Nobody Said It'd Be Easy... Nobody Said It Would Be This Hard

We're baaaccckkkkk!!!!


So we couldn't just end it without giving our 50 State Tour a proper goodbye post, but we were having a really hard time coming to terms with being done.  It's been two months and we still can't say goodbye.



We get out on the bikes as much as we can, but a two mile ride to my mom's just isn't the same.  Every once in a while, I'll be laying in bed and I hear the all too familiar Coldplay song from our Give a Bike video coming from the speakers of Adam's computer.  It still puts a smile on both of our faces.




Most of you told us it'd be hard to come back to 'real life' and there was never a minute that we doubted you... but we weren't ready for just how challenging it really would be.


When preparing for a journey, you prepare yourself for ups and downs.  For everyday challenges.  For knowing that in the end, it would all be worth it.  But you don't prepare yourself to go back to life as you once knew it.  You might think that your new life may resemble your old life, but there is a big void missing.








 





So instead of settling back in and coming to terms with the fact that our incredible year is over, we're trying to enjoy a bit of a break, save up some money, and figure out what else is in store for us.   In the meantime, we've been focusing on all the good that comes out of being home, though I'll admit it's an odd mix of longing for the adventure of the open road along with enjoying the comforts of being static.

Some of our happy times:

Getting to see our nephew Remy grow up.  He's just starting to take his first steps.


Riding a bicycle without carrying our home in the panniers.


Not having to eat the entire stick of Kielbasa all at once... refrigerators are genius!


Sleeping on a mattress every night.  No box spring or frame yet... let's not rush into things here.




Adam and I have been setting aside time to plan what's next. The questions we've been struggling with are: Do we somehow continue with Give a Bike? Do we start a new adventure? Do we go back to old jobs? Or do we use the skills we've learned along the way to work towards a new career?  You know, one of those things that might make us money so we don't have to ask you for it again.


After spending some time, still uncertain of where we would go from here, we received word of a position for the Bikes Belong Coalition and their peopleforbikes.org initiative.  We were intrigued. Reading further, we noticed the job is actually for a team of two. Alright!  It involves traveling the country. Even better! And we'd be motivating more people to get out and ride more often!  Can't get much better than that!

Hiking on Kauai

So we've put in our application and are crossing our fingers, but this job opening has already given us so much.  It's given us hope.  We were lost, unsure of where to go or how we might be able to combine our passions and our talents in a career.  But this job opening is proof that there are jobs out there that fit us.


With this new found hope, we're able to more easily see that the Give a Bike: 50 State Tour is not over.  It was just our beginning.

Kauai's Kalalau Trail

Thanksgiving Dinner with Pam, Pete, and Dave.

Making a Palm leaf bowl

Hanalei

Snorkeling with turtles

Our muddy hike on top of Kauai

Tahiti Nui (I guess there was a scene from The Descendants in this bar)

Above Hanama Bay with Zach

And no other but.... Dog The Bounty Hunter, himself!