Parting Words

It’s hard to believe that this wave of adventure we’ve been riding for more than the past two months has finally drawn to a close. After three thousand miles, tens of thousands of feet in mountains, brushing elbows with the grim reaper, and some of the most interesting strangers we’ve ever had the fortune (or misfortune) of knowing, we have finally completed the ludicrous event of riding our bicycles across the entire United States.

The end of the trip comes with an abruptness we had not anticipated. It seems strange to think that little more than 24 hours ago we were wincing at the pain of our saddle blisters as we rode down Santa Monica Boulevard, finishing the only segment of the trip that we can truthfully attest was downhill. We longed for the view of the ocean behind every turn and beyond every building, but it was only within the last quarter mile that the vast expanse of blue we had dreamt about slid into view.

We rode down the Santa Monica Pier as blind men. Our excitement had done all but destroy our sense of safety or prudence as we were taken over by the single minded determination to feel the cold water of the pacific ocean circle our weathered, tired legs. A small group of mutual friends and distant relatives waited on the pier, but they were barely recognized as we sped past them to a staircase ending in the pacific sand. The smell of the ocean and the light of the beach dominated our senses, and the only thought bouncing around our road-heat-wind-blasted brains was reaching a finish line we had been longing for, for what seemed like an eternity.

It is amusing to note that in our dreams we had pictured this scene slightly different than it actually happened. In our mind’s eye we ran down the beach with our bikes on our shoulders and triumphantly hurled our mobile prisons into the ocean with a satisfying veracity that only two months of hilly agony could inspire. However, like so many things on this trip, the beach proved to be much more formidable an opponent than we had anticipated. The sand seemed to clutch the soles of our shoes as we ran across its length, and the distance between the road and ocean appeared to grow with each tiring step. By the time we had reached the half way point we found ourselves feebly dragging our bikes with the last bits of strength that even our road conditioned legs could endure, and when we finally reached the waters edge it was all we could do to stand.

We stood there for what was probably a long while; waste deep in the water, our legs sinking into the sand as the surf rose dangerously close to destroying yet another phone which rested in Anthony’s pocket. For a time, it was impossible to comprehend the trip had so suddenly come to an end. Slowly the cheering voices of our family and friends penetrated the deafening silence this realization had brought, and we realized we were on camera. Anthony’s father asked us to say something profound, but regretfully no words came to us then. Zach and Anthony, two men vastly changed by the total of their experience managed a staple fist pound, our version of a handshake. Then the moment had passed, and for all intents and purposes this epic chapter of our lives was over.

As we sit here on an airplane, now traversing a distance that once took us so long to cross in a matter of 5 hours, we are forced to recognize that we are far different people than when we first began. Aside from changes in skin tone, facial hair, weight, and aversion to slightly-less-than-perfect hygiene, the experience has shaped our minds as well. And if any of you care to humor us one last time we have one final message we’d like to send…

Every life should contain a journey such as this. You can call it whatever you like. A pilgrimage, a great arch, and adventure or a trek. It can take any form you choose be it a bike trip, a novel, a mural, or a relationship. Whatever we may have thought at the start of this trip, it has always been about the overcoming of an untold array of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Nothing, absolutely nothing in our lives has turned out exactly the way we planned it, and this was certainly no exception. We all have our mountains to cross, our sores to heal, our inhibitions to overcome, and our semis to survive, but in the end, these are the things that make the trip worth a damn in the first place. That you can look back over the course of your own personal exodus and know that you FINISHED despite all odds stacked against you gives you the strength to endure through all.

This is the mission of the ALS Association and the very spirit of Gordie Miller, to whom this adventure is dedicated. We are humbled and honored to have taken part in such an experience for a cause so praiseworthy. It was a glorious ride and we thank you for making it a reality.

There are plenty of problems we experienced all too well, but we can say with confidence that there was far less bad than good. This trip was made possible in no small part due to the support of those who stood by us, be they strangers or long time friends. To take the time to thank everyone who helped us is not something we could do here, for the strength lent throughout this trip came from the most unexpected, and even unknown of places. To every single one of you who has lent a helping hand we are eternally in your debt. We will cherish your kindness and generosity for the rest of our lives, as you have earned yourselves a monument in our memory. It is unlikely that our story will ever be told in full on the news, seen in a movie, or published in a novel, but know that this experience has changed the lives of far more than the two men who were privileged enough to see it through to fruition. Everyone who reads or hears about this is part of this entry and therefore is in some way part of this epic, and as such you share in the keepsake we will all treasure forever.

Thank you all for everything. We will cherish this for the whole of our lives and pray you all have the opportunity to do the same. Make sure you check our media page as there should be at least 100 new pictures and videos uploaded by the end of the week.

We hope to see you all soon.

-Team LOCO