Written by: Fred Smoak
This is the penultimate (I almost never get a chance to use that word) blog post. It is very appropriate since today was kind of penultimate experience. We have been riding for 10 weeks to get to the Atlantic Ocean. Tomorrow will be the culmination of all that work as we dip our front wheels in the Atlantic Ocean after starting our ride by dipping our rear wheels in the Pacific.
However, as I was riding with a small, random group into Kennebunk, the leaders suddenly veered down a little side street. As I turned, there was the ocean I have been riding towards for all this time. There was no pre-arranged ceremony or well thought out plan – just a sudden realization that we have accomplished our goal.
The group was entirely random, but any others would have been just as satisfying. It’s a testament to how cohesive a group we have become. This ride could never be permanent. But I will be sad to see it end nonetheless. Seeing the ocean was a realization not only of accomplishment, but also of the end of a unique experience that few have been privileged to have.