Month: August 2018

#acaNoTier Wrapping Up our Coast to Coast Northern Tier Ride

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Tom and I wrapped up our Norther Tier ride just a little over a week ago and have some final thoughts we’d like to share, some numbers and finally one last video. Thanks so much to family, friends and followers for the love and encouragement.

Tailwinds,
Tom and Deb

From Tom:

I am sitting here in my kitchen thinking about this past few months.  It all kind of seems like a dream.  An experience of a lifetime and hard to put in to words.  Here a list of my thoughts:

  • It took about two weeks to peel away the layers of a lifetime of work and not think about work, emails, projects, etc.
  • Going to bed at night thinking about the upcoming weather, wind direction and knowing it is totally out of our control
  • Looking at the maps and planning out our next weeks of riding with a goal of averaging 70 miles a day.
  • Looking at the next days ride and planning out our 2nd breakfast about 20 miles down the road
  • Walking into the Saloon in our spandex and every cowboy’s head turned at the same time to give us the eye as we walked through the front door
  • Pulling out of our campground the third day and going the wrong way, about 8 miles the wrong direction down a big descent. Turning around and now going back up in the right direction.  Learning to never start a ride with out turning on my Garmin and finding the course first
  • Getting our morning camping routine down:
    • Tom pack up the sleeping bags, thermarests, tent
    • Deb fire up the stove and cook up coffee, and oatmeal with Craisins and walnuts
    • Pushups and Planks
    • Prayers of gratitude for yesterday’s ride and prayers for today’s ride.
  • Eating Paydays and peanut M&Ms – not on the post riding diet 😊
  • My 15 mile chats with God, praying for so, so many things that were absolutely answered
  • Waking up each morning for the first few weeks with a little uneasiness of riding on the busy roads with little shoulder with semis/logging trucks. By the end of the ride, having no fear, and 100% faith that God is sheltering us from drivers, mechanical issues, and providing us with mental/physical strength to finish each day.
  • Applying layers and layers of sunscreen
  • Getting the blog done at the end of each day (hoping we had phone connection)
  • The comfort of getting into the tent while camping and being so comfortable and the wonderful satisfaction of a good day of riding.
  • Making the decision to get Deb a front rack and having her front bags shipped to us in West Glacier. Also getting her new touring tires:  A no brainer after the fact
  • Looking back at our daily videos and seeing our happy, happy faces totally enjoying our journey
  • Doing a Fred Flintstone the final short hill to our finishline, brakes fully engaged, but having to stop myself with my shoes. Perfect timing for my brake pads to expire with over 5000 miles on brake pads and tires 😊.
  • The greatest memory will be all the wonderful, kind people we met along the way!!!!

It was an experience of a lifetime seeing God’s creation at 12 miles an hour with my true love.

From Deb:

Each night I still dream about the bike trip, in a good way.  Yet when I’m awake the bike trip seems like a dream. Did Tom and I really ride 4,132 miles across the country, camping out, pedaling hard up mountain passes and coasting wicked fast down the other side, eating like teenagers, and spending over 23 hours a day together? Dang!

The night Tom and I returned to Indiana we were able to see all of our bigs and littles and realized on our way home from Sahm’s Place we heard sounds in Indiana we didn’t hear in any of the 11 states we visited. Indiana night sounds. And we’d missed them. Well not as much as we missed the fam, but still, we missed them enough to “camp out” one last night on our screen porch. It’s as if knowing we were safely home, there was still one last little bit of our ride we didn’t want to let go of, sleeping outdoors, even with the stank bags.

Although I acclimate quickly, I am missing the silence I experienced during a good part of the day on the bike. There is so much busy-ness and noise in most every moment and this chases away quiet time and thoughts.

And this… Cycle over 4,000 miles across the country, legs not sore.  Run four miles at a 9:33 pace a week later, sore as heck! The saying , “use it or lose it” appears to be true.  And that goes for most anything. Rote tasks performed before the bike trip now take some thinking. And I forget everything. It will all come back, including the running and most of the rote memory, but I will say it’s refreshing to look at the world with “new” eyes.

I’m so grateful for Tom who helped make this cycling adventure unforgettable as he navigated and led us safely across the country. All I had to do was follow Tom, not follow the map.  He waited patiently at every turn so I wouldn’t miss it, redirected me a couple times when I did, and was always up for an ice cream, second breakfast and breaking out another Pay Day. He is a font of positivity.  What do you think it’s like to live with a person like that? What do you think it’s like to BE a person like that?

Fr. Jim’s prayer for us was: I pray you are both well and that each day’s journey continues to be a gift from God. May God give you the strength you need to endure and the presence of mind to grasp the beauty  of God’s creation and the kindness of strangers. Prayers answered, Fr. Jim.

What’s next for us?  Unquestionably there will be more bike tours, although probably not as long as the Northern Tier at least for the next couple years.  Not sure we will ever do an organized tour as it’s a lot of fun doing our own thing. And we have our eyes set on a long distance hike but haven’t chosen one yet.

For now though, the sleeping bags are laundered and stowed, the Whisperlite stove retired and replaced with a Jenn-Aire cooktop and the old 1995 Cannondale Touring bike has been thoroughly cleaned and lubed. That bike will always be my favorite.

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FundRiding Update:

Contributions are still coming in for St. Vincent de Paul and Back on My Feet and these links have more information on each organization and how to donate. If pledges were made for number of miles ridden, nights camping or century rides completed, see the above infographic for stats.  If your circumstances have changed, any amount is appreciated.

Tom and I were back running with team members from Back on My Feet last Friday and were welcomed back with the rain. No worries the miles and smiles made the rain hardly noticeable. And besides, we’re used to it. This Thursday evening we will head back to the SVdP Food Pantry.

Thank you to those who have already donated.  Both organizations are careful stewards of your donations.

What About the Prayer Intentions:

I’m still praying. I’d welcome an update if prayers are answered or need to be changed. Click here or email me at deb.a.gardner@gmail.com. All are confidential. 🙂

#acaNoTier Orland to Bar Harbor, 47 Miles | Northern Tier Complete!

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We made it!! We rode our bikes across the country almost 4,200 miles!

Tonight we are celebrating that accomplishment and giving thanks to God for a safe journey.

Stay tuned for a overall ride recap and stats but until then here’s a recap of today’s ride:

 

#acaNoTier Camden to East Orland, 38 Miles | One More Day!

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From Tom:

Deb and I woke up all cozied up lying in front a huge screen door in a beautiful loft at the Peats’ house, our Warmshower host. We weren’t really anxious to get going since this was our second to the last day and we don’t want this adventure to end.

First, I always checks bike tires and gives a high five when there are no flats. We have only woken up to two flat tires on the trip. Others happened while on the road.

We got our bags all packed and put on our bikes in the garage. We headed inside and Stephen/Susan had the French coffee press brewing coffee. Fresh fruit and homemade granola was on the table. 😁. We didn’t want to leave, but nice weather and our campground in Orland was calling our name. Stephen gave us directions to our route and we were off. We got a mile in and a rider stopped us to chat. She asked if we stayed at the Peats “yes” 😁.

We headed down the road and wanted to stop at the market owned by Jon Fishman, drummer of Phish. It was cool. Other bikers rolled in and asked a bunch of questions, one being “did you stay with the Peats”? Our Warmshower host has quite the reputation in the biking area. On we went riding through one village to another. We purposely had short days for our last two days so we could go slow and really enjoy Maine.

We are now sitting in our beautiful last campground of our trip. Our son John is on his way to meet us at the finish line tomorrow and successfully made it to his destination of Albany, NY for the night. We can’t wait to venture on tomorrow for our last day riding into Bar Harbor.

FAQs:

What do you think you will miss the most about your journey once you are home and have resumed your “normal” life? Deb: Hard to say what I will miss the most. The people we met and talked to of course are always just the best but also I loved the simplicity of life and at the end of the day measuring what was accomplished toward goal. It was a concrete and fun way to rehash the day. Tom: I’ll miss not knowing what’s going on in the world. The media is so negative and it’s nice not to tune in. Instead I’ll miss meeting all the new positive people. I’ll also miss my 15 mile conversations with God each day.

Besides the wildlife, what about the roadkill? Haha this question came from a fellow cross country cyclist. Lots of variety in the roadkill from state to state. And I held my breath while passing every single one. Poor animals and Yuck! I almost ran over a live honey badger once in Wisconsin.

Did you learn anything about yourself/each other? Deb: Another really great question and one I have been thinking about a lot already. Tom and I have spent a lot of time together these last 8-9 weeks. I mean a LOT! I discovered that we both say “huh” a lot. Either our hearing is going bad or we aren’t listening to each other. Lol. Also, whereas I’m all about getting to the destination and settling in, Mr. Tom is curious and likes to check things out. I never knew this about him. Things I learned about myself – I like to think a lot about things and miss when I can’t jot down thoughts. Hard to do with hands on handlebars. Tom: At the end of a day, if things don’t go as planned (for example the Google Maps lady gives bad directions) I get frustrated.

How many Calories did you have to eat to maintain your health?Calories in Calories out? We didn’t count calories and we ate a lot. We ate things we very seldom eat at home (sweets) but the day to day cycling amped up our appetite like crazy. We did not intentionally consume more calories, our bodies just asked for it out of necessity. Also we were mindful of including protein for muscle repair and fresh vegetables when possible. Tom ate an apple or two just about every day, Deb had her bananas. We used Tom’s Garmin to track miles but he didn’t wear his heart monitor so the calories burnt figure isn’t accurate. For example yesterday it said he burned 3,000 calories. He probably burned at least a couple hundred more.

What was your biggest challenge element-wise and how did you handle it? For both of us it was being so cold in Montana. It was early June, rainy and we were cold, especially our hands and feet. We had our Goretex gloves sent from home and that took care of it. We also used our leg warmers when it was cold and rainy. Huge help!

Will you ever wear those riding clothes again? Deb: Yes but not for at least a week. Tom: The jerseys, yes. They have held up well. The cycling shorts may not make it out of Bar Harbor.

Besides family, what did you miss the most while being away? Deb: Well I definitely missed family the most. Especially at the end of Wisconsin I was getting pretty homesick and anxious that I wasn’t going to be at home when little #3 was born. Other than family I missed time with my running buds and daily Mass. It’s such a great way to start the day and as much as I miss family time (a lot) I miss friend time, too. Tom: At the beginning I felt like my brain was going to mush. It was just decompressing from work, etc. I missed my son moving back to Indy and my other son and his wife moving into their new home.

Have you missed running? Deb: No but I have missed seeing my running buddies! I’ll start running again right when I get back. Tom: I have not miss running. I now enjoy cycling more than running.

Laundry is my big question- all the bike shorts. Great question! Both of us brought only two pair of bike shorts. We did laundry (in a washer/dryer) about once a week. If possible we rinsed shorts out at night and either dried them on the back of the bike bag as we rode the next day or many times, put them on wet the next morning. (Worst feeling ever for Deb). Sometimes we actually had to wear them the next day without washing. Yuck I know.

What aren’t you going to miss? Deb: Putting on cold, wet dirty bike shorts in the morning and deer fly fests. Tom: Will not miss my smelling sleeping pad and bag and unpacking a wet tent.

The original Northern Tier route goes through Iowa and Illinois and then to the east. What path did you follow? There are three basic options cyclists have for getting around Lake Michigan. The Main Route goes through Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Since we live in Indiana we decided against that one. Another option goes up and over Lake Michigan. Again we decided against that one because we did a week long bike trip in the UP a couple years ago. Instead we did part of the North Lakes route (map 1 and 2) and rejoined the Northern Tier route with the Erie Connector Map. Cyclists take the US Badger ferry across Lake Michigan. This was a lot of fun and worked out very well because we then took a rest day and got our bikes tuned up in Ludington.

How much money do I need doing the same as you did? Tom is good about tracking expenses so we will post that after we get back, the total and the average daily cost. You could do it more expensively or also cut some expenses. We used our credit card for 95% of the trip (we get points) so it will be easy to figure.

What do you think “re-entry” will be like? Deb: For me re-entry will last about a day because I acclimate quickly. And the Northern Tier Ride will seem like a dream. I will be thinking about this trip for a long, long time. Tom: Well I’m going to work the Monday after I get back and home and at the end of that day it will seem like the ride didn’t happen. Life will presumably go back to “normal.”

How many tubes of sunscreen, bug spray, and chapstick? Sun screen – 3 with some left over, bug spray – 2 with some left over, chapstick – 3 with some left over.

How bad do your bottom and palms of hands hurt? All pretty good now! Took awhile to get the parts working together. Lol

Who was the most interesting person that you ran into and why? We have talked about this a couple times and it’s the most difficult to answer. It’s like asking what marathon was our favorite to run or what state was our fave. Each person has added value and inspiration to our trip from the rancher at Waucunda Pass, to Kate in Rochester, to Will the Harley rider in West Leyden and there were so many more. More recently we were so inspired John and Stephen, two separate Warm Shower hosts.

What have been your bathroom options on those long rides Deb? No bathrooms for miles & miles…Clearly it would have been much easier for Tom…lol Both of us have learned to be very creative with bio breaks. Let’s just say there is no shame between us, we are fast and we carry TP and zip lock bags (leave no trace).

#acaNoTier Brunswick to Camden, 61 Miles | All Good Things

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From Tom:

Started the day off with a bagel and cappuccino brewed by our Warmshower host, John. Our destination was a Warmshower host in Camden, 60 miles away. The forecast was rain so we planned on getting wet today. Of course during my morning prayers, I asked God if he saw fit that it didn’t rain on us, that would be fine with us.

Off we went riding through one village after another on US 1. We had driven this route before a few years back when we flew in to Boston and drove to Bar Harbor for the MDI Marathon, so things looked familiar. Two fun stories:

We stopped by a bakery with three bicycles propped up outside. Lots of questions asked when you meet other cyclists. Turns out one of these cyclists grew up in Indiana and went to Shortridge HS.

Later we were riding on the outskirts of a village and hit a monster hill (not too long, but rather steep). Right after reaching the summit, I stopped to catch my breath and looked to my right. There in the middle of nowhere is a brewery. It was 12:15pm and the sign said open at noon.

Well, it was hot/humid and we were a bit thirsty 😁 for a sample. Odd AleWives Farm Brewery had just opened three months ago. It was in an old alpaca barn and was one of the coolest breweries ever. We still had 20 miles to ride, so just a sample was in order.

We kept in touch with our Warmshower host to give them updates on our arrival. Deb had looked at the forecast and there was a long wall of showers coming our way. As we were riding through a busy village by a long line of weekend tourists a motorcyclist said we need to button down for a storm.

I looked at my phone and received a txt from our host. He can come pick us up. We said we were good and ventured on. About 11 miles out we see an Outback with a man standing behind it. We rolled up and it was our host, Stephen. He mentioned it wasn’t raining here but there was major rain up ahead and he could give us a ride. We thanked him profusely, but explained we came this far, we needed to push forward and that would feel like cheating to take a ride. He totally understood and said he would see us later at his house.

God has taken care of us in so many ways this trip. We are riding NE and the weather is traveling NE. Believe it or not, we arrive at our Warmshower and it doesn’t rain a drop on us. Prayers answered big time 🙏

And finally another “smilestone” (not milestone) – we reached the 4,000 mile mark, on BIKES!

FAQs

Did it seem to go fast? Yes! Some of the days were long but the weeks went fast.

What was the farthest Tom got ahead of you Deb? Did you mind riding alone? Deb: about a quarter mile and he waited at every turn. I don’t mind riding alone at all! But some of my favorite times were when we were both in a groove and riding a two person pace line. That was fun too!

How many flats did you each have? Tom had two and I had three. Not bad!

Once you get to Bar Harbor how are you getting back home to Indiana? Our son, John is driving Tom’s car out to Maine with the bike rack. We will stay one night in BH and then drive straight through to Indiana.

Do you feel like you got stronger each day of riding, or are you totally exhausted and glad to be done? Deb: I wouldn’t say I’ve been exhausted but if we were continuing on for a few more weeks I would definitely take a day off from cycling. I thought I was going to get a lot stronger riding but I don’t think I did. The elevation is more difficult in VT, NH and ME, maybe that is why I’m not riding as fast or long as I thought I would. I feel good though and could keep going if it weren’t for the stank bags. Tom: I think I went into the ride well trained and there really wasn’t a day I was really tired.

Was there anything on the trip that exceeded your expectations and was even better than you thought it was going to be? Tom: Riding up Logan Pass without cars – even better than I expected. And I thought riding the Plains would be very tough winds but they weren’t.

How many 100’s did you do? You mentioned a dead skunk and a bear, oh I guess raccoons is that all the wild life you saw? We rode three 100 milers and saw fox, lots of deer, prong horn antelope, elk, wild turkeys, osprey, sand hill cranes, bald eagles and a lot of dead frogs.

What one item that exceeded expectations and what one item about the trip turned about to be a dud that you never expected? Again, Logan Pass without cars really exceeded expectations. Also the cool mom and pop motels along they way that we stayed in were not anticipated but pretty neat. Can’t think of any duds except the two flat tires Deb’s bike had within the first three days. Deb: My only unexpected dud was I never thought I would actually be killing mosquitos with bear spray in the tent. I wasn’t spraying the little pests but squashing them with the spray canister. #mosquitomurder

Would you do it differently next time? Support trailer? Route? Accommodations? Tom: Definitely wouldn’t use a trailer and we wouldn’t cycle Northern Tier again because we would want to do something different. Next time Deb will plan on taking four panniers and the front rack from the start. That worked out well when we made that change in Whitefish, MT. Accommodations were good! We thought we would use warm showers more but it just didn’t work out that way.

What is your next adventure going to be? 😊 We will continue to do more bike touring, a marathon now and then but would like to consider a long distance thru hike! Maybe the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail.

Did you ever want to give up? Tom and Deb: Nope. Never.

After Monday, when is the next time you think you will ride the bike? Tom and Deb: Maybe to the Indiana State Fair on Thursday? Definitely to work on Monday for Tom.

#acaNoTier Naples to Brunswick, 48 Miles | What Are YOUR Questions?

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Ok all we have been doing for the last eight weeks is sharing about us… mostly about weather, wind direction, road surface, rumble strips, elevation, stinky sleeping bags and FOOD. #boring

Some folks have asked questions via text, Facebook or WordPress and we’ve answered a few individually but we were thinking it might be helpful to share them in one space – here on the blog.

So. Over the next couple days we will post them here on the blog and you won’t have to hear anymore about road surfaces, wind direction or hills. Thank goodness. Right?

Now if we happen to see a moose you’ll be the first to know. But otherwise what other questions do you have?

Send them via text, email, FB or WordPress. Over the next couple days we’ll answer.

We are scheduled to finish at the pier in Bar Harbor on Monday. Yay!

If you are interested in today’s ride report here it is:

Hot.

Humid.

Hilly.

Humongous sunflower garden.

Tasty sit down breakfast at the Citgo gas station.

Best dinner ever with warm shower host John at Frontier.

Remember… send us some questions before Monday so we don’t have to blog about stanky tents and gas station food reviews anymore.

#threedaysandcounting

#acaNoTier North Woodstock, NH to Naples, ME, 76 Miles | Kancamagus Conquered!

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From Tom:

I am lying in my tent, holding my breath and typing since it is hot and I am sweating which just blends in nicely with the aroma of our thermarest and sleeping bags. Deb tried fanning us with the ACA map but it only circulates the stench further. #straywetdogstank

We got a great start with a big breakfast at our Inn since we knew we had our biggest climb up Kancamagus Gap first thing. We were surrounded with hikers who were in town for resupply at breakfast.

We headed out and started our climb up the mountain. About 5 miles up a cyclist on a light weight road bike came up beside me and says we are his heroes trying to do this climb with all that weight. He mentioned the last 5 miles are really steep especially the last mile. He left me with that wonderful news and took off up the mountain.

We kept climbing up and up stopping every so often to capture the wonderful views and take pics. Next thing we know there is the summit sign and we were at the top. #nottoobad.

We then enjoyed the wonderful descent down the other side for 10 miles. We stopped at the half way point and grabbed a lunch at Beas cafe. Deb enjoyed the triple decker chicken salad while I had the egg salad #maybethebestmealofthetrip

Deb notice a shortcut that might save us 10 miles once we enter Maine. Highway 302 would take us directly to our destination rather than going north through a couple more climbs. We stopped at the Maine state line visitor center and asked the guide about our idea of staying on 302. She didn’t seem to keen on our idea since shoulders are small or non existent and 302 is the busiest highway in Maine.

With that info we decided to follow our maps. 28 miles to go. We got about 14 miles in and knew we had two more short climbs. Deb and I were both out of water and were both looking for a place to stop as it was 90 degrees and the route was mostly exposed and without shade.

I got to the top of the first climb and out of the blue a man waved me down and told me just around the corner is a pipe coming out of the ground with ice cold spring fed clean water that everyone drinks around there #trailmagic.

After filling our bottles we were on our way to our destination of Four Seasons campground in Naples, ME. Tent set up, dinner eaten, shower taken, we are now all cuddled up praying for a slight breeze to cool us down so we can go to sleep #onlyfourdaysleft

#acaNoTier East Thetford, VT to North Woodstock, NH, 47 Miles | Bookends Make for Short Rides with Tall Climbs

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It’s been a big week! A couple new states, turning to the last map, a bear siting and these eastern climbs.

Seriously, the Northern Tier route might as well be nicknamed “Bike the Bookends” as that describes the route with elevation at each end of the county and flats in the middle.

I believe my legs are as strong as they have ever been. We left on our bike adventure two months ago today and have taken just four rest/recovery days yet still I struggle on some of this elevation.

It’s not a bad thing. It’s just a reality check. There is a lot of weight on an already heavy bike so at times it’s just a grind up these hills/mountains.

When I cannot absolutely pedal one more rotation I quickly unclip my right foot and step down. My legs quiver from the work I’m asking them to do. But… the mind, the heart and even the legs are willing to try again a couple minutes later. It’s definitely a humbling experience and at the same time, gratifying.

On this bike trip, having so much time to think while riding, I’ve come up with so many metaphors for life. There’s a lot you can relate to cycling, especially when encountering tailwinds, steep elevations, living simply, navigation, companionship, mentoring and yep, even solitude.

Tom has been super strong on the climbs and successfully reached the top without rests and waits patiently for me until I get to the top. Dang am I ever glad when I see him… then I know I’m finally at the top, not just a false summit. Good for another metaphor.

Tomorrow is our last big climb of the trip on the Kancamagus Highway. From then on it’s “mainly Maine” with shorter yet more regular hills.

Although we planned on camping near Lincoln to be close to the beginning of the big climb in the morning, we stopped short in North Woodstock due to incoming steady rain.

We got lucky and found an Inn, brewery and fantastic restaurant all wrapped up in one for a reasonable rate. Yay!

Looks like there may be a little weather coming in over the next few days but still we are soaking in these last miles on the Northern Tier.

Rain or shine we are so grateful for this opportunity and appreciate the messages, comments, prayers and donations.

#acaNoTier Ripton to East Thetford, 62 Miles | Well Hello Mr. Bear!

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From Tom:

We woke up in our comfy bed and Deb says, we are taking the day off and staying in bed all day long. Of course Tom jumps out of bed and starts packing up his things 😁. We can smell the bacon cooking downstairs and the coffee brewing and Deb decides maybe I will go ahead and get out of bed 👍.

Tom got everything carried downstairs and went out to the shed to check on the bikes and fill up the tires for our mountain climbs today.

Chris the owner of the Inn, got our tasty breakfast prepared: fresh fruit with yogurt, eggs, bacon, toast with fresh blueberry jam. Others staying at the Inn started ambling down and great conversations continued from last night. Chris was a teenager when Ben and Jerry used to deliver their Ice Cream in the 70s. He described them as long haired, pot smoking kids and nobody would ever eat their Ice Cream in cold Vermont 😁. Too bad his family didn’t invest in the company back then.

We knew our ride began with a very steep 5 mile climb so we were delaying our departure. Once we left, it was fun, everyone at the Inn was standing outside, looking through windows and waving as Deb and I jumped on our bikes and headed off.

We conquered the Middlebury Gap and had a great chat with Long Trail hikers at the top. The next several miles were 12% grade downhill, which can be a little bit scary on curvy roads. We knew we had another climb later in the day, but for the next 30 miles or so we enjoyed the slight downhill and Vermont countryside riding through small villages along the way. We grabbed a nice picnic lunch in a gazebo along the road with leftover pizza from couple of nights ago and Vermont cheese/peanut butter and crackers. 10 miles to go with another climb and we were ready to go to our destination of “Rest and Nest” campground.

We just started the climb and 100 yards ahead a Black Bear comes running out of the woods and ambles right over the guardrail in front of us. We immediately stop our ride and Deb reaches into her bag and hands me the bear spray. Thankfully no more bear sightings 😁.

We are now sitting at our campsite chillaxing and getting ready to cook up dinner.

Hard to believe a week from now we will be driving home 😁