The Tour de Dog Mailbox

Chiva and I continue to receive dozens and dozens of emails of encouragement. Thank you to all those who send us their best wishes. We promise to do our best to write back.

One email was exceptionally moving. It was from a Seattle resident named Chester. Although I rarely like to post personal emails, Chester gave me the OK, and I want to share his message:

Reflected Inspiration:

david and chiva... i have a story for you guys! hopefully i will be able to tell you in person but regardless i'll try to keep it short and maybe i'll be able to talk with you later. i live in wallingford in seattle. i just moved here from portland about 2 months ago. my roommate andy and i get a free little paper every week or so, most of the time it sits on our coffee table for a day or three then gets recycled, well the week before july 4th andy and i were sitting around talking and listening to music. he was flipping the pages of the local community wallingford paper and ripped out an article. at a lull he handed me an article...chet you gotta read this...its going on our passion wall. i had an idea for a passion wall in our house. pics articles poems, stories, anything really with the only qualification being...things we are really passionate about and believe in. i read the article and it was like i had seen daylight for the first time in years. your story resonated so deep with me...i had been at the same place you were for about 1.5 years. your story gave me the final urge to jump from the proverbial cliff i'd been standing at for so long. the next day i went and talked to my boss...he understood where i was he understood why and he gave me the weekend to think it over. on monday i put in my two weeks... the 18th is my last day at work and i've never felt better about something in my entire life. i don't know if is possible anymore but i would love to try and catch you... the moment i finished reading the article i looked up at andy and said...I'm gonna catch him...i'm going to start my trek on the 27th. i like you have never done overnight bike trips but i'm confident and i feel like there's a fire in my belly. so if you are open to it i'd love to try and catch you and ride with you for a while. it is all kinda depending on how fast i can gain on you. i'm from indiana...northeastern so i would like to end my trip there... but who knows. regardless you have truely inspired me to live my life to the fullest and take some action...a inspiration to move is what i needed. i was stagnant and scared and not myself...to concerned with staying on this "track" i'd put myself on... i am so excited to be doing this, and it would be awesome if i could just have coffee with you... so here's to an encounter and a great trip!!I have a couple questions for you also...when do you think you will get into or through indiana?what has been the one thing you brought that you couldn't live without? (Chiva, of course) is there one thing you wish you would have brought? (More dogs and people!!!) is there one thing you wish you wouldn't have brought? (No...I am happy with what I brought. Although I did drop some items off after the Wyoming climb) finally i'm just a little concerned with being able to find a place to sleep every night...i'm pretty sure i can work it out... i have a general bee line route planned out with some flexibility but do you have any advice? (Be flexible and take care of yourself. Funds for a motel room every now and then are nice) David thanks so much... i owe you more than i can say or repay. I've been thinking about your trip every night and thanking God for this chain of events... i wish and pray for only the best for your trip. hopefully i'll see you in the next 2 months or so.~chester

I look forward to that cup of coffee Chester and can't wait to meet you! Congratulations on your last day of work today! Thanks for such a wonderful and encouraging email and let me know what I can do to help you. Truly awesome, and I wish you best on your way east.

Safe travels, and we hope to see you on the road soon,
David and Chiva