3488 miles.

120,000 feet of ascent.

229 hours of riding.

15 states.

4 time zones.

As I left Chad at the hotel yesterday he said, “This was amazing.” He’s right. It got me choked up for the only time on the ride. I had to explain to my driver that I was actually really happy.

Seeing so much of the country with my son beside me was fabulous. Now I’m home and he’s on the train heading to New York City. When I got home I found my wife and other son had been very busy behind my back. The entire house interior has been repainted and several floors replaced. Every evening on the phone she told me that nothing happened even though she was exhausted from working. She has been planning this, selecting and ordering carpet and flooring, and scheduling everything since I signed up for the ride in November. Chad was in on it too, without ever letting on. Now I can help them replace all the furniture and the art.

What are my conclusions from the trip? Several days in I thought about why I was doing this. I realized that I really wanted to prove to myself more than anyone else that I could do it. I succeeded.

I saw that a lot of people live in bubbles without even knowing it, like the rider who had never seen an Android phone because everyone she knows has an iPhone, or another rider who was surprised by the number of Mexican restaurants in New Mexico. I won’t even get into the politics, or the fact that British people eat bacon with a knife and fork.

I also was surprised by the number of windmills we saw, especially in Kansas. That seems appropriate given the wind there.

The drivers were consistently considerate, except for Californians passing in the right lane when we were riding on the Interstate shoulders. Massachusetts drivers appear to ignore yellow lights: they don’t even think about stopping until the light is red for several seconds.

I’m not ready to retire from work yet, but I can see what retirement might look like. The deeper insights into myself are probably best kept to myself. I already knew I’m not a morning person.

The group was great. Some of them showed real grit.

I’ve been surprised by the number of people following my posts. I’m happy to hear any more comments and answer any questions, especially if anyone is pondering doing this in the next few years.