The Eve Our Take-off

Tomorrow.  We embark on this trek tomorrow.  It seems absolutely surreal that August 10th has come so soon.  And while I waiver between pure excitement, wanting to be pinched to be sure that this is not some fantastic dream, and utter nervousness, the kaleidoscope of emotions that I am experiencing seem to focus on the fact that even though this is the eve of something grand, it is a continuation of a journey that began a long time ago.  It began almost a decade ago, with my father's diagnosis.
The preparation for this trip has been completely transformative in too many ways to count.  I have pushed myself to knew physical limits, I have experienced personal growth and have overcome personal struggles.  I have found a new passion: cycling.  I have met incredible people.  I have received incredible, incredible support, to an extent that it is overwhelmingly moving.  I have connected with people across the United States that have experienced this disease in some extent in their lives, from a brave 22 year old who is waiting for an MRI result as we speak in Missouri, to a family in Connecticut who is watching their father/husband deteriorate from the most aggressive brain tumor that exists, to a man in Alaska that lost his younger sister just recently.  Between the stories that I receive on a weekly basis, interacting with the patients in the O.R at Fletcher Allen who are having brain tumors biopsied or extracted, and loosing two of the most wonderful people in my life, my father and Steve, I have a deep hatred for this disease.  I am grateful that Lindsay and I can ride to continue their fight.

Tonight I will ride down to Boston (if our clothes ever get finished from the silk-screeners), with my mom and Cindy, Steve's wife of 42 years, and I will be on the plane to Newark at 8:20 am tomorrow morning, where I will meet Lindsay.  Lindsay and I, for the record, met in New Zealand in a study abroad program, and had some very exciting adventures travelling.  I am so excited to embark on this journey with her (especially since neither of us owned bikes when we decided to do this, or camp regularly.. so this will be QUITE the adventure). We will fly out together (those poor, poor people who will be sitting near us, we will be too excited and chattering like chipmunks), and will arrive in San Francisco at 2:00 pm PT.  At that point we will get our bikes (which I have been missing terribly), and try out the fully loaded panniers for the first time, and most likely have some trouble balancing at first, so they say.  Then we go to the "W," San Francisco's luxury hotel (I hope they don't mind tomboy's in bike shorts), which is totally crazy because I never thought in a million years that I would be staying there.  Thank you to Justin Caldbeck for hooking us up with that!  Holy moly..

Thank you to everyone for all of your support and well wishes.  I couldn't have done this without you.  We are $500.00 away from our goal of $15,000!!!  I can't believe it!!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

WATCH OUT BRAIN CANCER... HERE WE COME.