Coming up…a new adventure…

Coming up…a new adventure…

We spent June and July at my parents’ house in Philadelphia, where we put the plans in motion to start up our own e-commerce company. What will we be selling? Cyclotourism equipment – what else! We at least have a lot of knowledge of the different types of equipment, and there are very few people selling equipment specifically for cyclotourism. So we should have an advantage there. We plan on selling mostly to the American and European markets, and are currently looking into how customs duties work in the European Union. We hope to be up and running and making money by the end of the year.

We have been in France since August, visiting Stephane’s family and friends. We will be here until the end of October, when we will return to the United States. We will settle in the Philadelphia area, near my family.

We are very happy that we had a chance to bike across the United States. For me, it was a chance to get to know my own country better. For Stephane, it was a chance to get to know the country that he will call home. We were both charmed by the U.S., and Stephane especially, who was very suprised by the generosity, hospitality, and diversity of the people, cultures, and landscapes. We both agreed that the United States is blessed with some of the most beautiful scenery on earth and has some of the most welcoming people.

We will work on our business together, and once it is up and running, Stephane will start to study for his exams to pass the American nursing equivalency. He will have to study for and pass several English competency tests, then a medical English exam, and finally, the national nursing exam. It will be at least a year before he will be able to work as a nurse in the United States.

Once we have jobs and a place of our own, we will start to think of having a little family of our own. A grand new adventure and one we are looking forward to!

Conclusion:
To conclude, we would like to thank:

* Our family and friends who encouraged and supported us with their e-mails during our voyage
* Our parents for their inestimable help, especially in storage and logistical help (documents and filing of taxes, etc.), and also for a welcoming roof when we came home to visit the family
* Jean Vacca, Stephane’s cousin, for creating our website
* Bruno Pellarin, our photographer friend who helped us scan photos onto the website
* Eric Belouard, for helping us with logistics and for coming to see us in Thailand and New Zealand
* Vincent Rights, my brother, for coming to visit us in India
* Klaus Hartinger, for visiting with us at the Grand Canyon
* All of our sponsors for their help, either financially or with equipment
* And especially, all of the families and friends who opened their doors to us to offer a warm bed, a hot shower, or a meal, and allowed us to live for a short time with them and their families. This was the greatest gift we were offered during our voyage.

Thank you to all. And for those of you out there who are still traveling the roads or the oceans of this world, may the wind be with you!

Stephane and Sheri