SOLO

This blog is about being SOLO. As of this week, I will be traveling solo on my grand bicycle adventure down the Pacific Coast and up through the desert and mountains. 3500 miles. For varied reasons, my support vehicle has pulled out of the trip and can no longer accompany me. This news came to me with six weeks left to go. For the past year I have been planning, purchasing and anticipating this trip in light of having a support vehicle. However, the tables have turned now and I must reconfigure some things and make due with what I have. I must scramble with the weeks I have left on top of all my other duties and responsibilities.

Now, more than ever do I need support and prayer. My bike will be heavier, many things I cannot bring due to limited space and places to go and things to do may be more difficult. I was not expecting this news to reach me. I joked about it months ago but I never thought it would turn into reality. However, it has and I must not dwell on my vehicle-support loss. I must press on and do this trip whether I am ready or not. Wild camping may be difficult as will internet access to find warm showers. When I am injured or in a health crisis, I must stay calm and keep my wits about me to determine what's next.

This will be a solo journey but I believe I will cherish all the experiences, memories and dialogues. I definitely need this trip to unwind due to some undesirable news at work. This has not been my week for good news. What will tomorrow hold I wonder? I tend to worry too much and dwell on things which eats up the insides. I need to relax and gather my wits and strength and move on. It's easy to say rather than do. But bicycling is really a great way to blow off some steam and vent to the air and passing car traffic, and believe me, there will be plenty of that. Just last week I posted that I was feel anxiety about the start of this trip, but now even more so because I will not have a companion. As he recently reminded me, sometimes God or life doesn't give us advance notices. Well, true...I must take that as I will, though I feel dejected, but not defeated. I must press on towards the goal. Although, I will miss having conversations around the campfire...who will take me in? www.warmshowers.org anyone?

Sometimes I feel as though I am living my life in solo gear. Sometimes I wonder where all my friends have gone. No one seems willing to offer much support. I have encountered the same thing every year for the past 8 when talking about starting a camp. No one seems willing to get their hands dirty, but they are so quick to say, "I'll pray for you," (which is not bad, I just think it is an overused phrase that doesn't hold a lot of weight) or "I'd support you if I could." Really? Facebook for instance, is not a social network giant, but rather a dejected waste of time and energy and space. Someone posts a photo or a video of a cat doing the can-can and it instantly goes viral or some absurd gossip about the immature criminal Justin Bieber and everyone cares or "likes" it. But someone who asks for support for a worthy cause or someone who desires to start a camp on limited funds or fund a bike journey to get that camp started...gets 0 hits, like it really wasn't posted in the first place. I think many people are afraid to part with their precious coins or are afraid of where it will go to. I will say it again, I will not be defeated. I will press on, with support or no support. Adventure will happen...

Where are my friends with adventure sense?

Solo I journey and solo I will return.