Jim's Two Cents - We'll Follow the Sun - CycleBlaze

February 25, 2019

Jim's Two Cents

Well that was fast! In a blink of an eye we are heading home tanned, grateful, and energized. Four months ago we headed out on our tour and now are heading home with new appreciation for so many things...family, friends, both new and old, and ourselves! At times I thought it was a bit more than we could handle but was proven wrong and glad of it. 

Firstly, I have to thank Sue for looking after the blog. If it were me I would still be trying to figure out how to set it up! A chore she took on and loved, I hope, to do. Informing our family and friends of our exploits is important but it is really a diary for us so we can look back and see what the heck we accomplished! 

The bikes performed admirably and other than a few loose nuts and bolts, the rides were flawless!

Both Mexico and Cuba are unbelievable. They are so different, but so similar it's hard to explain. The friendliness of the people we met will never be forgotten. As we butchered their language we were met with smiles and the odd snicker. We stayed in homes where  we felt like family and will hope to return to on future trips.

The best part of the cycletour was the time Sue and I spent together. There is no hiding when you are together 24-7! We found out what the signals were for each other when we were feeling mentally tired, upset about riding conditions, and just plain old pooped!  Travelling, with the idea of riding and physically pushing yourself, is a very different beast than packing a suitcase and taxiing to the hotel. I can't tell you how proud I am of my wife and how excited I am about our future tours we are planning. 

Our lives are so different now, being retired. No Monday-Friday stuff to worry about. Our concerns are, and always will be, family! We truly appreciate that fact that our families are excited to see the both of us looking for adventure. Our goal is to have fun and explore. Safety first!! Coming home is never too far from mind. Thank goodness for Facebook. It's great to see all the postings and know all is well with everyone...or getting better. 

3 days to go until we land in Vancouver. Split emotions on that but home is where the heart is! I am sure we will return to this part of the world many more times when we are not touring somewhere else! 

Glad you were part of our journey and hope you are able to join us on our next one!

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Annie HeppI loved reading the posts about your adventures and am a bit sad that it's done until next year! I'm so happy that you guys are getting the chance to explore the
world in your own terms, even though it makes your kids incredibly jealous!
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5 years ago
Sue PriceTo Annie HeppThanks, sweetie! We are very happy we can make you jealous, especially given the many exciting things you do! 😊
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5 years ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesThanks for taking the time write up full descriptions of all that happened. We know it's a big drain on resources of all types, but skimpy blogs with a few pictures, maybe not captioned, are maddening. By contrast, a full description is satisfying and helps the reader really feel like they are along for the trip.

Still, we are looking forward to a more extensive debriefing as you shiver your way down to us in the next two weeks.
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5 years ago
Sue PriceTo Steve Miller/GrampiesHahaha! Shiver is right! Thanks, Steve. It is a funny thing about keeping a blog - I really enjoy writing it and Jim is so good with the pics, but you are right in that it is time consuming and at times frustrating depending on the wifi available. However gratifying it is (and it is very!) to know how much others enjoy reading it, we really are writing these for our future selves so we can go back and remember what the heck we did when we were on the road! Looking forward to seeing you both!
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5 years ago
Michael ReynoldsI loved being able to follow along, next best thing to being there. Thanks so much for sharing your trip!
And I'm sure the blog will be a great way for you to look back with font memories. See you in the states!
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5 years ago