3106 Miles and Counting

Bob
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As I was filling up in Marathon, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. However, I soon realized , it was indeed a cross-country cycling backpacker, emerging from the sandblasting head winds of far west Texas.
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I was in awe and snapped a picture on my phone to remember the sight. (slide 2)
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As I went into the store to get a snack, I knew I wanted to get him a beer. But then I thought a Gatorade take him a bit further
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I asked him if he had any room for it, and he greeted me with a dusty smile and a handshake.
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I asked him a few questions and after a great conversation and a couple of photos, I said my goodbyes. As he tried to recall my name, he mistakenly called me “Jacob”, my late brother’s name. That’s when I got to share my story and pass along a copy of my brother’s notes. (slide 3)
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I will never see Bob again, but he touched me with his determination to push the human mind and body to its limits.
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He is now entering his second year of his journey, which started in Japan and covered 3106 miles before he flew to the U.S. to continue in Philadelphia….I met him in far west Texas.
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He is currently heading to Chihuahhuas, Mexico, to meet with a fellow German biker friend he met along the way and continue his journey even further south.
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God bless those who face the elements.
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<Big Bend National park 1/14/2024-1/18/2024>