Seems that a whole bunch can be covered in a week. From the once thinking I wanted to walk from this journey to finding it inside me to keep going. From the realizaion that this is kind of epic to learning a few lessons I have struggled with. In this blog I will be covering some of my revelations how they came about, along with a recap of the week from the people to the locations to almost getting the heck out of Florida.
Last week i wrote to you all from Tallahassee Florida and my High School Friend David Rhoes home. It was an absolute pleasure to hang out and talk with him.....It really was great to see a friend from 25 years ago and to meet his son. So with that being said I hung out in FSU area for a day of rest and got this old body some much needed rest.
The day i left there I roled out in one of the whip storms from Hurricane Matthew. it was wild sideways wind around 25 miles an hour.....rain out the wazoo and well I just had to laugh. While it was only an outskirt whip storm I still rode a bike through a part of a Hurricane.....I mean come on how cool is that. My biggest fears were cars, dogs and weather and in the first leg of my journey I faced down all of my fears not to mention one of them even carried my name, laughing my ass off.
When most people think of Florida they think of Orlando, Miami, the Atlantic side and the keys. Most of the northern side is a country as you can imagine. Just to put it in perspective I did not see a Wal Mart for close to 200 miles.....now that is rural.
While this leg of the journey has been uneventful from a injury stand point it has not been without its challenges. The one thing I really did not anticipate was the loneliness that comes from isolation. Being this rural stops with people are few and far between and extremely rare. Most of the early part of this past week has been spent in solitude giving me a ton of time to consider things from my present my past and my future. And when I get towards the end of this blog I will talk more about my revelations.
So back to the trip itself. There is this great online collective call WWW.Warmshowers.org it is a group of cycling enthusiasts who believe in paying it forward....(again a lesson I have learned from this group will be talked about here at the end)....My first visit with one of these fine folks was with a guy named David Blair in Blountstown Florida. Now after a severe brush with death and I mean severe I had a night that was surreal. My brush with death was my fault this time and this is how it went. Coming into Blountstown there is a river and well a two lane bridge running in both directions. There also is a bike bridge seperate but I was not aware of that and missed the cut off so I had to travel onto a 2 mile blind winding bridge with traffic at
60+ mph zooming up on me. My heart jumped to 185 bpm and I white knuckled it across I had never been more scared as I was at that very moment.....it lasted for about 10 minuetes.....taking that lea from an airplane couldnt even compare to the sheer terror I felt. But eventually i made it across and the last half mile a Hum Vee acrtually pulled up behind me and put his flashers on and paced me...That is what we call a road angle....they may have saved my life so thank you,,,,,,but again I Lived.
David Blair met me a few miles up the road and he took me to this trailer he has on his property. He made me spaghetti with meatballs and well it was somewhat kind of magical. See David has been doing warm showers for as long as it has been operational and has hosted literally thousands of travelers. All he asks is for a post card when you get to your destination and to put your story in his journal and also allow him to take a photo. So I sat in this trailer after one of the scariest moments of my life reading the story of so many who have come before me. What I found is my reason for the journey is not that unlike most of the hundreds who have also taken the trip. It is a moment in time that one can take to make their life more full one that well has to be experienced to believe......So I sat in a trailer in the middle of the woods all alone listening to Mozart and reading the stories of other travelers and realizing just how special a single moment in time truly is....it was perfect.
The next morning I awoke and headed for the Gulf coast refreshed but still sore....always sore and more on that in a moment. The trip the next 2 days was through the most rural of all the areas I have been in. Nothing I mean nothing for hours and miles sometimes not even a car. One of the things I was not prepared for like I have said was the moments of desolation and the Florida Sun. It beats on you in a way I just never experienced. This rural of a stretch was no joke physically there was no shade no places for water and no where to stop. But what I did find was a campsite though just outside of an area called the dead lakes near a town nicknamed WEWA a peter fonda movie was actually filmed there in 1997 I think. But this camp ground was a local campground and absolutely beautiful not to mention cheap. This is whereI met another couple of extraordinary people.
My neighbors were from Rhode Island and well they like to vacation off the beaten path and they came to the dead lakes because truth be told it is considered to be the best Bass fishing place in the entire United States. They took me and fed me my first steak dinner in a month we talked laughed and really enjoyed each others company....I knew meeting people was going to be a joy and learning their story was well just like everyone else we all have a story to tell and we are all on a journey.
I had not seen the dead lakes yet but after leaving the next morning I saw them and well they were so beautiful erie and stunning I had to share the pictures imediately. Somthing about a mix of swamp clear water and cypress knees scattered in every direction with all of the wildlife to see that well I can only imagine how the first people felt seeing this for the first time....it was beautiful beyond description. Little did I know the next 30 miles were litterally going to try and kill me.
Again the rural part of the trip had me in its grasp it was so hot and humid I was loosing more salt then I was taking in. I didnt even realize it at first. By the time I realized it I had gone 20 miles not even seen a car and had a viscious head wind that slowed my pace to only 6 mph. You see unless you cycle you do not get what the wind will do to you or what it can do for you. For example a good tail wind is saving grace a head wind is hell on earth and will make you question everything.....I only realized my salt issue when I had gone through a gallon and half of water in that time frame and had severe cramping in my feet and legs....I was starting to loose my grasp on things mentally and with no help around it could of been bad. It was a combination i will be more aware of in the future now....but no shade a head wind along with the never ending heat and sun made for a dangerous combination.....I called Cindy and she walked me through what to do and if you guys remeber me being dogged on for my potatoe chips well Utz Chips saved my life along with a salt shaker donated to me. I was able to make the final push into Panama city in the dark tired beat and worn beyond any other point in the trip.....the next day turned into one of those truly special moments though.
I made a small ride to a local beach campsite just outside of Panama City and set up camp early well because I had made the coast. I went to the beach and jumped right in and my god the ocean never felt better. I jumped and splashed andbody surfed like a kid for about an hour then I got out walked up to my spot and sat down. This is where I met some other folks amazing folks....I met two Army officers there on the beach we talked about their service and why they were there. Seems they are both in Combat Infantry command training and well the woman Wednesday will be one of the first women to ever be trained and placed into such a role in the history of the US ARMY(second class first class had 4 woman her class has 4 more so she is a ground breaker big time) She is a special kind of young lady and one that I was honored to meet. David the other officer was equally impressive a triathellete and a fine young man who has served his country for 7years. They asked about my journey and I walked them through the struggles from my health issues to this point and well we must have talked for at least an hour on the beach.....but at the end we left with a mutual respect for each other that I have rarely felt. This is where a revelation hit me.....what I am doing is epic it truly is what I am putting myself through is amazing and what I am accomplishing makes me one bad ass Mother F&^%er. David has since messaged me to tell me that he has shared my story and my journey with the other officers of the United States Army Combat Infantry as an example of how you never give up and you always push forward. I am honored to have my story inspire these fine folks.....Truly honored and it really drove home the feeling that I am worth something and I am doing something.
Later that night I sat on the beach watching the moonlight on the waves and I had a sense of accomplishment that well I have never felt before. I didnt fly to that beach I didnt drive to that beach I got to that beach through my own sheer willpower endurance and physical effort. I was never more proud of myself in my life and well there was this moment looking out over the sea and realizing I have already done something really cool but yet I still have much work to do.....it was visceral beyond explanation and I hope you all can experience it one day for yourself all you have to do is live.
The next day was beautiful a ride up the gulf coast white sand beaches and another campsite.....this one took me through a big money beautiful little town and an area designed for cyclists...as it had a huge bike road separate from the main road. This took me to a beautiful camp ground and my first sticker for my trailer. This was also my longest mileage day to date and took me over 50 miles. That morning I watched the sun come up on a beach I reached on my very own again rather visceral and well I thought of somethings I wish to keep private for now....some moments are just for me but let me say it helped alot.
Later that day i traveled onto Navar Florida and met a gentleman and his family named Mike. Now Mike and I have never met and we had only spoken for the first time online a few days before when he asked if he could join me for a section of my ride. Again this is how the world works there are no coincendences there are no mistakes there is just the circle of life. Mike let me stay with him and his wife and well treated me to a pizza dinner. He wants to take a similar journey to mine and is an avid cyclist and really just wanted to pick my brain and make a new friend....they are great people and well he opened his home to a total stranger.
Early today we took a ride together and he showed me a path into Pensacola I would of missed had it been up to me. We went through the gulf coast national preserve which is a stretch of protected beaches unspoiled by people. He pointed out sea turtle nesting areas that are under constant watch and protection.....sorry that was really cool....but we had a great tail wind and well unreal unspoiled scenery that well made today a perfect day. It was a pleasure to ride with someone who also acted as a tour guide and not to mention it was awesome to have the company much like my ride with David. Here is a new friend who I hope to be life long.
I then got into a town of my early 20s. Pensacola was a spot where I was stationed for a period of my time in the navy. It is said you can not go home again but damn its nice to visit. I have often talked about loosing a part of me over the years maybe I will find a part of that missing me here in a town of my past.
Another warm shower stop and these folks know how to do it. They have a small efficiency apartment that is set up just for warm showers folks. It is all I need and they are letting me stay an extra day to rest up for the next week push that will take me 3 states away and to friends in Louisiana.
Tomorrow i am going to walk the town I remember looking at place I once stole a moose head from and well had to ditch it while running down the highway on a dare.....lmao oh what memories I have of this place.
I said I was going to talk about the lessons of my trip well here is some of what I learned.
People are good, everyone has a story and those that are open to others and share their own yes are rare but they are also the finest. People want to be around people who care and well i feel it with each and every encounter. Not everyone has motives not everyone is self centered and well not all who travel are lost.
One of the biggest lessons on this trip has been learning acceptance and I learned this through bugs....YES I SAID BUGS. You see every stop I would get off my bike and I have been imediately swarmed by bugs of all shapes and sizes. At first I would spend time swatting away the bugs just to have them return again and again and again.....so finally I have gotten to a point of acceptance that there are just some things I can not do a damn thing about except to control my own reactions to situations. So now I accept the fact the bigs are going to be there and well I sit down and enjoy my lunch despite the chaos of the bugs and well that is how I approach situations now when it comes to people I just sit back and think of them as well bugs and keep doing my thing lol. I cant change it it makes no difference and why have my moments ruined.
I have also learned that well I am pretty bad ass. Not to toot my own horn I mean I really am no better or different then anyone else we are all bad ass if we choose to never give up and always strive. My body is always sore but yet I keep going. My emotions are torn but yet coming together. The past is just that the past I can not wish for a different ending because well the ending is the ending and all I can do is work on the present.....I have also learned that working and striving here and now leads to results in the future the effort I put forth has results if I put the most into each second my outcome becomes that much greater. So that is how I can dictate the future by just worrying about the here and now.
This leads me to my next lesson......this perfect moment. Each moment is perfect each moment is meant to be because everything that I have done to this point in my entire life has led to this moment in time and each moment is one of a kind and should be reveered for its perfect nature....when I look at it this way I see no mistakes no good no bad just perfect moments that while yes difficult or easy are perfect for what they are. Take getting hit by a car...had I not been hit by that car I woul not of had that brace and had I not had that brace the dog bite would of been much more severe. Look at it in the bigger picture had my mom not passed I would of had a different life one that may have taken me from ever going on this journey and from what I am told inspiring others to do more. Now I am not sure it is doing that but it would of taken me from meeting the people I have met.....so again everything leads to a perfect moment......right here right now....
One last thing.....I am worth it.....even though there have been naysayers my whole life people who well I have let down or they have let down. I do have amazing people in my life some I have met some I have not but I have people who believe in me and are helping me believe in myself. For that Iam gratefull beyond measure....because I can not do it alone....we were all born perfect and since we are all born perfect no one is better then anyone else.....but there are those that think that they are and well I dont think anyone in my ever expanding circle of life is that type of person.
I have seen amazing things and had amazing experiences and this is only the first 20% of my trip. I love this journey I love the people in my life and I know that my body and mind while beaten and bruised are more then capable of taking me to the finsih line and beyond. Each day is a trial and each day is perfect with each passing moment I know that at the end of each day I HAVE LIVED.........and I hope that you do too.
