Part Malamute, Part Husky, and All Lovable (He Might Have Some Bear in Him, Too)

Last night it poured down rain, and I mean really poured - the kind of rain that drenches everything in thirty seconds or less. Luckily my tent held up quite well to it and I stayed dry. I did, however, have a hard time getting to sleep with the thousands of gigantic raindrops hitting the tent. It felt like I was inside a drum with a bunch of two year-olds pounding on it.

In any case, I slept some and when I got up and started coffee I had the privilege of meeting Benjamin:

Ben, by himself, was wonderful, but attached to him were Leo and Dee, two of the most delightful people on earth. After I had woken up a bit I got to talking with Leo about traveling. "We're from nowhere and everywhere," he said referring to he and his sister. I mentioned my discussion with Barbara about how we attract certain people, and Leo agreed. "Benjamin helps keep out the bad ones," he said. We agreed that our thoughts are very powerful things, and Leo commented that "Thoughts are prayers and prayers are thoughts." Man, how I love to meet people with like minds!

Dee came over and joined the conversation and I told them about the trip. Like most non-program people, they didn't really know how to respond and paused for a minute before saying anything, then they said that they had both given up drinking because it got to be a problem for them. Just like that?! I don't understand it one bit, but I guess that's what makes me belong where I do. I also gave them a little insight into how nice it feels to walk into a room with a bunch of strangers and feel at home. They said that they sometimes wished that they had that.

We also spent a bit of time discussing the need for something bigger than us for help. We never gave it a name, and never described it, but we agreed that it is necessary in order to live a happy and comfortable life. How can it be that I continue to meet myself in so many different bodies? Amazing!

When I was packed up and ready to go I got a hug from Dee and thanked her for being where they were so that we could meet. "You're a great spirit, and I wish you all the best, Nick," she said.

Then Leo sent me off with, "Love be with you on your journey. And may angels fly before you to clear your path, and behind you to keep you safe." I was touched at the time, and as I write this I am a little teary-eyed. Thank you, Ben, for bringing Dee and Leo to me this morning!

With Leo's blessing I made my way west and ended up on Montana 28, and that's when I realized that the Montana State Department of Transportation has strange ideas about what qualifies as a 'highway.' I've ridden through a lot of construction zones on this trip, and seen some sketchy roads, but Montana 28 currently has a twelve mile stretch that is part gravel pit, part mud bog, and part washboard dirt. Who thought that was a good idea? It was mostly safe, but not any fun at all to ride on. The good news is that it came 11,000 miles into the trip and at this point I could ride that bike through just about anything, provided I don't mind beating the crap out of it. Dirt highway…pfft.

After 28 I was thrilled to meet up with Montana 200 through the Clark Fork River valley. The road felt smooth as glass in comparison, and the scenery was breathtaking:

After the Clark Fork the rest of the ride seemed boring. And on top of that I was beginning to get distracted by the fact that I would be seeing Mandy in less than 24 hours. You see, her parents are going to drive her out US 2 to meet me so she can ride home with me! The thought of it excites me so much that I can hardly contain myself. I can't wait to see her!

I got to Spokane around six and checked into a hotel so that I could clean up for Mandy. (The $1.00 for 3 minute camp showers weren't gonna cut it.) After  dinner I went to the First Thing's First Group. It was the second candlelight meeting of the trip and we discussed our solutions for loneliness. We all related instances where we had felt entirely alone in a room full of people, and concluded that meetings are definitely one of the keys for loneliness. Thanks, FTF Group!

Once I got back in the hotel the excitement around tomorrow really started to set in and I am wondering if I will even be able to sleep. Who cares? I get to see my girl tomorrow!