sorry, i'm a little excited. it's a combination of excitment at being home (and at my usual coffee shop typing this) and exhilaration of completing this epic undertaking. when i started planning it, the whole idea of it was a little surreal. now that i'm done, being home seems a little surreal. granted, i've only been home 2.5 hours, but it still seems a little strange.
the ride today was actually pretty good. i keep forgetting how pretty the middle/eastern half of our state is until i go through it. rolling hills of wheat, some lovely river canyons and fun highways. we definitely hold our own as far as that goes. and coming through the pass? sure, it was wet. sure, it was a little cold. but not as wet or as cold as i was anticipating. i was prepared, i had the right gear, i took it easy and didn't rush things. and when i came into fall city the sky cleared up and i rode the rest of the way home in glorious northwest sunshine. truly awesome.
the trip actually had a comical ending, too. i was coming around the final bend to my house, up the hill, and i see something/someone waiting right at the end of my driveway. a welcome home party? nope. two motorcycle cops who flag me down for speeding up the hill. so instead of turning into my driveway, i have to drive 2 houses down and pull over for a traffic stop. i tell the police officer that i live right there. he tells me i was going 33 in a 25. he then looks over my bike and asks if i'm returning home from a trip. i tell him he has no idea, then proceed to tell him where i've been. he looks over my bike again and, instead of a ticket, offers me a handshake and welcomes me home, asking how the bike held up. a super nice guy, and we chat a bit about the trip and the bike. he even agrees to take my coming home picture:
i think it's an awesome ending to the trip, personally. especially since it didn't end in a ticket.
and so i went home. and went inside. and celebrated.
and then took a shower.how do i feel now? happy. a little relieved. very, very tired. and a little out of place. it kind of feels like the first time i went back to college after graduating. like i'm just looking in at everything, but i'm not really a part of it.
and the plan? well, after this i'm going to go to the grocery store so i can make myself a homemade, healthy dinner before heading to the pub to celebrate properly. tomorrow i'm doing the unpacking, sorting and cleaning of gear. i'll also get vixen set up for everyday riding again, including washing her. my baby definitely needs a bath:
although, to be fair, i could probably use a little cleaning up too:
you like the mountain man look? i'll admit it's the fullest my beard's come in yet. i guess this trip increased my manliness.i'm going to do another debrief in a few days or so, after i've had a chance to relax a bit and settle back in. sort out my thoughts after i've truly had a chance to be back in the real world for a while. for now, though, i can say that i've traveled around our country, and it is pretty great. there are as many things different as there are the same. it was definitely a life changing experience. i can also definitely say, without a doubt, that after seeing what else is out there, i can't think of anywhere else i'd rather call home.
until next time,
rftc,
scott
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