The morning was gorgeous-the temperatures were moderate-the distance was short-and the winds were at our back. The ride to Grand Rapids was a breeze, literally and figuratively.
A friend from church, Matt Heun, came out to do a one day ride with me. We had a great time. Several of the roads permitted side by side riding. Our conversation covered a lot of territory-Grand Rapids to South Africa, politics to theology, and biking to personal spirituality.
We rode into Grand Rapids and were warmly welcomed by different groups of people. Our former church secretary surprised me by making a big "Jim's Hallelujah Cycle" sign. My sister and family greeted us at another station. Lots of people lined the road through Calvin cheering as we rode in. Wow!
It was strange coming home-because I knew that I couldn't stay. We arrived at Calvin by 1:15. The whole week-end stretched out before me, but previous experience told me that Monday morning would be here in a flash.
My first stop was the bike shop-Kentwood Cycling. They went above and beyond the call of duty and all the standards of customer service to get my bike ready for the last leg.
"Last leg"-that is part of what seems strange. We're more than 3/4 of the way to Jersey City! Can that be? Doesn't seem possible. Have I really biked more than 3,000 miles? Let's see, I biked on day 1, and day 2, then day 3 and day 4 ......In recovery from addiction the mantra is "One day at a time." That's how we've gotten across the country. The whole thing, 3881 miles, sounds overwhelming, but Grand Haven to Grand Rapids is a piece of cake. Few rides have been this easy-but they've all been doable and they've added up to something that I have to pinch myself to believe.
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