Wind And Waves

THE WEEKEND OF JUNE FIRST ~
Bicycling through Denver. Its amazing. I can get anywhere in Denver on my bike! There is a great trail along the Platte river. As I’m cruising along (for miles! my body is sore as I write this) something is kinda weird. Finally, towards the end of my ride it hits me. Everyone I pass looks at me and most of them smile! That is weird. I realize, I’ve spent a lot of time bicycling around Portland and New York and people don’t acknowledge your presence, like they do in Colorado. People have an open friendliness here. I really love that
(or maybe its just because I lost 200 pounds and am now sexy! :-))

I feel different on this Sunday. The world seems euphoric, like a fantasy land. The sky is soo blue, the trees are soo green, the river is so brown and turmulous as it rushes with life. The rising sun feels wonderful on my back, as my black sweatshirt absorbs its heat and thaws me out from my cool, early morning ride. Birds are singing. I feel open, awake, alive. I can feel this fragile spring day with every cell of my body. The empty curvy canyon roads and a hot cup of coffee…..are yet to come. 🙂 Life is good. Every chasm of loneliness and yearning is filled with the beauty I’m immersed in. I want nothing.

Damn! I totally missed my yoga class this Sunday morning. But it was great talking to this fellow in the coffee shop. I asked him if he could go on any adventure, what would he want to do? He volunteers, that he would backpack in the Andes for 3 months. His company just sponsored a couple that is doing that. Wow, how grand it would be to explore the Andes for 3 months. That would be amazing. Then he asked me the same question. I LOVE answering these types of questions! I said my dream adventure would be a big trip south, Moto, backpacking/rock climbing and Sailing. The contrast of the three, so I can enjoy each one THAT much more!! After I’ve been on the moto for a long time, sailing seems even more incredible. After I’ve been sailing for a long time, moto’ing looks even MORE dreamy. After I’ve been traveling ON things for awhile, there is nothing like getting out there and traveling on your own two feet! But then after a month or two or three, that gets exhausting and so you get back to the moto and go for a few weeks and then sail and then backpack and climb and then moto……..you get the idea!

After Coffee, and since I missed my Yoga class, I give myself the freedom to explore for the entire day! I find myself exploring the same ‘out in the boondocks’ roads I used to, as a restless CU student – nearly 10 years ago!  This provides an a point of comparison for myself then and now. I find it interesting that its the same roads I am exploring. As I’m cruising along, it all seems so random, there are a gazillion roads in Colorado to turn off and explore and ending up on the same roads seems unlikely but I realize in fact, its not. I ride by how the land draws me, what colors, trees, smells, curves, temperatures, I’m attracted to. Today, I was drawn to these roads with a new sense of confidence. I have explored many of the U.S. roads and a little bit of the world roads and I know that when you find a good road, it is worth every bit of effort that you exuded in getting yourself there! When a land feels good to you and looks extra beautiful that is special. Go after it, absorb as much of that as you can. Each terrain lends to such a different feeling. Some lands I drive through, I want to stay for a long time, in some lands I feel very lonely and can’t wait to leave, in some lands I feel reflective, thoughtful. Some lands I feel such a feeling of freedom…….. each area feels subtly different. And so, I explored the same roads as I once used to, But today, I knew that it was not totally random that I ended up on these roads. The land attracted me 10 years ago and it attracts me the same 10 years later. These are some of my favorite roads in the entire country!

If it was nothing else, about riding a motorcycle that lured me, the wave and the feeling of community, alone would make me want to ride. I have such a feeling of comraderie with every motorcyclist who passes.

In Lions, I am euphoric, I’ve come down out of the mountains, its getting warmer and I’ve just driven through 5 miles of my most favorite land ever (besides Moab). I stop for a bite to eat and see the moto’ist sitting at tables on the balcony, in the sun, laughing and having a grand ole’ time. I sit down at a table by myself to eat a burger and write.  I think, It would be neat to share a ride with someone………

Lol and behold, a few minutes later, I meet a guy driving a KTM and we decide to ride together. I’m a bit nervous and excited. Being by yourself you kinda get in the zone and you have to slightly shift it when someone else enters the picture.

Fun! I would look back in my rear view mirror and see if he was there, see how the turn went for him………see if if made the pass… Even though, I barely knew the guy, by sharing the ride with him, I felt such a connection. I was LOVING the turns and really feeling one with my moto and the road. To be able to share that, from a distance, felt special. And the way that he was taking some of those turns, I think he was feeling it as well! In Nederland we stopped and chatted for a bit, exchanged contact info. He’s gearing up for a S.America trip beginning of winter (hopefully) so we figure better keep in touch and stay inspired!

“We dreamers, adventurers and thinkers need to stick together

for the forces of boredom and apathy are strong.” Frank H. ~ (I wonder, where did he go!?)

Strange, since Forrest came through town and started talking about a moto S.America trip, I’ve talked to SO many people who are going, want to go, just came from there……or live there. WIerd! I think the gods are telling me its getting close to my time to go. 🙂