“When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from ‘Here’ seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going.” John Steinbeck
Dad here; for weeks I’ve been wrangling against an inexorable pull to go vacilando, but where? The mountain passes in Colorado are still impassable, spring break crowds are breaking out in Big Bend, rain has socked in the Smokies, and on and on. Mom knows that when I get this way I’m virtually impossible to live with; I want to stay home and be a good boy, but the urge begins to surge and there’s no stopping it.
it is said that the young traveler needs a destination, the old just needs a direction, so that must mean I’m in the second category, as we’re heading west, not sure where.
Now that I have the direction, what is my “good and sufficient” reason? Well, I’ll give you a hint: she’s black and shiny. And loud and obnoxious.
And she’s not getting any younger, but then again, neither am I. So a few days ago, I started prepping the vehicles, and everything began to go wrong; pinched tubes, o2 sensors failing, hitch mount not working out, and on and on; maybe this trip isn’t supposed to happen after all.
But it was too late; Charlie already knew something was up. I have no idea how she knows, but she does. Her whole persona changes; she won’t come inside when I call her, choosing to maintain a constant vigil beside the van or the bike on a mission to ensure that I don’t go sneaking off without her.
When Charlie and I first met six years ago, the dream was to travel the country, maybe even the world, but life is what happens when you’re making other plans. But while I am eternally grateful for the trips that we have been able to take, we’re not ready to stop just yet. She’s getting to the age that the 10-12 hour days the motorcycle that are neccessary to cover the big sky areas are no longer feasible, so we’re having to find different ways to travel. This latest one is going to be a doozy, just you wait and see.
It’s always a party at the Casa, especially when we take the Casa on the road.
