It’s setting in. A week has passed since we started this 1700 mile bike ride. There are still so many moments that come where someone yells against the wind, “Can you believe we are actually doing this?!” Well...now, yes, yes I can, because we are. Every day we have been waking up at 7:30AM to then leave at 9AM and today we raced to a ferry that would lead us to Oregon. We broke 200 miles today and our spirits are being filled up as we tackle one hill after the next. The home we stayed in the night before was nothing short of wonderful and generous.
The team had the most overwhelming day yesterday. I, personally, am seeing the greatest weaknesses and watching strengths being cultivated in myself. Quite honestly, each of us are. We are recognizing that we are tangibly fighting the road and having to lean on one another in a very real and vulnerable way. On one hill, in the same seat that I yelled the question of “Can you believe we are doing this?!” I mustered out to Emma saying “Keep yelling out good things to get us up this hill!!” She did exactly that, she cried out “FOR THE GIRLS” and I almost fell over. We are having to reach out to the stories and the realities behind what we are riding for.
The sexiness of “cycling the coast” is becoming our everyday routine rather than a far off plan for our summers that left people’s mouth open as they thought we were crazy. We just might be, but we are doing it. It’s hard work and so dang good. The dance parties keep me going and today I got to bump up some tunes for my gals as they climbed the most gnarly hills entering into Oregon. Driving the SAG today has given me the greatest appreciation for the women I see before me. We are 1 state down out of 3 and this has to be by far the most beautiful and humbling thing. Tomorrow the coast becomes our next door neighbor and we will stumble upon Cannon Beach. We can hardly wait to do cartwheels in the sand and feel the ocean wind that will once again remind us that we are alive and doing this “FOR THE GIRLS.”
-Mattie
