The realization is setting in

We are nearly in the final state, which means we are nearly in the final leg. My emotions are starting to bounce around from excited and proud, to sad that I will soon have to leave this life and re enter the real world. School and work await. And most importantly, my family and friends are waiting, too. And that is what I most look forward to, seeing my favorite people.

I miss eating well, drinking good coffee, and wearing clean clothes. I miss snuggling my dog, cooking, picking on my mother, and having somewhat of a hairstyle. I want to wear dresses and sandals and change my earrings.

I am tired of sun-blocking myself repeatedly. I can't wait for my sun poisoning to heal, and for my ridiculous tan lines to fade away (ok, I secretly love them, they tell a story). I'm so over wearing the same gross sports bra every single day, and hand washing my clothes in the shower.

I'll certainly miss the daily company of McKinley. I began this adventure all alone, never expecting to ride all but a few hundred miles with the same person. We've spent nearly every minute together on this adventure, except when I wanted to swim that one time in Kansas and she didn't. There were times that I would look around me, being in the absolute middle of nowhere, and wonder what I would have done without the security of a friend. Saying I'm grateful would be an understatement.

And all of those things I'm ready to stop doing, I know I will immediately miss; I've been there once before. This time around, I have a focus, a much clearer direction; I think the transition will be easier. And my buddy and I have already loosely made plans for me to visit Tennessee in the fall, and her visiting New Jersey sometime after. And traveling to Boston to visit our old comrades, Pete and Lauren. Many adventures lie ahead.

Ok, enough sappy talk, we've still got an entire state to kick in the ass. Onward.