Life List: Across the Country

What I Learned

The trip was freedom for me -- our son was being taken care of and I wasn't in pain anymore. And we really didn't have to rough it: We took tents but camped out only one night the entire time. We stayed in motels and with hosts we met via Warmshowers.org, an informal group of cyclists whose members let people stay with them. We called one woman in Wisconsin with hardly any notice and she said, "I'd love to have you. Please come!" You often hear negative things about the world, but everyone we met was so kind and generous that they restored my faith in humanity. Seeing the U.S.A. this way was such an amazing experience -- every citizen should do it!

Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, February 2009.