Flagstaff during morning rush hour can be intense. We started the ride from the VFW and made our way through the city but it didn't take long to reach the end of the side roads and start riding along the I-40 once again. Just like yesterday there were sections covered in debris and I felt like I was riding through an obstacle course but we kept going and things were going well. Just a few miles outside Parks, AZ where I was scheduled to make my first stop, I heard a series of honks. While riding there had been a handful of semis going by that honked and I couldn't tell if it was another truck or my chase car behind me. We have a signal that if I hear honks from my chase vehicle I am in potential danger and need to bail but by the time I figured out it was the car I also saw why, a large truck with an oversized load was already going by me.
The truck barely made it passed the car that was on the shoulder behind me and if I had been over in the middle of the shoulder the part of a manufactured house the truck was hauling that stuck out would have taken me down very quickly. We made it to the exit without a scratch but I was shaken deeply by the experience. I sat and enjoyed a snack while my mom and Steve checked out the offerings at the stop. While we sat there we met a very nice couple who asked about the ride and we found out they both grew up in the midwest like we did. She even asked to take a picture with me.
After a longer than normal break I got back on the bike and jumped back on the highway. We headed toward Williams which is such a fun Route 66 city. As we got into town I started having a panic attack. The feeling of being back on the highway had terrified me. I had to pull over and take deep breaths as I talked myself down from an anxiety attack, something very familiar to those who struggle with PTSD. I knew right then I needed help from my team. So many who battle this disorder aren't able to reach out, either because they don't have the support system they need or they don't know how to ask for the help they need. It took me years to be able to say I'm not ok and need help. Today I asked for that help. I was physically capable of pedaling but I was not emotionally ok to do so on the highway. I voiced these concerns and we agreed we would drive to my stop in Seligman which would get me off the freeway.
Not only did Seligman rescue me from the I-40 but it also was a spot I have looked forward to because it is where the idea for the ride began over 3 years ago. We made a brief stop at Delgadillo's Snow Cap where I sat with Steve and launched the first plan for the ride. We also got a stamp for my mom in her Route 66 passport while eating at the Roadkill Cafe.
The final stop for the day was 25 miles further down the road at the Grand Canyon Caverns. We got in early enough to take the caverns tour and I was thrilled to be able to show my mom something we have enjoyed in the past. Tomorrow we will be heading through some awesome places and ending in California, our 8th and final state. We are coming down to the end and I can't wait to cross that finish line.
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