Well it all boils down to this. Our last and final day on the 4k. The definition of bittersweet. I’ll explain that in a minute. First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!!!!!!
Here are the pictures:
Today I rode for my Mom and Dad. Like I said in the dedication circle, “They’re pretty much the reason for my existence.” But in all seriousness, I owe all of my accomplishments to them. Since day one, they’ve provided everything I ever needed, supported me through whatever came my way, enabled me to achieve the all of the things I have, and raised me with the highest expectations. In every aspect of my life, they’ve set me up to succeed and the 4k is no exception. It was only fitting that I dedicate the day I succeeded in pedaling across the entire country to them.
We woke up late (8:30am) and had breakfast in the school’s courtyard. After everyone got ready to ride, we had a lot of time to hang out before we had to leave. We had to be at Mission Beach at noon and since the ride was less than 20 miles, we didn’t need to leave for a while. I took one final picture of Layla for fun.
Here is the GPS route and data for our last ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/586965788
We left Solana Beach and pretty much rode as one big pack with party hats on for Heather’s birthday! There was one pretty huge hill but it wasn’t anything daunting for us. We’ve seen worse. Through every little town along the coast, we would hoot and holler and even shout our cheer to whoever was in earshot! We had a great time riding the final miles.
We all arrived in a small park in Mission beach where we regrouped and took some pictures:
We all then rode the last half mile to the beach where our families were waiting! We all took a minute to greet our loved ones before we circled up for one final ceremony. Each of the riders were assigned another rider to speak about. No one knew who would be speaking about them so it was a surprise who was going to say what. Aaron said a little piece about me, and in turn, I said some things about Allison. It was great for everyone to hear about their child and about the riders they spent the summer with! We then performed our cheer for everyone! After that we all took our bikes and dipped the front tire in the Pacific ocean!
And so ended the adventure of a lifetime. It was one of the most bittersweet feelings I’ve ever had. I didn’t want to leave my new family of 26, and I didn’t want the adventure to be over. However, my body needed rest. I desperately wanted a comfy bed to sleep in and to take a break from riding. I said at the end of the ride to give me a month break and after that I’d be willing to ride back to Baltimore. A month later, as I’m writing this, I DEFINITELY would ride back across the country if I could. My grandfather recently asked me, “If you were given $4500 would you do the 4k next summer?” To me there is no doubt. YES. In a heartbeat. But until that day, I’ll be focusing on academics. Maybe some time in the future I’ll be able to go on another similar adventure, but one thing is for sure. Nothing can replace the fun, the memories, and most importantly, the San Clan.
It was amazing getting to know you all through my blog, and to meet a lot of you on the beach in San Diego! It was weird that you all knew me by my face, but I didn’t know any of you until you told me your name. It was great to finally put faces to names and to interact in person. One last time, please comment and let me know your thoughts! There might be some posts to follow in the future! I’m thinking of making a post about what to pack for future 4k’ers and also there should be a highlights video coming out at some point!