Epilogue

When I was a young and naïve man, I was inspired to travel across the United States on a motorcycle. The movie Easy Rider got the bug in my head. This idea seemed absurd to some people. The realization that I love two wheeling, the open road and new places made the idea seem like a great adventure that I someday needed to do.

The first steps in my dream to go across the country on a motorcycle were find a riding partner and pick a timeframe. My friend Tom, who I’ve done many other smaller road trips with, was up for the adventure. We agreed on the departure date for the beginning of the summer. I couldn’t have asked for a better riding partner. We road 21 days together and were in synch every day. When I was tired, so was he. And when I wanted to keep riding, so did he. Tom was the lead navigator. He did an excellent job of finding some of the best motorcycling roads I ever been on. Thanks for sharing my dream with me.

We did our planning and then one day, D-Day was here. My bike was loaded up with all the gear I thought I would need and the tools for emergencies. I had a new digital camera and compact laptop to chronicle the journey. I had a road atlas strapped to the bags and a GPS installed on the bike. We knew we weren’t getting lost but if we did, who cared. We were off.

The rest, as they say, is history. Or more correctly, it's the contents of this blog. 10,000 miles through 21 states. Weather ranging from desert heat to the mountain cold and freezing rain. Amazing days and moments when I couldn't have felt more alive. Hours when I thought I could ride forever and instances when I just wanted to be in the comforts of my home. Some mornings when the old bones ached so that I wasn’t sure I could swing a leg over the saddle and other mornings when the road and sky beckoned and the bike flew like it was built for touring. There were nights when I wanted to sit up all night watching the stars and nights I was so exhausted I just wanted a comfortable bed.

I saw the most beautiful skies and the most colorful sunsets. I met the friendliest people who wanted to talk to the guys on the motorcycles from so far away. I learned that fear is best when I am aware of it and happy it's there but don't let it overwhelm me. I learned that we really don't need much to live on, but that good toys in their place are wonderful to have. I learned to love this country and its history and the pride of its people. I learned to love the road and appreciate the yearning for home.

I learned the importance of good gear. My riding suits for protection from the elements. A comfortable helmet that I wore for 12 hours a day. Gloves that kept my hands warm and dry. I learned that every time you drop your sunglasses, they will land on the lenses. I learned the importance of a good rain proof tent, its fly cover and my sleeping bag. And mostly I learned the importance of a tire patch kit. I’ve been carrying it for 15 years and never needed it till this trip.

I learned that it's good to have people who care about you. The emails, phone calls and comments to the blog meant so much to me while I was on the road, so thank you to those people.

After all that I have seen, there is still a certain longing for the things I missed. The cities I didn't see, the lakes I didn't swim in, the beers I didn't try and the people I didn't meet. But I could spend a thousand lifetimes exploring my world and still have the world to see. That just means there's always more road to ride. The people who tell me this is a "once in a lifetime experience" befuddle me: it will be very sad indeed if I don’t do this again. There will be many more journeys to come. I am the traveler and the road, and the journey is wherever I go.

And the most important thing I learned is that cancer has changed my life for the better. I realized life is finite and we all have an expiration date. A friend told me it’s the universe giving us a pinch to remind us life isn’t forever. I think it’s more like a punch. But don’t let it knock you down and out. Keep a good attitude and remember the big “C” stands for CURE. Enjoy life today. And remember……

Life is good.