There's no place like home

As the days on the road slipped away our grieving increased. Our shared times of ups and downs would soon be replaced by separation.....a parting of ways each day as we rejoined the working world. We certainly had strains on our relationship throughout the journey, but were they really any more difficult than relationships in normal US day to day living? Maybe the only difference is the chance to escape any problems that may arise, with the "excuse" of a job to go to. The powerhouse carrying us home. Christie's view rarely changed, but her legs were always pumping.

North Dakota winds took their toll. We hid out behind some bales along the road.

A goldmine! We rarely stopped for pennies, sometimes nickles and always for dimes or more. We hit the mother load between Lisbon and Gwinner, ND.....$1.37.

Leonard at an NDSU research facility let us tent at his place. He sent us on our way with some monster potatoes.

Adam passed us on a slow ride into the wind. When he saw us in the next town he figured we could use a little energy.

We found the place to hang out in small town SD. Farmers from miles around flooded in at noon.

No trip is complete without a trip to storybook land. We hit the scene with a good childhood friend and her kids.

Another church provided a resting place. We were glad the back door was open.....well open enough to fill up on water!

Diving days. Doughnuts powered us for a few days at this jackpot.

Last day on the road, last town before Mankato, one last chance to go all out. A quick jump and I was under the black cover. Pumpkin pie, rolls, frozen pizzas.....did we really want this to end?

So close to Mankato and the wind actually at our back.

A very familiar road in to town...decked out in fall colors.

And home in time to celebrate a friend's wedding. Was the pedaling really over?

Maybe not. I was a little wobbly starting out. Parking the big rig and jumping on this nimble beast rendered me shaky as a 5 year old without training wheels.

And the only way to get past that feeling was to hit the road again....off to South Dakota. Christie and I had stopped here 14 1/2 months prior...still hard to take it all in.

Now a home of our own. After a few weeks of home searching we ran across one we could both agree on. We plan to move in mid-November.

Settling down....settling in.....the freedom of the road.....sweaty nights in Baja......freezing nights in Peru.....a job......a house. We are still adjusting.

For Christie, the job search continues, the excitement of the house propels her forward, the opportunity to shift, stand and power up hills has re-ignited her joy of cycling (for shorter trips).

And Eric? The lure of the road is present many times each day. The job is not as easy of an adjustment as he'd hoped and the house, while very exciting tings with fears of confinement.

So in the not too distant future, we plan some level of story telling in Mankato. Some of the stories may even be true! And a book......that is a definite maybe.