Mother and Son Bike Ride: Part Two

So what was a typical day like for this adventurous mother and son team? Well originally Cosme had hoped to hit the road everyday by 8am, and ride at least 70 miles a day. This proved to a bit ambitious, and Teresa informed me that most days they did not get going til 10:45

But I wouldn't call this slacking. When I asked her about breaks she replied "we didn't really stop for lunch - just an apple, energy bar or bread and cheese - a ten minute break." Plus they would ride up until 6 to 7:30 pm. With a day like that, you can't blame Teresa for wanting to just soak in a warm tub and call it a day. As she puts it, "before the trip I thought that I would do all sorts of things in the evenings - like write letters, sew, read, or sight seeing...but our evening would usually spent in our hotel room ordering in pizza, resting, talking, and watching TV." I say, if you've been riding a bike all day in hot or rainy weather, that totally warrants a relaxed evening!

I was curious to hear if they met any interesting people during their travels. Teresa was quick to point out the unfortunate fact that "we had the most contact with people along the way when we had difficulties." On the first day her derailleur snapped in two going up one of the first big hills on their route. Luckily a guardian angel must have been looking out for them, because Carlos, the manager of health club near where they broke down, offered to take them to the nearest bike shop.

Another night they almost "ended up sleeping on the sidewalk in Portsmouth because there were absolutely no hotel/motel rooms free." They went to a local BJ's store to use a phone book, and as word spread of their situation it was no long till they got to know most of the staff. The manager even offered to take them both to her home for the night if they couldn't find anything by the time her shift was over. Luckily something finally pulled through at the aptly named "Blue Moon Hotel," whose night manager felt "compelled to tell us about her daughter that she had lost in a road accident with an 'eighteen wheeler.' " Not exactly what you want to hear when you still have days of bikeriding ahead of you.

In the end though they made it, safe and sound. Those two weeks before she had to say goodbye to him were the most time Teresa had ever spend exclusively with her son Sosme, and despite her sore knees she has no regrets. Though she has always viewed her life as "one adventure after another" it is clear that this trip was not without an impact. Teresa told me that she "thanked Cosme" for getting her "on my bike again after man years, using my body in a strenuous way, making things up as we went along, and for being able to be with him for this adventure."

To me, this makes an important point about the joy of being a parent. It's not about just about what you can give to your child, but allowing your child to change you. And I find that the better parent I am, the more likely my kids are able to teach me lessons or introduce me to parts of myself that either new or just areas of life that I haven't visted lately. Kids can force you to rediscover activities and an inner strenght you forgot you had - to me, that's the magic of motherhood.

So is another trip in the future? Well, Cosme is already planning a trip all the way to California. As for Teresa, she's thinking about it, but for now is enjoying her youngest son's last two years at home before he leaves for college. From one mom to another, I wish her the best of luck!