Don’t Give Up (Day Seventy-one)

This is it! Today I rode into Key West. One thing I haven’t mentioned much is hurricane damage. The bike path that goes through the Keys has a lot of it, which made riding a challenge. Several times I would get on the path, only to find it barricaded with no way to get on the road, and I would have to backtrack. A bit of a pain. 

I mentioned yesterday I was hurt by the fact that some people that I’ve been talking to during my ride have broken communication with me. One of those relationships came to an end today, and it hit me pretty hard. I did a lot of riding with tears streaming down my face. I stopped to get some water at a gas station, and the cashier asked how I was doing. I replied, “I’ve been better.” She squeezed my hand, and said, “Aww, honey, it’ll all be OK.” This made me cry even more. Complete strangers have been so sweet to me on this trip and given me a hug when I really needed one. I went back out to my bike and stood there sniffling and crying while people stared. For the rest of my ride, my mind was not really on the ride or how hot it was or how tired I was, and I guess this was a good thing. I do wish I had been in better spirits when I rode into Key West, the final point of my journey. 

I started today with breakfast in Marathon, at a little place called The Stuffed Pig. It was pretty good, and did the trick. Almost immediately, I found myself on the Seven Mile Bridge, which I’m told is actually just short of seven miles. The old Seven Mile Bridge, next to it, is where a famous scene from True Lies was filmed. Riding across the bridge was a little scary. I really had to concentrate since there was a lot of debris in the shoulder, and the traffic was flying by. I watched some of the lobster fishermen tossing the lobsters into the boat, which was cool. I wouldn’t want someone to throw a live Maine lobster at me, but the Florida ones are much smaller and don’t have claws. 

At one point, I saw a dead cat, which made me very sad. There’s no way it could have gotten out there on its own, which means someone left it there on the bridge. I can’t comprehend people sometimes. I rode on, being careful and taking the time to appreciate the incredible work that must have gone into the construction of this bridge. It’s pretty incredible. I was relieved when I made it to the end. I made my way to Big Pine Key and hoped I might see my friends from Marathon. They have a house on Big Pine. I stopped for lunch in Sugarloaf and that’s when I received the bad news. 

I rode into Key West. My hotel was smack in the middle of downtown, right near Duval Street. As usual, my first order of business was to go for a swim, which was lovely, and my second was to get a margarita at Jimmy Buffett’s original Margaritaville. I had a great time, and the man from Alaska sitting next to me paid for my drink when he heard about my ride. I purchased a few souvenirs, and headed back to the hotel. I went out for dinner later on, to a pasta restaurant that had been recommended, but I wasn’t that impressed. It’s OK, I had a lovely evening. Unfortunately, I was not able to get much sleep, because in Key West, the party goes all night long. The live music and laughing people were pretty loud. 

I don’t know what the next chapter of my life will bring, but I know it will be amazing. I did this ride so I could find myself, and I did. I really like her, too! So many people on this trip have told me that I’m the coolest person they’ve ever met. It feels really good to have someone say that. And I’m grateful to all the people on Route 1 into the Keys who saw me riding, recognized what I was doing, and waved and gave me a thumbs up. I could really feel the love. I’ve felt so much love on this trip, it’s a little overwhelming. I know I inspired many people I met, and I hope I’ve inspired some of you reading this blog. You can do anything you set your mind to. The only limits are the ones you create for yourself. I’m going to live my life a little differently now. I’m going to be bolder and not be so afraid to take chances. We only go around once. Let’s all make the most of it, OK? I love you.