Motorcycle Diaries Part II...

Ok.....PinF has made back and in relatively good shape. The VStrom performed exceptionally. I have many tales and a few photos.....I just need to get some rest...stay tuned the mother of all blog posts is coming....the editorial staff is busy collecting the many tales of these here MC Diaries as reported to PinF.......

Ok, so where to start? Well at the beginning of course. First, I would be remiss not to give thanks to God for delivering me safely through roughly a thousand miles of journeying. 2005 has brought many changes to PinF's life. Unlike years past when I still had my relative independence, not to mention freedom of responsibility to no one but myself, I now have the daily responsibility to little Sophia. Still with many responsibilities come equal blessings; I have never been more aware of these blessings than I have in this past year. Still I am a wanderer at heart, always have been, so it was an obvious choice to reconnect to times long since passed where I could just pick up and go. The older I've become the more I've realized that no matter where you go, or what you do in life your problems and blessings go with you. Still it was the solitude and independence I craved, the ability to go where I wanted, when I wanted, and this facet of my sojourn was realized.

DAY1....Watched as my teary eyed daughter again had to see her father leave for the second time in under a month; the first time due to my unexpected visit to care for my father in July. Explaining matters of the heart, family, and death to children is often a fruitless task, today would be no exception as you would have thought I was shipping out to Iraq judging by Sophie's reaction. The hardest part of any journey is always the first step, this was proving to be true as I watched her leave sobbing inconsolably with her mami to school. With the emotion of the moment I jumped on the bike, fired her up and turned onto I95 north. I first had to stop for some cash, this is where my first omen would occur as I left my debit card in the machine; blame it on my head not being in the moment, though who could blame me?

I plowed forward depsite this minor inconvenience, the bike laden down with all the necessary road gear and music. I had the earplugs on and I was soon jamming to Citizen Cope as I steadily settled in for my 200 mile journey to the train depot in Sanford Florida, 25 miles northeast of Orlando. The sky was cobalt blue as the feeling of complete freedom swept over me like the wind that was now rushing past me at 80MPH. I was struck by the low lying puffy clouds that seem to be a fixture of Florida, and as I drove the road slowly opened up more and more to the rural beauty that is central Florida. I stopped an hour into the ride to change CD's, this time going to Bob Marley "Exodus", without doubt my most loved album of all time. I was soon in a world cut off from all stress, worry, or care as I slowly played the songs in my ears to the memories in my mind of so many great times lived where this album had played so prominently in the moment.

I was nearing Sanford by 1pm, the heat of the day was nearing 100 and yet it all felt good. The music, the freedom, the bike. It was as if I had been transported back to earlier times when I would hop on my cycle with probably no more than $10 and just drive; mind you, ten dollars bought a hell of lot more gas then too. I finally arrived in Sanford, which for anyone who has never had the pleasure is similar to Gibbstown NJ, only with alot more tattoo parlors and bars. Not to mention a major rail hub running through it. .......more to follow