Sea and Sand

This much is clear: Mark and I rode 91.8 miles from Stevensville, Maryland, just east of the Bay Bridge that crosses Chesapeake Bay, all the way to Delaware Seashore State Park, just south of Dewey Beach. It was a long ride but mostly it was effortless thanks to tailwinds and the flat terrain. We rode mostly on quiet, tree-lined roads and, yes, more corn fields. Most of the final miles were on trails through thick coastal forests, which was soul-soothing. We did have to navigate a steady stream of traffic to get to the quiet neighborhoods of Rehoboth, our path to the shore. Then there was the tourist-trap strip on US 1 through Dewey Beach, but soon enough we were rolling down the open stretch of highway through the Delaware Seashore State Park, where Hindy was waiting for us. I pushed my bike over the dunes and dipped my tires in the waters of the Atlantic.

What is not clear is how I can begin to make sense of the entire trek. Frankly, I cannot comprehend or put into context the significance of what I just completed.

I admit to becoming emotional and tearing up at several points on this last day’s ride. But once I got to the beach, the emotion was was snuffed out by an emptiness resulting from being overwhelmed by trying to reflect on the entire nine week journey.

I will be posting an epilogue of sorts in the coming days and have many photos to add the the gallery. Please check back soon.