“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…..” Henry V
Life has a funny way of revealing itself. I’ve been thinking about the next great adventure and what that might be and now I know. A couple of weeks ago my brother Mark called me and told me he wanted us to ride bicycles across the United States together. Needless to say, I said yes. We’ve been orbiting on different planes much of our lives and haven’t spent as much time together as we wanted. He retired from the army a few years ago, a veteran of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he’s turning 50 this year. My little brother is turning 50. It’s kind of hard to wrap my brain around that. His kids are grown as are mine and more importantly he got a hall pass from his wife, my sister-in-law so now is the time.
So, we’re planning on leaving next March from the east coast and heading west. We’ll likely follow the TransAmerica Trail but maybe deviate a little here and there. Our plan is in its infancy but we do want to raise a little money for charity, perhaps disabled American veterans or something like that. One thing is for certain, I want my brother to train a bit more than I did. What I did was a little on the, um, crazy side. Part of my charm, I suppose. Over the next few months as we prepare I’ll keep you updated. This time we’re going to take a video camera and I’ll be putting up a YouTube channel.
Mark is flying out to visit in early September and we’re going to take a road trip to Montana. We’ll be spending a couple of days in the little town of Darby which was one of my favorite places last year as I peddled my way across the country. I wouldn’t mind buying a little ranch so we’re going to head up there and check it out. I could see myself spending summers up that way and winters in warmer climes. My dad has already said he’d like me to buy a place up there so there’s someplace for us to go for fly fishing.
For now I’m working to get my business off the ground. We’ve got several clients going so we’re pretty busy. I’ve gotten pretty good at website development which is not something I ever expected to be doing. And I’m out riding with the Vancouver Bicycle Club a few times a week or out on my own. Sometimes I enjoy the camaraderie of riding with others, sometimes the solitude is a good thing. Overall I’d say life is a good thing.