Montana to Indiana – The Journey Continues

This is the last missive from the road – for now. I don’t at all feel ready to come in from the road – it’s been such an extraordinary time. Yet my 6 weeks is up and I’ve got some catching up to do.  It’s been an experiment which I’ll evaluate and report back on.

 

Since Tuesday, I’ve been focused only on getting back to Ontario the most direct way possible. I got on the I-90 in Missoula and will stay on it until I have to cut off for the bridge across the Niagara River to Canada.

 

Although once again, one never knows what Spirit has planned for the day. Last night after an exhausting ride through 30 miles of Chicago construction and what seemed like another 30 miles of traffic, I came out to my bike after picking up a few groceries and a young man was lurking around, checking out my bike. Not an unusual occurrence, but this kind man discovered a nail embedded in the the rear tire I just had installed in Carson City.

 

So tomorrow morning, the first order of business is to take my bike into the shop and have it looked at. Hopefully it’s salvageable; it’s not leaking air right now.

 

One of the highlights of this week’s ride was at a South Dakota rest stop when this woman asking to have her picture taken so she could send it to her dad. She was attracted by the loaded bike – and it brought back memories of a trip he’d taken her on with his 350 Honda when she was 12.

 

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Wednesday was a 1,100 km/700 mile ride, mostly in a straight line.  Here’s a picture to the south – of South Dakota and that endless big blue sky! Sure it was a long ride but I know I won’t be back there for a while so I relished every minute.

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Over my left shoulder, the sky looked a little different.

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That black sky was enveloping me but I thought i’d be able to out-run it. And that’s what I did. Right down the middle of the road between the black north and the blue south. Somehow I managed to keep the blue sky with me the entire day. What a high!

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Last night was at a quiet treed campground near South Bend Indiana – probably the last night outdoors for a while.  I probably won’t pitch a tent in my yard at home.

It’s been an incredible time and will take a while to absorb. Although the next part of my journey will be more stationary – at least for a while – it will be no less adventuresome and fulfilling.  I’ll keep you posted!

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About

Author, writer, and student Liz Jansen combines her artistic mediums to create stories that inspire readers to embark on their own journey of self-discovery.

6 Comments on “Montana to Indiana – The Journey Continues

    • Thank you Barbara. And to you too. Looking forward to seeing you soon!!
      Beautiful day here and a lovely campsite. Except I’ve had nuts (the kind that grow on trees – lol) falling around me all night. Squirrels are going crazy and dropping bits and pieces of them on me as they have their breakfast. 🙂

  1. This trip you have taken, and taking all of us along with you, has been fantastic. Your words, pictures, people you met, just fabulous. You are quite the intrepid traveler.
    Thanks for taking the rest of us along with you.

    • Glad to have you all along! It just goes to show you Mary – you really have to work at making a “solo” trip solo.

      Thanks Mary.

      Liz

  2. I can identify with your feelings of not being ready to leave the road. I feel that way after most of my trips. It seems the longer I’m traveling the less I want to quit. I only wish I had enough time after each ride to digest it and internalize it as you intend to. It seems I always have to get busy doing something else.I still have photos to process from this season’s travels. I must set them on a higher priority so I get it done. I know it’s a symptom of my demon of taking on too much. It’s not so much that I can’t say no. It’s more me pushing myself too hard to do too much.

    • Karen – Trying to fit too much into a finite amount of time is definitely a challenge – one I can get caught in, no matter what I’m doing. The internalization happens all the time, even when we’re not aware of it, as long as we’re being receptive, aware and not trying to control outcomes. Much of it is subconscious and becomes apparent as we follow our own guidance.

      Each day we get inputs and are guided to actions. Whether we happen to be on the road or behind a desk is immaterial. They’re all an integral part of our journey.

      Thanks for articulating what many of us struggle with. Finding the balance between not limiting oneself and setting healthy boundaries is a life-long lesson. Reframing our perspective helps with prioritization.

      Best,

      Liz