Thank you amazing family

Tl;Dr: I’m super lucky and very grateful for such a supportive wife & family.

A lot of things have come together to make this little excursion possible but it absolutely could not have happened without the support of my family.

Ms. Marcie Swift my amazing wife has given me the time and persistent gentle nudges to keep on going. Incredibly fortunate to have Jasper (Kid1) and Julian (Kid2) bouying me up with their encouragement and love. I’m so proud of you two, it makes me want to make you proud of me. Thanks for the chance.

This is no easy thing for a family to have Dad disappear for weeks on end. I do a fair bit of work at home, all of that is missing while I’m away. I know it’s not easy, thank you for all the extra work. The uncertainty of the trip is a burden as well.

My Mom & Dad are faithful readers & commenters but also significant supporters. Thank you for your attention and care, and for raising me to have a sense of adventure.

My Sister is a very busy lady with a lot on her plate. Thank you Chris for all the encouragement and support along the way.

The ride has been weirdly emotional to be honest. Most of the time I suspect I’m not thinking very well (exhaustion, un-treated sleep apnea (no CPAP)), and I’m probably cranky & whiney more often than really necessary.

And it’s also given me a lot of time to reflect on what a great life I lead – in and out of the saddle. But I gotta tell ya the thought of going home to my fam brings tears to my eyes. I’m not sure absence makes the heart grow fonder (I’m pretty fond of my fam), but it sure puts things in sharper perspective.