Panama City Beach

I rolled into Panama City Beach yesterday, managed to get interviewed for the local evening television news channel, hugged my sister for the first time in months and hugged my niece, nephew, and bro-in-law for the first time in 5 years. It was a crazy, disorienting, joyful day.

(Local news clip link: http://youtu.be/73k_fbBiVN0 )

They had a beautiful guest room waiting for me, with a basket full of delicious soaps, lotions, bubble bath, and shampoo. "Do you need another pillow?" they asked, "is two going to be enough?". I stood staring at the double bed, thinking that just 5 days ago I was stealth-camped on the side of the road, using my coat as a pillow and rejoicing in the fact that, although the ground beneath my tent was very hard, it was at least smooth. I managed to laugh, and reply that 2 pillows was luxury...

There are still more miles to bike, but the main event has come to pass. Visiting my sister and her family was my milestone: I knew that once I got here, I would feel like I truly had biked across the country. Ive pedalled 4,600 miles as of yesterday.

I'd still love to bike to the Atlantic side, to make this a proper coast-to-coast tour.We'll see if I get that far. There's something that's happened in my mind since yesterday, and I can feel the trip winding down. I will continue to post here until I return to Oregon in January, since the adventures will undoubtedly continue.

Thank you, thank you, with all sincerity, for the strength you've given me. Your readership, messages, phone calls, and well-wishes were better than any energy bar to keep me going. Never have I felt so loved as I have in the past three months. I look forward to the opportunity to thank each of you personally.

Here's to the future!