This has taken me a bit of time to write but I wanted to tell a small bit of my aborted Xcountry trip that started at the end of August in Seattle.

Like it is for any newbie, it was hard at first (and I won't even mention those #$% Oregon mountains), but the feeling of accomplishment was incredible. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong, did. I was really, really lucky because I traveled with two ladies who were extremely patient with all of my graceless moves (and there were plenty). Some were simple things to fix--like dropping a lot of my excess weight (one day is all THAT took!) and working out a better weight distribution. I had put most of my weight towards the back of the trailer when it should have gone towards the front. Until I worked it out, I did a few feet-over-head maneuvers. Other things, though, were totally beyond my control. I always thought that the Northwest was nothing but one big forest. Imagine my shock to go through scrub lands/desert conditions in Oregon! It was so bad at times (105 degrees) that I actually curled up under stop signs for the shade. Still, we got through it. Nothing, though, prepared me for an allergic reaction, my first, to tree pollen in Unity, Oregon. It was so bad that my eyes swelled shut and felt like someone had thrown glass in them. I wear contacts, so I was forced to wear my Coke bottle glasses (they give me a horrible headache). A stop at a local restaurant became a 10 hour marathon until I got a ride to a hospital in another town. Worse, my hand had been going numb and without any strength to shift the left shifter. The visit to the ER the next day turned into a check of my hand since my eyes had recovered once I left Unity. The sad result was that the doc told me that I'd have to end the trip if it didn't improve. It didn't. So, after arriving in Mountain Home, ID, we took a cab ride to Boise where I flew home in order to seek further medical attention. After two weeks and nearly 700 miles, my adventure was over.

But my bad luck didn't end there. Unfortunately, I must have been a walking Porsche payment to the doc who told me (after Xrays and an MRI) that I had all manners of problems and needed immediate surgery or I faced potential paralysis if I suddenly turned my head the wrong way. Fortunately, my medical insurance required my return to the States and I was seen by a really terrific neurosurgeon who told me that I just had an extremely inflammed nerve that would repair itself in time. Of course, I had to quit riding until then.

Now I'm nearly back to normal and am working my way back into the saddle. I've gone to a bike shop and had the bike checked over for fit to make sure I didn't re-reinjure my hand with bad posture or settings. I've taken a few small rides and am anxious to take some longer distance travels in a month or two. I'm also planning on trying again within a year or two.

I know this is long, but there are a couple of things I'd like to share. The biggest is the simple kindness of strangers. I showed up on the doorstep of Cara to ask for some cold water. Not only did she allow me to use their pump (ice cold and so clean tasting), but she brought me a huge cup of ice while asking me if she could make me a sandwich or a salad or... She offered the same to Katie, too. And there was the gentleman who stopped us in the middle of a long, empty stretch to give us some peaches. OMG, they were so good. After a long day of making sales calls, another man gave me a ride to the town where the hospital was...it was midnight when he dropped me off at the hotel and he still had quite a distance to go. Then there was the staff in the restaurant who allowed me to sit there for nearly 10 hours while I waited for my ride. Never once did they make me feel like I was a problem--even though I was sitting in a corner with a cold towel on my eyes, snivelling and feeling sorry for myself. And there were the firemen who helped that day, their medic washing out my eyes to make sure there was no abrasion on the cornea (my biggest fear). And on and on... it was amazing how truly kind people were to us. The other thing is that I don't regret having tried. No, the ending wasn't what I wanted, but it just makes me that much more determined to try again. I learned so much and yet most of it were things that could only be learned on the road. And more importantly, at least I tried. I can't think of anything sadder than having one foot in the grave while wondering "What if?"