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I know it's been awhile since my last post, and I apologize. I have finally made it over the worst and had some of the best this year and I'm here to catch you up, if you're interested. So, here goes. And check back again soon as I'm getting into this travel writer thing and I'll have much more coming.

The tour took seven more days to complete. Six-hundred-thirty six miles from NOLA to the old (as in, original European settlement in North America) northeastern port town of St. Augustine, FL. It was over one-hundred degrees most days - in the sun - and I literally wobbled through the thick humidity from campsite to gas-station to campsite, with a few fresh springs in between. Afterwards, I
convalesced at Casa Yallaha, a long standing hippy hostel, for a few
days in that crazy pirate town, was taken in by a Warmshowers.org host in Jacksonville for a night, and flew home to be with my family for a week, struck with recent news of serious illness among our numbers.

But, it was still a year for bikes and celebrating. And getting down with the Bay Area. I got a job at a bike shoe company called DZR, fell in love, ran around crazy trying to get my feet on the ground in SF (by getting an apartment, which took 9 months), then ended up leaving that job, that apartment (but not the man) and found another, less glamourous job at REI that is allowing me to get up and go yet again, to Chicago.
I plan on being in Chicago for awhile, but that's a generous word for my globetrotting existence. I will be flying to and fro when I can scrounge up the cash or find a backdoor; to SF, Boise, and Abu Dhabi most likely in the next year. (From whence I intend to do more bicycle touring back in the Mideast.) Meanwhile, I will be alternately grateful and cranky, drink way too much caffeine, and ride my bike a little too far.
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It's been a year, and I still don't know. But I know I did it!

Photos: (in descending order) One Post, San Francisco as cyclists navigate the chaos at the beginning of an alleycat; Me helping out, posing in DZR Zurich boots for some promos; Minna St, where the DZR showroom is located above the Hunan Chinese restaurant; Villano Beach, St. Augustine, FL; Me At the Beach (so sorry for the blinding belly, lost my riding shirt two days left on the tour!); The pet parrots of my hosts in Jacksonville