Katz in the cradle

Back in PDX earlier than expected, I was once again headed down the Springwater Corridor and thought it best to check in with my dear friend Vera. Vera was kind of my sounding board when getting ready for my trip and Vera's perpetually smiling face is always a delight.

Upon seeing me ride up to her spot by the waterfront Vera exclaimed, "Well look who it is; you're back early!"

"Yep", I replied adding, "To quote G.W.; the initiative my have lacked the proper strategery to be executed as planned."

"What happen?" asked Vera.

"Well, I believe over-ambition got the best of me as it often does.", I replied. "I tried to fit more into the trip than time and resources would allow for."

"I'm sorry to hear that but, you don't seem disappointed" Vera said with a hint of probing.

"I'm not disappointed. In hindsight, I'm very pleased with myself to have made the call to restructure when I did." I said relieved to hear honesty in my words.

"Well then, mission accomplished! Did learn anything about yourself? You had said you wanted to" Vera replied enthusiastically.

"I found out that while I love camping and I love cycling, I don't love bicycle camping (or 'bikamping' as I have come to think of it.)" I replied, "But honestly, I think I was looking for a whole lot more revelation."

"Hmm, were you looking to arrive at an epiphany or arrive in Coeur D'Alene?" Vera said with a playful smirk.

"Both I guess. I thought somewhere on the road to Idaho I would have some great revelation about life, or myself, or something!" I said unintentionally frustrated. "And to top it off I'm still not sure why camping and biking aren't like a Recess peanut butter cup; two great tastes that go great together."

"So, you like camping and you like biking?" Vera asked.

"Yes very much." I replied.

"And you like peanut butter and you like chocolate" Vera continued.

"Chocolate is alright but, I LOVE peanut butter." I replied. "And yes the two are quite good together."

"How do you feel about salmon?" Vera asked nonchalantly.

I cocked my head having no idea what she was on about I replied, "Huh? Salmon? Wh...I don't understand."

"You're making it too hard. Just answer the question. Do you like salmon?" Vera said with subtle annoyance.

"Yeah, I like salmon quite a bit." I said, "But, what has that got to do with anything?"

"You like salmon and you like peanut butter." Vera said with a quality in her voice that resonated much like Perry Mason or Sherlock Holmes just before they were about to reveal who-done-it. "You were a chef, would you ever put peanut butter on salmon?"

"Absolutely not!" I exclaimed, revolted at the thought of the concoction.

"Why not" Vera retorted as if she couldn't understand why I thought the combination to be preposterous. "You have stated you like both of them. By your reasoning any two things that one enjoys should go well together.

"Good one Vera!" I replied with the chagrin of a student who had blurted out that he didn't understand what kids in China had to do with putting animals to sleep, "Once again, in your roundabout way you have opened my eyes."

"You had already reached the water", Vera said with a wink, "you just needed some help in taking the drink. I too like salmon but, far be it from me to ever order it with peanut butter. Sometimes it is not enough to know that we like something. True enjoyment comes with understanding why we like the things that we do."

"You make an excellent point!" I said as a succession of singular thoughts, like pieces of a puzzle, suddenly seem to fit together. "I enjoy the solitude of cycling but, I enjoy the social aspects of camping. I can't remember a time when I equated camping as a conduit for self-realization yet, I relish getting on my bike and riding for the introspection it offers. In hindsight, I realize that when I was on the road during the day I was completely content and aside from a few long and drawn out climbs I wouldn't have changed a thing. It was upon reaching the campsite at the end of the day that I really felt the isolation from my peoples. Every campground I rolled into would come with thoughts of how I wished so-and-so was here right now because they would really dig this, or I should come back here with so-and-so sometime. The camping portion of the trip was continually incomplete without being able to share it with those I hold dear."

"I know you're only about a mile and a half from home but, I think you may have just arrived at your epiphany" Vera said thoughtfully. "Chances are you may have never figured out what each activity had to offer and how they worked or, didn't work for that matter in conjunction with one another had you not taken this trip. That in and of itself makes this trip a successful venture and the fact that you allowed your plans to stay fluid, I would say, makes you a successful traveler. So, what now?"

"I'm back on the road next week." I said excitedly.

"So soon? You just got back" Vera said with surprise.

"Yeah, my friend Mitchell was supposed to ride the last leg of the trip with me but, things didn't work out as planned. The route back from Coeur D'Alene I had planned wouldn't have gotten me close enough to PDX for him to have met me so, we have planned a new trip over the days he had taken off of work. I think we may end up either riding out to the coast or possibly somewhere around Mt. Hood. We are still hashing out the details."

"Sounds like another great adventure" Vera said enthusiastically, "and this time you'll have the social component your had been missing; someone to share the adventure with. I like it! Will you continue to blog on this next trip? I must admit I have been a bit sheepish to check the blog after your truck stop creepy crawly post. I too, shuddered when I saw the size of that beastly bug."

"Absolutely!" I started the blog to document the ride but, in the meantime I have received a generous amount of positive feedback and a few requests to keep blogging after this traveling spurt is over that I will do my best to continue to blog until I find myself with nothing to say."

"I'm glad to hear that" Vera said jubilantly, "My request is that you keep the bug pictures to a minimum."

"I'll do my best" I replied.