Saying Goodbyes

We were allowed to stay at our host in Monterey for two nights upon our arrival and although we had to say goodbye to a few Sunday morning including Lisa, Noah, Rowan, Lauren, and Margaret- we got most of the gang for one more night. Tucker ran in the San Fransisco Half Marathon Sunday morning (but still came back for dinner that evening) and most of us spent the day packing up our bikes and exploring town. 

It was ridiculously weird waking up and not having anywhere to be or anything to do in anticipation for the next town we were going to be in. I gave my bike a solid degreasing that day because 'why not?' We drank coffee without worrying if the sweeps would catch up to us and went thrifting without thinking of if the stuff would fit in our bins. Almost like normal life.

Saying goodbye on Monday morning was one of the harder things I've ever had to do. I must admit that as I fell asleep on Sunday night I teared up in anticipation of Monday. Letting each member of this family so close to my heart and knowing that I was equally close to theirs hurts so much when we realized that we will forever be scattered around the country never again living in the moments we were about to leave behind.

Josh walked me out to the car while my parents had gone in and said their own goodbyes and we stood there as distraught as ever. I was headed South with them towards San Diego to see family and he was headed North to San Fransisco to catch a flight back to Ohio. Unfortunately there's no guide book on how to say goodbye to the most genuine, loving, and good hearted person you meet on a cross country cycling trip for affordable housing so we just didn't say it (dodged that bullet, am I right?).

All of our group chats buzzed here and there throughout the day and the Snapchats still haven't slowed down, but we have all recognized that this summer's journey has come to a close. We are always a part of Bike and Build and always will have these 28 people to depend on no matter what, but Natalie left us with this while at the Grand Canyon and I thought it'd be appropriate to share now-

“It occurred to me, as it sometimes does, that this day is over and will never be lived again, that we are only the sum of days, and when those are spent, we will not come back to this place, to this time, to these people and these colors, and I wonder whether to be sad about this or to be happy, to trust that these moments were meant for some kind of enjoyment, as a kind of blessing. And if feels, tonight, as if there is much to think about, there is much we have been given and much we have left behind.” - Donald Miller