Not forgotten

I have much to write, and have met a great many people in the last few days of my tour. I will get a post organised shortly, but for now am adding a few long overdue photos to previous posts. Also I'm pondering the final destination of my writings, and at how to adequately summarise the cycling. As well as how to follow the last post...you get the picture!

Broken and elated

I arrived in Charleston via a beautiful route. I don't honestly have the inclination to blog much just now. I'm still soaking up the atmosphere provided seemingly effortlessly by a group of people who strike me as...actually I still don't have the words to do their hospitality justice.

I wanted to blog this bit now though because it seems an important step. I smashed the cycle computer on the way in to the city. it was a straw, but it felt like the camel's back had broken. It had been a week in the making. I will have to disseminate further on how I have arrived at my current state of mind, but to fully understand myself I will need to wait until the tour arrives back in Jacksonville. The week has been tough. I know with no doubt that I am strong enough to make it all the way back to jax, but I have decided to finish here.

The final cycle was so calm and I knew without a plan that it would be the last leg. It was a slow realization, over say twenty miles. And I smiled and enjoyed every second. It felt absolutely right.
I will still visit Savannah, but I will do the last bit by car. The cycling is done. Having seen the weather and the map, there is nothing but a bitter end to be gained by cycling this last part, so I was happy to roll in to charleston and finish. Then I broke the cycle computer.
It destroyed my mood almost completely. The only reason I kept walking was to walk away from it's remains in the road.
You will see what happened next as you will. Some could say fate, or prayer. Some will recognize phlarris in the next few moments. I stopped by a surfboard, with a gathering of folks outside a house all chatting. For me , the surfboard took my mind away from what had happened. It was being repaired. Soon, we weren't even talking about surfing and I had a beer. These folk have put me up for the last three days, and have been more normal with this than you may imagine. I know I would do the same given the opportunity, but to just bump into them like that. As I said, make of it what you will.

There is yet cycling left, as the wedding will require some I believe. The tour isn't truly finished, but one aspect has drawn to the greatest conclusion I didn't hope for. Imagination spoke of scenes of joy. In the end the simple act of friendship to a stranger is far more fitting.
And this blog...this too will reach a natural conclusion but it is not just yet. I expect that I will be writing even after my return to England. Because although unsearched for, I am hoping that this experience has effects that last longer than my visa. I didn't seek to change out here, but to grow, and to measure that, I will need to be back in a familiar environment. And I'm enjoying blogging too much at the moment. I think I will be more sad at the final post here than at leaving the bike behind.