OTTAWA – I write this e-mail from my home in Ottawa – a full 633km on the final odometer from my home in Mississauga. Today was a 96.4km day, so a fairly long stretch.
There was elation to arrive at the end of this very long trip. For over a week, I had been on my own, travelling under nothing but my own power. There were definitely some moments of darkness, times I questioned why the hell I was doing this, but there were also many highs – in particular to arrive at the house I grew up in on my bicycle a week after I started out.
Lowest point: Somewhere on day two when I was in the middle of nowhere – having not been accustomed to the intense isolation yet – where it was cold, raining, and I was constantly aching. Honourable mention goes to the start of day three where my left leg was in agony – but this was just physical pain; the mental stuff is what gets you.
Highest point: Arriving at the city limits of metropolitan Ottawa and meeting up with the places I used to bicycle when I was a kid. Honourable mention goes to when I successfully crossed the entire Cataraqui Trail.
Thanks to my family for welcoming me home, and to my Dad for popping the cork at the finish line.