Epilogue

After 6 weeks on the road, I'm back in the fold again. I returned Sunday night about 8:30. My day started just south of Indianapolis at 6:30. Made me long for some time on the bike. Feel like a toad for sitting so long. At least I was able to listen to some music to make the miles easier to endure.

Surreal. That's the best way for me to sum up "The Journey " right now. If I hadn't blogged the experience, I'm not so sure I would have believed it myself. Capturing  an all consuming experience is , I don't know, artistry? Poetry? Madness? Humor? A touch of all the above. Writing. Yeah. That's it. My entries were honest and not meant to be mean spirited. Long days in the saddle will take its toll on your head though.The journey itself? That's another story.
2,200 miles. 37 days. That's 59.5 miles per day including rest days (2). We traversed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and halfway into Minnesota. Adventure? Sure. Work? Absolutely! Lots of it. That's fine. The human effort is a huge part of the equation. The challenge is what you make of it.
Fun? Depends on how you define fun. I'll get to that later.
It could certainly be, and was a grind. A very long and consuming grind. Churning out mile after endless mile was less than magical at times. There were times when you just want to pull over to the side of the road and call AAA to be towed away. Didn't matter where, just away. Your butt hurts. Your groin goes numb. Again. You stand in your pedals as you coast to let the circulation return. Don't stop. Gotta keep moving. Hands search the handlebars hoping to find a comfortable new spot to use to relieve the pressure on the tired prehensile portion of your upper limb. The back of your neck and head aches from having to look up all the time. Stay alert or be ready to pay a price for your inattentive moment. Cracks and potholes lurk in the zone between the light and the shadows. Quirky aches and pains bark at you from unsuspecting parts of you anatomy that are normally silent. Will this, too pass or is that part about to explode? Yep. This was the kind of dark matter that can overtake your soul if you let it. Let's take a look on the sunny side.

No. Wait. We have yet another climb ahead. Reach down and slide the unclicking levers into position. Ah. That's right. The resistance on the pedals increases as your feet spin not unlike how a maestro uses his baton to conduct the symphony. Your fingers just know what position the shift levers need to be in to Effortlessly. Without much thought. The levers respond to the touch your subconscious sends them. The cacophony of the chain and the mechanism of the drive train start to work in harmony with your collage of muscles and sinew to drive the load up the slope.
The burn in the legs change. It's more a message that work is being done rather than being overworked.The breathing becomes less labored and more laboring. A fine distinction, I understand. As in a labor of love. The corner is being turned. Ache isn't really pain. It's too fleeting and telling of effort. Effort isn't effortless. The reward is making itself known through return for effort. The bike is really moving now. The suffering brings on its rewards. Much like the downhill after the uphill. Positive thoughts are paramount if you want to succeed and move forward. It's a long way to the goal line.
I suppose a rider can suffer and be miserable yet still drive on. That's not a place I would want to go. Sure. Suffering is part of the game. This works only if some reward is at hand. And that, I believe, is what makes it all worthwhile. And, fun.
I had a number of phone conversations with my dear mother over the journey. She worries too much. But I was happy to share with her my ups and downs. She was mostly glad that I was doing well and still had a pulse. One keen observation she offered, I paraphrase, this will all improve with time. She's right, of course. Looking back has a way of putting it all in perspective. Some things just improve with time. Wine. Whiskey. Love. Hmmm. Is there a relationship here? Nah. Just a coincidence. I do look forward to the opportunity to share a cold one with my friends and family in the not too distant future. The rest of my friends, a toast to you the next time I'm imbibing!

My plan. Next summer, my wife and I will team up with Bill and Sandy and ride from the west coast eastward. Not sure about everyone else and how far they plan to ride, but if all goes according to plan, I'll be heading to Bermidji. Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Take care out there.
Cheers!
KPW