us.
It did not come easy though. I may just be speaking for myself, but I am glad it wasn’t just a downhill coast into town. The night before we had threats of storms and as a group, we all decided to ride a little faster, determined to make it to Jackson. Ask one of us about our little hill Adventure.
In Jackson, we left a little later to avoid storms and take advantage of a tailwind that never came, but no one quit. We had around 3000ft of climbing, faced a strong headwind, and sore legs from the day before to complete this journey. In many ways, it was better this way. Just knowing that we had the ability to overcome all obstacles rather than we missed out on a quick coast into town.
As I reflected on my travels back, and the worries over leading this ride began to disappear, there was an appreciation that April’s ride was a tremendous success. We built some sturdy wheelchair ramps in Houston, formed new relationships with churches, and saw so many friends at others. The ride is what may attract us together, but the experience is what has us come back. I don’t know if everyone truly grasps how grateful I am to our hosts, those who followed us, and the riders who took the time and energy to make this ride such a huge success. My heart is full and I am rejuvenated by our experience,
To those looking into October’s ride, we have new experiences coming. We have been invited to participate in a Pudding Festival with Shady Grove United Methodist Church, enjoy BBQ/smoked meats in Collinwood, and participate in blessing others with projects in Houston.
As I parked the trailer back at the Fuller Center I took a sigh of relief and started to look forward to our next Adventure, and I can’t wait to head back to Nashville.