Days 122-123 Whitbourne-St. Johns (Cross-Canada: Check)

After 4 months, 7942.2km/4935mi, countless sites and experiences I have finally made it to St. Johns and capping off an amazing journey across any even more amazing country.

The last leg and arrival in St. Johns was not filled with the tears of the journey ending but with the joy of a a goal fulfilled and the excitement for the future.

After arriving to St. Johns and stopping for a very anti-climatic photo op at the mile zero marker I was thinking it would be a nice quiet evening and an early sleep. Some things are not meant to be.

Meeting back up with the kiwis brought me into the circle of Marcus another cross Canada cycle touring, and I soon understood all the stories I heard of him through the Ruru’s. It was as we were on our way to meet some people he met on the road and up rides Jen who I also met so long ago in BC that I knew the quiet evening I thought was going to happen took a turn for the better. It was great to see her and share in the mutual achievement of our journeys. We soon met Claire and Julie (two young women, we infectious humor who also completed their cross Canada tours as well).

It was a a group of happy travelers we got Screeched and became honorary Newfoundlanders. There was a bit of pageantry involved that involved kissing a cod and drinking a shot of something horrible, but will worth the price of admission.

It was a great end to a fantastic journey! Sharing in mutual success, meeting old friends and making new ones. Ultimately it is not just the places we see that keep up pushing the pedal over and over but all the wonderful and amazing people that you meet and sometimes are fortunate enough to see again.

Newfoundland has a wonderful energy about it and over the course of the next week or so I will be exploring some of it’s wonders. After that I will start my journey from St. Johns to Key West Florida. Yes, my friends you read that right, the adventure is not over.

Until then…

The mile zero marker in downtown St. Johns signals an end of a goal and a start of a new one

I first met Jen and her cousin grinding up the Coquihalla heading to Merritt, BC and here we are in St. Johns 🙂

Getting ready to drink as shot of disgusting, yay me!

The infamous kissing of the cod

Proof that you all can now call me a Newfy, but be careful as a local now I don’t take kindly to the name…

The Terry Fox monument in St. Johns that marks the start of an epic journey that this young man took in 1980. A truly inspiring life lived helping other all the way to the end. Unfortunately he did not complete his quest of running across Canada as cancer forced him to stop in Ontario. But, he message and quest has been completed and continues in the hearts of every Canadian I’ve met as well as everyone who has been introduced to the young man through his achievements, and enormous heart.

much love…