“The boatman then gently guided the raft across. They saw
a dead body floating. At the sight of this, the Master was greatly frightened.
But Sun smiled and said, "Master do not be alarmed! That corpse is none
other than your own." Zhu Bajie said, "It is you, it is you!"
Sha the Monk clapped his hands, and also said, "It is you, it is
you!" The boatman also remarked "It was yours, I congratulate
you." The three pilgrims congratulated him, and they quietly crossed over
the Could Ferry in safety. The Master's shape was changed, and he jumped ashore
on the other side with a very light body.”
~ Wu Cheng'en, Monkey: The Journey to the West
The past 3 years have been very challenging for the
family unit. Divorce, son turning 18 and leaving home. Anger from all sides and
the disbelief that this could happen to me.
After 20 years of marriage, I found myself in a place
that I didn’t want to be. The added responsibilities of being single and the
loneliness didn’t help. However, recently, I have learned that holding onto
regrets and bitterness only kept me from moving forward. An inner voice was working
overtime with all the “what ifs” and “if onlys”? These thoughts didn’t serve me
well. Thinking about it over and over again wasn’t changing anything. To move forward, I recently acknowledged
these feelings and decided to learn from the past, rather than dwell on it. It was hard to prepare for the next chapter of
my life. I think I have found a secret weapon to deal with all this.
I have a passion that began several years ago when I made
my first journeys to the north. A 4 month hiatus from work to live and explore
the Yukon by Kayak and backpack with my, then 11 year old son, changed my
life. Somewhere up there, I found my
soul. And then, I re-discovered motorcycles shortly thereafter. It has now come
full circle. My motorbike has been the best therapy since my divorce. I’ve
learned to travel solo and have even come to like and appreciate it. I can tell you that on a motorcycle, you WILL
TRULY LIVE. Not just live, but damn it, thrive. All the negativity out there about motorcycles…
DON’T BELIEVE IT! Much of what’s been said is said out of ignorance,
stereotyping and fear - not experience.
This life and this time is precious. I had an opportunity
to rediscover who am I and who I want to be. In the end, I found something
important. That is, this time in my life is the real adventure. When I went out
to explore, I discovered something valuable ….
myself.
With that stated, here is a teaser of a project that started last year.
Enjoy this trailer of me making my way south from Seattle-to-Los Angeles. The core route was to follow Interstate 395. Leaving Seattle in the Snow and ending up in Anahiem, Ca in 90 degree weather next to DisneyLand. Along the way I toured a magical kingdom, taking detours to the John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon, Mono Lake, June Lakes, Bristlecone Pine Forests (at 11,000 feet!!), skirting the edge of Death Valley and taking a peak into the Great Basin from majestic mountains on the edge of the Sierra mountains. Lonely roads in Northern California were followed with lava beds in eastern Oregon. It was and remains the only way, in my opinion, to travel from Seattle-to-Los Angeles. Interstates are no place for a man and motorcycle to travel. The scenic route is the only way to go.
Until Next time....
