Day Twelve: Territory Westward

Save yourself the trouble of debating it with me--Ohio is a western state. Take it from an east coast city boy, anything to the left of PA on a map is indeed west. Today we rode 81 miles "westward" into Ohio. This is especially exciting because this is as far west as I have ever been! Seeing the "Welcome to Ohio" sign forced me to realize what a journey I had begun and just how far I have come in a relatively short amount of time--less than two weeks. From this point forward, it's all new states!



Renewed in my passion for 4K adventure, the 81 mile trek did not seem draining at all, (although lack of sleep did make me slightly drowsy during the few long miles before lunch). We were able to stop and get ice cream donate from Doug, whose brother is suffering from cancer and has decided not to fight it. Hearing this was disheartening and the perfect motivation for completing the day.

Riding into Cleveland from the east was particularly interesting, given the state of the area. It did not lend well for first impressions. However, over the course of the evening I saw more of Cleveland, a charming city, and the surrounding area. A 4K Alumnus, his parents, and parents of some of the great team members of this year's trip, came together to host a scrumptious dinner. By far, the best part of the night was sitting around an outdoor fireplace with the team stuffed with delicious food. Cleveland looks pretty good from that seat!

So far I'm loving the "west" and its cities. I can't wait to get moving again.

Westward Bound,

James
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Today was dedicated to Corina Correia Rodrigues, the aunt of a donor who passed away from breast cancer. I hope to be hearing more about Corina and sharing her story with you in the coming weeks.