Sorry it took us so long to update the blog! Drew and I got to San Diego and we were very busy trying to find an apartment and get settled in. Last time we updated you all, we were in Imperial, CA. So we left Imperial and knew that we had a tough and long day ahead of us. There is a huge mountain pass to go through in order to get to San Diego, and you have to ride on I-8 for some parts. The climb is so steep and so long that there are even giant buckets of water for people to cool off their car radiators! It wasn't a hot enough day for anyone to need the water though- it was actually really really cold! Once you get up to the mountain passes, it's nearly freezing and the winds range from 40-60mph gusts every day. Drew and I were freezing even after all of the climbing, and the wind was terrible. But we were so motivated to get to San Diego that we just kept on pushing. We stopped for lunch at this mountaintop little cafe and got massive orders of pancakes and breakfast burritos, which we destroyed. Our waiter looked shocked until we told her where we came from and where we were heading to. It's awesome that we're in California now because it makes telling the trip to anyone that much cooler. So after warming up and re-fueling at the restaurant, we went back out into the cold and wind and kept on climbing. The scariest part of climbing up a mountain pass in extremely windy weather is knowing that you have to all the way back DOWN the mountain. Triathlon bikes are horrible when it comes to wind, and getting pushed around while speeding downhill and having the trailer pushing you does not make for an easy ride. Then we had to get on I-8 for a while, which again does not do anything great for the nerves. Fortunately we got to Lakeside, CA in one piece (albeit one cold piece). We stayed with our last warm showers hosts, Dennis and Julie, and they were both very nice and told us right away that we were invited to stay as long as we wanted. We had a great dinner with them and Dennis told us a better route to get to Ocean Beach for the last leg of our trip the next morning. We were going to see the Pacific Ocean tomorrow!
We woke up that next morning to the sound of Dennis' assortment of chickens, goats, turkeys, and roosters, and we were both feeling strange about this being our last day of the bike trip. It seemed like the trip went by so fast, but at the same time we could remember each day in such vivid detail I felt like I could re-live each day in my mind. When we were talking and laughing about certain days of the trip, putting them all together made me realize how long we have been on the road and how far we have come. Heading out and knowing that this was going to be the last day of our trip was really strange. It was sad to know that it was over, but at the same time I was relieved to know that we did it and finished the trip safe and sound. No more living by maps; no more living each day having no clue what was in store; no more ending each day knowing that the only way you got there was by the two wheels underneath you. I was so excited to see the beach and ocean ahead of me, but at the same time I was surprised at how sad I was that this trip was over. Drew and I had someone at the beach take a picture of Drew and me with our bikes on the shore, and then we headed back to Dennis' house with the weird feeling that only occurs at the end of an amazing journey.
Dennis and Julie were kind enough to let us crash at their house for a few days while we looked in Oceanside for apartments to move into. We were so close to buying a sailboat that we could live in, but the wait list to get a live-aboard permit was 5 years! So our dreams of living on a boat were put on hold, but luckily we found a great apartment only 5 blocks from the beach, 5 minutes (on a bike) from a pool, and walking distance from the downtown area. The apartment has lots of room so anyone who wants to visit is more than welcome!
I want to thank everyone who kept us in their prayers during our trip. The fact that Drew and I made it across the country without injury or accident is enough evidence that we had a lot of people thinking about us. We appreciate all of the love and support we had on the way, and to everyone back home and to all of our new friends we met along the way: we love and miss you all.
Take care,
Natalie
