says. “The largest city on the route is Pueblo, Colo., but it goes mostly through small towns.” She also liked the fact that the TransAtlantic route offers a variety of the nation’s geog- raphy  and  culture.  The  route,  for instance,   took   her   through   the Appalachian Mountains, where McGowan  had  conversations  with people  who  have  distinct  customs, food and beliefs. “It  was  fascinating,”  she  says.  “I realized  that  this  country  is  not  as homogenous as it seems.” She was also surprised by the goodwill she continuously encountered. “I  didn’t  know  what  to  expect, but  people  were  remarkably  kind and   thoughtful   to   me   the   entire trip,”  she  says.  In  Idaho,  for  exam- ple,  a  hole  developed  in  the  outer rubber of one of her bicycle tires. A man helped her do a quick fix of the problem   with   duct   tape   and   she made  it  another  130  miles  to  the next bike shop on the route to buy a replacement tire. Outreach was an important part of the journey. As   McGowan   passed   out   low- tech  photocopied  flyers  about  her trip,   along   with   hospital-provided coupons for sunscreen and informa- tion on skin cancer, she felt as if she were    carrying    the    hopes    and dreams  of  many  other  cancer  sur- vivors along the way. “I had a lot of wonderful, intense conversations   with   people,   and   I think  people  really  wanted  to  be part of something that they labeled as good,” she says. “I could not have done this ride without the support of   everyone   who   helped   me   out along the way.” On  Aug.  16,  though,  as  she  first embarked on the trip at the mouth of  the  Columbia  River  in  Oregon equipped with just the bare necessi- ties  of  gear  stuffed  into  two  rear panniers on her hybrid road-moun- tain bike, she wondered if she had made a mistake. “I remember thinking, why had- n’t I told the folks at the Regional Cancer    Center    I’d    just    pedal around  Wisconsin  —  maybe  once clockwise  and  the  other  counter- clockwise?”  she  wrote  in  the  last entry of her trip journal. “Why did I have to promise a sea-to-shining- sea tour?” But she mustered the determina- tion  to  ride  an  average  50  to  70 miles  a  day  through  obstacles  like an   11,000-foot   mountain   pass   in Colorado and record-setting heat in Kansas to reach her goal. At night, she camped in city parks, or behind schools, churches or wherever else she could find a place to set up her tent.   Occasionally,   she   would   be invited   by   a   couple   or   family   to spend the night inside. “It was a physical challenge,” says McGowan, now back home at Lulu Lake. “I’m no Lance Armstrong. I’m just a person of average abilities.” Nonetheless, she saw a lot of the country, met many interesting peo- ple,   and,   she   hopes,   helped   raise awareness of skin cancer by sharing her personal story. “It  was  a  tribute  to  my  father;  I know the struggle he went through,” she says. “I ended up call- ing   my   trip   the   ‘Guts,   Grit   and Gumption Tour.’ It was truly a cele- bration of life.” The trip was also a tribute to the patient-doctor bond McGowan developed with Dr. Paul LeMarbre, her oncologist at the Regional Can- cer Center for the past seven years. “I attribute my ability to bounce back  to  my  own  courage  and  dili- gence, as well as to Dr. LeMarbre’s expertise,   reassurance,   calm   guid- ance  and  his  dosages  of  real,  not false, hope,” she says. “I want to give back to people what he gave to me.” To  read  more  about  McGowan’s trip, click on the “Heals on Wheels” link  at  www.waukeshamemorial.org. Online  donations  to  the  Waukesha Memorial  Hospital  Regional  Cancer Center are also accepted at the site, or a check may be sent to the Wauke- sha  Memorial  Hospital  Foundation, Attn: Heals on Wheels, 725 American Ave., Waukesha, WI 53188. Join us in Cedarburg for the CEDAR CREEK WINERY and SETTLEMENT OPEN HOUSE MARCH 17 & 18 Divorce Often Represents the Single Largest Financial Transaction of a Lifetime Receive some peace of mind by planning for your financial well-being during the divorce process. Financial Directions, Inc. specializes in an array of services for the divorcing couple or spouse that are designed to promote information, knowledge, control and empowerment. Divorce Directions 1001 W. Glen Oaks Lane • Suite 245 • Mequon • 262-241-5501 • Divorce Mediation • Divorce Financial Planning • Personal Coaching • Asset Management Services Divorce does not have to create a winner and a loser. Carolyn C. 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