Take the Lane
This is a phrase used by experienced cyclists as advice regarding what you should do when there is no bike lane available. It is advice much easier to regard when you don’t have semis, RV's, or particularly rude drivers sharing the lane you are supposed to "take". Advice I say in my head when suddenly the shoulder disappears and I'm hoping the cars behind me have a soft spot in their heart for cyclists.
If you have been following along on Instagram you know we've closed out our Washington chapter and crossed into Oregon. So far the Oregon coast has proven much kinder to us. Sorry Washington, but your persistent rain, nonexistent bike lanes, and logging trucks really do not hold a candle to these dramatic coastlines, roomy roads, and generally friendly drivers. We continue to experience unprecedented kindness and generosity from strangers as we go along. Most of the generosity is thanks to Mary's propensity to make friends with anything that breathes. She has proven to be probably the single most important asset to our success thus far.
It's funny, because of the three of us she probably has the most to complain about, and yet she hasn't uttered a breath of discomfort. Yesterday I asked everyone to state two "highs" and one "low" of the trip and she had the audacity to say she has no "lows." She's feeding us hot breakfasts and dinners, doing laundry and grocery runs alone, keeping track of Nellie, and pretending not to notice how grumpy we are about being cold. No complaints from the woman sleeping in the back of a SUV for 3 weeks who has camped twice in her life before this journey.
In a world teaching us to "stay in your lane" three bold women have opted to confidently take the whole dang thing despite the discomforts, challenges and frustrations trying to push us over. We have overcome physical pains, bike problems, bad weather, and a water kettle that doesn't ever seem to boil. Rebekah and I have biked > 411 miles in 9 days, and the confidence we've gained in those miles is incalculable. We're only a few days from California, which seems unbelievable. The last few have given us cooler, foggy paths and we are hoping for more of those golden sunny rides we had at the top of Oregon.
Even when it's uncomfortable we are taking the lane, in more ways than one. We have never been the type to scoot over for other people's ungracious opinions or misguided advice to "tone down" our goals. It is amazing how even small acts of support and positivity can elevate this experience. People have cheered us on from their passenger seats, while others insist, with expletives, we have no business being in the lane at all. Today and for the rest of this journey we choose to hear those who urge us onward and upward.
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