Hey everybody, today’s entry will encompass a few days all put together, so don’t be confused if I say yesterday and it was actually a few days ago:
USA USA!!! Yesterday was a day of celebration, as USA pulled out a win against the Algerians in our third World Cup game! Yesterday was also pretty out of the ordinary for us. We fnished 45 miles by lunch and decided to drive in to Springfield, MO to check out the largest Bass Pro Shops store in the country…well worth it! We finished our impulse trip to BP and hit the nearest Barnes and Noble for some good relaxation and reading. It was nice to take a break from the business and the sun.
It blows my mind the amount of people we’ve met on this trip. Two nights ago we stayed in a city park in Ash Grove, MO and met an older man from St Louis, who was biking across country. We all went out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant, which was an experience all in its own. Last night we stayed on the lawn in front of the Courthouse in Hartville, MO and met another biker, our age, from Savannah, GA. He was an interesting guy and it was cool hearing his story. Riding to promote Green Energy, he set out with a partner a month ago and has been on his own since day nine of his ride. Last night I got to talk to an Amish man right before we got into Hartville. He was one of the most interesting people I’ve talked to so far, barefoot and wearing home made clothes, he seemed to be completely unaffected by the distractions that tend to plague my life.
Yesterday we made it to Farmington, MO where the Alzheimer’s Association was nice enough to pay for us to stay in a local bike hostel. This place looks more like a NY city loft and we were even fortunate enough to have an event today, leaving tons of leftover food and drinks! I think the most surprising thing for me on this trip so far is seeing how nice strangers can be. So many people have helped us out by giving us food or a place to stay and it’s been very encouraging.
I wish I had enough time to write about every person we meet. There are so many cool stories out there and this world is full of people pushing the limits, not comfortable with sitting around and watching life happen. I know that we only have three weeks left, all of which will go by fast, maybe too fast. The hardest part of this trip for me has been balancing the taking in of all this beauty and all of the stories, while still having time to try and document every moment, hoping I won’t forget anything we’ve experienced. I know there will be details that are forgotten over the years, faces that blur as time moves them further away, and views that are simply too perfect for my mind to do justice.
But I hope the things I learn while I’m out here will never go to waste, will always keep me mindful of what is important. Life is full of memories that fade, but experience is what makes those memories, and that should never fade.
I’m looking forward to getting into KY on Tuesday and riding through our lovely home state! Everyone that has supported us along the way have been great and I don’t think we could have done this trip without it. But we still have three weeks so keep checking up on us and we’ll make sure we make it to VA by July 16!
More now than ever:
Press On,
Jordan Minton
