“Beatific - Blissfully happy, bestowing bliss, blessings, happiness, or the like; rapturous, joyful, ecstatic, blissful, serene, happy, blessed, exalted, sublime, heavenly, holy, divine, celestial, paradisiacal, glorious”

The Road Ahead Unseen

Phases of the Trip – “Going to” versus “Coming Back”

It’s a feeling I had over the last couple of days since I started that right turn east, pointing me in the direction of home. There are still many days of the trip left, many miles to travel, and many wonderful things to experience. However, maybe it’s a combination of approaching that 50-day mark with the compass needle point east. The trip isn’t over by any measure. For the longest time I was “going to” somewhere. I was leaving home and the miles between home and where I was, was always increasing. The distance as the crow flies between where I’m at and home is going to be decreasing daily. This is a good thing. I want and need to by home on the 50th day. I miss my family and the plan is 50@50. I just don’t want to be hyper-focused on “coming back” and fast-forwarding the days to the 50th. It’s something I need to be diligent about. I want to get home, but I want to savor and cherish each of the remain days just as I did the days at the start of this journey. A lesson in being in the moment.

I’ve had this feeling riding during this trip. There’s been many times on the road at the crest of a hill or a decreasing radius corner, where you can’t see ahead. There can be a moment where you feel there’s nothing there, the road ends, or there’s something that you’re going to slam into. However, you predict, you anticipate, you might even roll off the throttle a bit to give yourself time to coast & think it through, but you always keep going. Guess what? The road is there, you come over on the other side, you make the turn, you avoid obstacles, and you roll back on the throttle. I think life is like that. You keep moving forward, if you truly want to be engaged on the road of life. The unknown shouldn’t persuade you to stop. You just have to be prepared to roll on the throttle, because the need and the opportunity to keep living is always there.

Kindred Spirits – Travelers on the Road

I saw a sign for Teton Pass on the way to Jackson, Wyoming and I pointed the motorcycle in that direction. There was the Wyoming sign! Another state and another phase to the trip. I’m kinetic! I’m on the move and it feels great. I passed an SUV on the side of the rode with Texas plates who had been pulled over by highway patrol. I felt bad and thought how this guy must be feeling. He was literally several miles from the top of Teton Pass, only to get pulled over.

I stopped at the summit of Teton Pass to snap some pics and to recognize another 3D picture painted by the Universe. I noticed that Texas SUV pulling in and almost didn’t want to make eye contact, thinking the dude must be decompressing from the aggravation of a traffic ticket. Surprisingly, he started a conversation and yes, it’s about the people you meet on the road. To cut to the chase, Wade from Texas, didn’t get a speeding ticket. He got a warning and the officer was excited to talk with him about his journey. You see Wade is 63 and not too long ago decide to quit his job and hit the road in his car, traveling all over the country, hiking and planning to be on the road probably for a 100+ days. You hear the similar stories about life and death. He had a friend who was one month from moving to Costa Rica and realizing his dream, but his clock ran out. There’s all these big and small awakenings that propel us to change, to transition, and to grow. Some of it is fated. Some of it is just the need to exhale after a deep breath.

Wade and I exchanged tales of the road, encounters with people along the way, our observations, feelings and what themes resonated with is. We were finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences. We were sharing our beatific experience. Our blissful travel adventures and how it affected us. It had little to do with where we’ve physically been and for how long, and more to do with where our heads were at. It had all to do with the energy we were carrying with us, the feeling we had in our hearts, and the joy of the journeys we were on. Kindred spirits connecting on the road. I’ve had many of those experiences during this trip. We chatted for quite a while, with many pauses to reflect on the glorious view of the Tetons in front of us. We parted ways with smiles and good wishes, feeling better for having met. I often wonder why I don’t make more of an effort to get people’s contact information or to give mine so that we keep in touch. I guess deep down, the impermanence of the encounter and of life just leads me to wanting to appreciate the moment with no expectations of the future. I’m sure it would be great to keep in touch with many of the people I met on the road, and some I will. However, many are probably best simply left to those glorious moments and the wonderful memories I carry forward.

Moments in Time - Highlights from Week 5 that are captured in the photos that follow:

It’s been super special having my wife ride with me the last 7 says. From LA, Paso Robles, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Napa, Sonoma, the Pacific Coast Highway and many miles in between. The weather was varied, some roads were quite precarious, and she was a true adventurer all the way. Thanks for sharing a part of the journey. I see some big two-up moto trips in our future. For me it’s back to solo travel and 21 more days on the road to make it to 50. Tomorrow I’ll throttle North and in a couple of days I’ll start that right turn east. The adventure continues ... #pillion
Yes, it’s about the people you meet on the road, especially when you get to hang with family. I got to spend time with my cousin Brien and feeling super grateful. Insightful, deep, fun, and genuine. Great conversation and a great evening. Kindred spirits. #kindredspirits
Day 30 A New Morning in Sausalito. Time to get on the bike and head North.
“Can't you feel that sun a-shinin'?
Ground hog runnin' by the country stream
This must be the day that all of my dreams come true
So happy just to be alive
Underneath the sky of blue” #bobdylan
Breakfast in Sausalito.
Skaggs Road and off to PCH, but first a stop at Lake Sonoma.
The Pacific Coast Highway north of Stewarts Point was an amazing ride today. Arriving via Skaggs Road, which is the definition of motorcycle road, was a blast. Unfortunately, PCH was a blast also. The winds were gusting for many miles while the temperature continued to drop. The views and the riding were still spectacular. The power of the waves hitting the cliffs, the wind, and the overall awesomeness of the place is humbling. Gratitude and great riding.
Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
All Under Heaven. #serendipity A cool Northern California Town. Almost time to say farewell to the Pacific and take a right turn east #california #arcata #northerncalifornia
Day 31 Time to say farewell to the Pacific Ocean and take a right turn east. California is a magical place. It’s not one thing and can’t be categorized. The terrain, climate, people, and culture ever varied across the state east-to-west and north-to-south. #california #northerncalifornia
Day 31 Time to say farewell to the Pacific Ocean. Walking to the water’s edge and shaking hands with the Pacific. #Gratitude #california #northerncalifornia
And time to start heading east. #oregon
Crater Lake National Park. The reflection of the mountains in the pristine still waters were spectacular. #oregon #Gratitude
Crater Lake National Park. Formed 7,700 years ago by an eruption that destroyed a mountain, created a crater, and the lava sealed the crater for what is believed to be the deepest lake in the USA. Vivid colors, calm pristine water, and another example of nature’s creation. A picture painted by the Universe. #oregon #Gratitude
One word to communicate what I’m feeling on Day 34 - “Beatific”. #beatific
Leaving Oregon today and heading to Idaho. I definitely left a lot on the table for next time. So much to see in Oregon and Idaho, but that’s for a future trip. For now, I feel the draw of Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone. Time to put the miles on.
A brief stop on the Moon. Volcanic rock everywhere and lava fields. A reminder that the planet has been and is always evolving. Craters if the Moon.
Day 35, 5 weeks on the road! Leaving Idaho Falls, I felt the pull of Wyoming and the Grand Tetons. I was getting closer!
We were sharing our beatific experience. Our blissful travel adventures and how it affected us. It had little to do with where we’ve physically been and for how long, and more to do with where our heads were at. It had all to do with the energy we were carrying with us, the feeling we had in our hearts, and the joy of the journeys we were on. Kindred spirits connecting on the road. Yes, it’s about the people you meet on the road. Day 35, 5 weeks on the road! #wyoming #grandtetons
Day 35 Week 5 On the Road, Grand Teton National Park. Grand is the correct adjective. Grand sights, grand emotions, the Grand Tetons. A picture painted by who? Answer= The Universe. Feeling the splendor. #wyoming #grandtetons #grandtetonnationalpark