Day 50: Ferndale, WA (Our Last Day in America)

Today was it, the BIG 5-O, and we all awoke this morning knowing that at the end of the day when we racked our bikes and rolled into town that it would be the last time we would do so in the Southland United States (As the Alaskans call it). What began in a circle driveway of a university gym is now finally crossing a nation. It is this culminating revelation that I often find so difficult to fathom in its perspective. It seems whenever we would come across a world map by whatever means we would always point and say to each other, "Look! We were here... and now we're here, how in the world did we get that far?" Our fingers getting further and further apart with every state we crossed like our hands were a proper measure of the vast distances we've traveled. But today when we departed Bremerton on that gray, rainy morning we did so with that same great reluctance that we were yet leaving another amazingly hospitable household that we called home for a time. It is probably to this same effect that will define our crossing into Canada. Ferndale has been a good home to us, and Bea & Harry Yasayko hosted one of the best reception dinners we've ever had. I honestly never knew BBQ ribs could taste so good outside of Texas, and the ice cream was even better. But America as a whole has been a amazing home to us these past 50 days too and it will be strange if not a little sad to leave her behind for a few weeks. But I hear the Yukon is beautiful this time of year, and though we're not quite there yet I'm sure I'll be pointing to it soon enough on a map, wondering yet again just how in the world we got that far.

With best regards,

-Andi