The Hardest Part

This week has been hard. I’ve been excited and anxious; I’ve been sad and nervous. It’s hard leaving people (and animals) you love. Sometimes I wonder if that will be the hardest part of this whole adventure.

But, the support and encouragement has been amazing. My coworkers made me a sign and gave me a gift card in front of the whole school. So many of my students have wished me good luck, told me they would be praying for our trip, and have asked me question after question about how I am carrying my supplies, and about how many miles per day we are riding. My students are the greatest, and it just blows my mind when 6 year olds pass me in the hallway saying, “Good luck on your bike trip, Ms. Aspen.”

Every single person I have talked to about my trip has been 100% supportive and encouraging, and I wish everyone knew how much that gives me the confidence and the drive to do this trip. From friends, to family, to outdoor store workers, to bike shop dwellers, and even to a new relationship, I’ve already met some pretty amazing people through this trip, and it hasn’t even started. Well, it starts tomorrow. 😊

My parents have been completely awesome in this whole process. I mean…they are driving Mash and I to Yorktown! They have supported this trip 100% and have helped me prepare by helping me figure out what I need. They even ran around all of West KY picking up last minute supplies and helping me run last minute errands while I was at work. They have listened to my worries and all of my questions a million times, and they have encouraged me when I have felt discouraged. They’ve helped me get all of my stuff together and figure out the best way to pack my supplies. Oh, and they’re going to be taking care of my sweet little Birch all summer.

And lastly…this guy. 😉 I met Craig in the process of looking for cyclists to join us on our trip. He came into my life at just the perfect time, and he has been so supportive and encouraging. He has pushed me to get stronger in our morning workouts 3 times a week, and has helped take care of my bike by adjusting my derailleur, hauling my bike into town to get serviced, etc. He has cooked countless meals for us, taken me on trips, and has just taken care of me and has made sure I have the things that I need. How could I ever get so lucky?

Today we are headed to Yorktown, and as I am typing this, I am beginning to see the occasional Virginia license plate! The adventure is upon us!

In the meantime, I’ll be a helicopter dog mom watching the dog cam at the pet hotel Birch is staying at. 🤓

Aspen