I’ll never be able to fully do the justice of sharing with you the joy & suffering climbing a mountain like Mount Lemmon can induce... At least not on Instagram. Nor will following my trip in your news feed or watching my stories do the justice of going on a bike tour.
My advice:
Take a bike tour.
You don’t have to go across the country or even across your state. You don’t even have to go across your county, just go somewhere you’ve never been before. You don’t have to sleep in a tent in the cold, you don’t even have to do an over night, just go on a bike ride.
I don’t know how to explain it to you other than to say, I’ve never regretted going on a bike ride, but I’ve regretted NOT going on a lot of bike rides.
You don’t have to climb a mountain, or even a hill, just grab on to the handlebars, push some pedals, & see where the road takes you. Wander, get lost, & explore. See something cool? Turn around, go back, take the detour, take the short cut, take the scenic route; take your time, or if you’re feelin it, fuck it, go fast, feel the wind on your face, feel the sweat on your back, feel your heart beat in your ears.
You’ll never know what your capable of until you push yourself; and even if it’s not on a bike...
TRAVEL!
Whether it’s by foot, car, plane, boat, bus, or train. It doesn’t matter where you go. You don’t have to go half way around the world or even half way across your own state just to have an adventure, & you don’t have to spend a fortune to explore some place you’ve never been. Do as much or as little research as you want. The important thing is to just get out there & go.
As corny & cliche as this may sound, the first step is always the hardest part, nobody ever really knows where to start, & we’re all figuring it out as we go just as much as the next guy. Away from home is the best place to find yourself.
We don’t know how much time we’ve got on this planet. Make the most of it. Do something worth telling a story about. When you’re dying you won’t think about how much money you made, you’ll think about the relationships you made with the people you met when you were traveling. And when you’re gone people won’t remember you for how many degrees you earned, or how many square feet your house was, they’ll remember you for the times you shared together & the laughs you had.
I am so incredibly thankful for everyone I have met along the way so far & I am so uncontrollably excited for the people pets & places that have yet to come.
I always get nostalgic & preachy when I reach the cusp of a big transitional moment. With every city I stay too long I get the jitters of leaving home all over again.
I want to make it home safe to see my family again, write my story & share it with the world to inspire others to get out there, soak in the moment, travel by bicycle, & experience something new.
Take time to appreciate the little things, tell the people you love that you love them & don’t let fear hold you back from doing what you’re not sure you can.
It’s now 4AM & 6 hours from now I plan on departing this little bubble of comfort I’ve found in this city that feels like home to go back out into the great unknown of the Wild West frontier, just to find out what’s out there.
For now I leave you with my trip motto.
I don’t know what I’m looking for, But I know it’s worth looking for,
I’m not sure where I’m going, But I’m not staying still,
The futures uncertain, But it’s still gonna happen,
Nothing else matters, But the top of he hill.