Mary's Choice

A very big and heartfelt thanks to all of you who commented on my last post, called me, e-mailed me, and answered my teary phone calls as I tried to figure out what to do next. It was a difficult decision, and one that I'm still not sure was the correct one to make, but I've decided to stop here and go back to Seattle and Ivan will go forward with the trip, hopefully making up for the lost time in short order.

I have not yet figured out what I am going to do for the rest of the summer. I am on an unpaid leave of absence from work thru mid-September so I may just get in my car with Sally and drive on up ahead a few hundred miles and and meet Ivan every few days or at least once-mid trip. Or I may go back to work and make some money to help pay for the house we just bought.

Whatever I decide, we both agree that I need to be productive in some way this summer - perhaps creating a support group for women whose husbands go on long bike trips. If I stay in Seattle I will be riding my bike even if it's just to commute to work or explore my new neighborhood of West Seattle. I see this as an opportunity to actually start training for the next bike trip - taking it in small degrees so I won't become overwhelmed by every freaking hillock.