This post has been a long time coming.

For me, this blog was a personal project, just so people could follow along, know where I was and how I was doing, and hear about the people I met and the things I saw. And so I am not compelled to wrap this story neatly—as I often do—into something simple and digestible. But, I will say a few things.

At times it was difficult, but those times were relatively few because I was with Joe. When you’re traveling with someone and you wake up and your body hurts or your spirit has gone, you can’t let your partner down. It’s a dream to have the kind of adventure we had this summer and neither of us could rob the other of it. That drive, that mutual dedication, made even the worst days pass easily.

The world is a far kinder place than I knew it to be. I could never have imagined we would meet so many generous, welcoming, and interesting people. It sounds cliché, but I have a renewed faith in people. I hope the feeling I finished the journey with carries through the rest of my life. I never again want to assume that a stranger is anything but good and decent.

The simple life we led, with nothing more than what our bikes carried, was so peaceful. Even more than when I’ve traveled by backpack, I felt free but in want of nothing—except better Mexican food. It’s probably the time in my life that I felt most at ease with living day-to-day.

I want to thank everyone who followed along and everyone who commented. It really did mean a lot. Maybe Joe will add his own thoughts, but this is it for me.

Cheers,

Colin