Rarely do I surprise myself. But, I am a little surprised by my struggle over this trip. Not only do I not really want to go, but the trip itself is annoying me like crazy.
I love to ride. I do. It is the one thing that makes the insanity of the world, well, a little less insane. I've never believed in magic, but maybe I was wrong. When I twist that right grip and the world begins to slide by, the cares and concerns go with it. Sometimes, like the gentle leading edge of a spring rain, instead of washing away all the muck and mire, initially everything swirls together making mud. But then the miles rolling away beneath my wheels are like the continuing rain and each one makes everything a little cleaner and clearer.
So, that's how I choose to travel. I haven't flown in over 2 1/2 years despite a number of trips around the country. I love when work provides the opportunity and the money to take a trip. And yet, for practicality and expediency, I chose to go the normal route this time and fly. So now, as the trip gets closer I can hear the noise of the chaos growing. Yes, instead of the solitude of riding I crave, I have opted for being thrown right into the midst of the very rat race that makes the solitude so important.
In just a couple of days, I'll catch a ride with my young boss to go catch a ride with a number of other people, In doing so, someone else will dictate my schedule, how much I can pack, what I can pack, etc. Instead of planning how I do things around being prepared and caring for my own needs and wants, I have to give some of that over to someone else. None of this is in the least comfortable.
As I ponder all of this though, it does remind me that I do get to ride. Yes, I do have my escape that I get to indulge in a couple times each year, I have that. And I have the memories of all the trips I've taken over the years. And that, well that is a very good thing.