Reunion

I woke up this morning at damn near the crack of dawn and there was no hope of going back to sleep - I was too excited to see Mandy! Unfortunately, we had a plan, and I didn't want to stray from it so I had a few hours to kill before I could leave. I spent the morning catching up on some emails, writing and sending a postcard to Hector in Luray, VA, and eating breakfast slowly so I could depart Spokane around 10am to ride out and meet Mandy on US 2.

As I left Spokane I was so excited that I could hardly stand it. I was trying very hard to stay in the moment, but my mind kept racing 100 miles ahead to the time when I would pass Mandy and her parents and then pull over for her to come meet me. I was so distracted, in fact, that when I made my first stop at a gas station I forgot to put the kickstand down and wound up laying my bike over on its side. (No damage, except to my ego.) I was embarrassed, but it didn't really matter.

As I proceeded west I sent a message to Mandy at every stop and she would respond with their location, and with each message we were a little closer, and right on target to meet just east of Wenatchee, WA. It was perfect.

To be honest, I remember very little about the ride and what I saw except that there were lots of farms, then a valley where it got hot, then a big hill down toward the Columbia River. When I started down the hill I knew we had to be close, and I was right. As I rounded a corner I finally saw the car I had been looking for all day and Mandy was hanging out the window waving frantically. Finally! It had been a long ride.

I pulled off into the first turnout I saw and waited. And waited. I knew she had seen me and I looked up the hill and could see her parents car on the side of the road, but they weren't moving. I panicked and called Mandy - twice. When she answered they were on their way back down the hill. Turns out she'd needed a pee break so I had to wait. Sheesh.

They pulled up and got out of the car and Mandy and I mauled each other. Man, was it good to see her! Feeling her body in my arms was sort of unreal and we were both shaking with excitement. Then I stepped back, put my hands in my pockets and said, "I have two things for you. The first one is this." I pulled my right hand out of my pocket and handed her this:

"It's a Montana heart rock. I found it on the bank of the Missouri River."

She smiled and started rolling the rock around in her fingers nervously and I said, "This other thing has a bit of a story to it. On this trip I have learned a lot of things about the world and about myself. One of those things that I know for certain now is that us meeting at the twelve and twelve was not a mistake. And I would be honored if you would spend the rest of your life with me. So," I paused and pulled my hands from my pockets and dropped to one knee and opened the silver box in my left hand, "will you marry me?"

Mandy jumped back and then lurched forward to look in the box and said, "Absolutely!" Then she paused with her fingers inches away from this:

"Can I touch it?" she asked.

"Absolutely, it's yours."

She pulled the ring from the box and felt every bit of it and then Becky, my stepmom, (I'll explain in a minute) said, "Well try it on sweetheart."

She slid the ring onto her finger and it fit perfectly. I've never experienced a moment so perfect and true in my life. Mandy's smile and mine could have lit a room. I've never been so happy in my life as I was when she said, "This is the absolute best day of my life so far."

After she'd already said yes I walked over to ask her dad, Jerry, if it was OK with him and he just shook my hand and said, "Congratulations." Whew, I hadn't asked beforehand because I wanted it to be a surprise for all three of them, and it worked. Although they all had their suspicions.

So here's how this all worked. For most of the trip I've thought about marrying Mandy but didn't really have a plan. Then somewhere around Tennessee I decided that it would be soon after I got back and I started looking around for a ring but nothing I saw looked like Mandy at all. Then I remembered that my mom and I had talked once about her wedding set and that maybe it would be appropriate for me to use sometime. Well, this was the time, and with the blessing of my father and my sister, it was settled. Only problem was that we didn't know where they were. We knew they were in my mom's house somewhere, but we didn't know where. Alison was already planning a trip to Los Alamos and she said she would look while she was there and I decided that if she didn't have any luck I would just change course to go find them. Thankfully, Alison asked my mom for a little guidance about where to find them and then she found them in the first place she looked!

With the rings located I decided, somewhere in Montana, that it would be pretty great if I could ask Mandy right when I first saw her, I just had to get the rings to me. With friends in Spokane I thought that would work pretty well, and then I remembered that my dad is retired (some days) and my stepmom is on summer break so maybe they could get the rings and meet me in Spokane and be there when I ask. They agreed and the plan was set.

We met in Spokane on Friday and they would follow me west on US 2 until I saw Mandy and then all the parents could be there to see. Some people might say that's too much pressure to put on Mandy, but if you understand how right Mandy and I felt from the start, and that meeting each others families was a pleasure and not a curse then you know that it was the right thing to do.

The result was that somewhere on the side of Highway 2 her mom and my stepmom were both crying, and our fathers were smiling, and it was the happiest moment of my life. Thanks to both of our families for making this possible, not to mention making us so that we fit so well together!

Once she said yes it got awful hot, awful fast on the side of the highway in the desert and we all caravanned to Wenatchee for lunch. I'm not really sure what anyone talked about because I was busy looking at Mandy smile and stare at her ring. But everyone was happy and there was lots of laughter.

I found Mandy and I a place to stay for the night in Wenatchee so we could make the trip home together on Sunday. Once we got checked in and said our goodbyes to our families we set out for walk to a 5:30 meeting. When we got to the church there was no one there, and further investigation revealed that the Saturday 5:30 meeting was a birthday potluck meeting and only happens one Saturday a month, and this wasn't the one.

I looked for another meeting and there was only one and it was a fair distance from the hotel so we would have to get on the bike in the heat so we decided that hanging out with each other was sufficient. We had tried to get to a meeting, but what we really wanted was a quiet evening alone because we hadn't seen each other for a month.

We made our way back to the hotel, had nachos and ice cream (not mixed together because that's gross) and just enjoyed being back together again. It was the perfect end to the perfect day!

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!

The Power of Attraction

This morning I had a wonderful surprise while having my morning coffee in front of the hotel - her name was Barbara. She and her husband, Billy, had travelled from their home on the Oregon Coast out to Sturgis because "I made my husband go because it's an interesting little slice of Americana," Barbara said.

I explained that the idea of it was a little too much for me, so I had stayed north and avoided Sturgis. She said it was interesting to see, but it was really crowded.

We got to talking a little bit about bikes, and I told her about the trip I was taking, and some good roads we'd been on, the usual biker talk. Then, somehow, we got to talking about all kinds of wonderful things. From Helena they were headed to Lummi Island in Washington to see one of their sons get married, and that brought up the pleasure and joy to be found in a close family. Out of that we got into the cultural differences across the country and for a moment pondered the possibility that the rigidity of the Midwestern character is due to it's straight and flat roads. It could be, you never know…

It was a true delight to spend my morning with Barbara, and later Billy. Thanks for being there, guys, and I'm sorry that we didn't get to ride together today, but some other time we will.

After the best free breakfast of any hotel I have ever stayed in I got to have another wonderful little encounter while packing my bike. Two women, who's names I never asked, were helping one of their daughters move to Helena. These two women were incredibly interested in the trip, and we got to talking about a trip to Alaska. (Don't worry Mandy, it's not planned.) They told me that if I was going to go I should take a ferry or a cruise because the Al-Can is all just trees and nothing else. "If you've seen ten miles of it, you've seen all of it." Thanks for the tip, Ladies!

After her mom and aunt left I chatted with the daughter, Dana, for a minute. Dana is a new teacher just out of school and Dude bless her for it. Although I've talked about it a lot I'm not sure I could ever do it. She even asked me if I was a teacher, too, and when I told her that I was a writer she said, "Yeah, you look like a writer." In my mind I was thinking, 'At least I look the part…' Thank you, Dana, for giving me an added boost!

It was a wonderful morning for people, and I was really glad I had ended up in the hotel I did.

I left Helena on County Road 297 and was ecstatic to be back in the mountains. The road was fun, and this part of Montana is beautiful:

Unfortunately, as a result of warm winters, there are bark beetles that lay dormant in the trees and then eat them in the summer. The result is that there are vast amounts of trees that are dying or dead throughout the forest.

I have to believe that there is some kind of a reason for this, but it makes me really sad to look at it.

The rest of the ride to Bigfork was in and out of little rainstorms and a little uncomfortable, but I pressed on and pulled into Wayfarers State Park just in time to get the last available campsite and set up my tent before heading to a meeting.

The meeting was another book study, and also and inadvertent men's meeting. It was great to spend the evening chatting with those guys about making amends and how they still come up after many years. I was reminded again that none of us are really all that different, and that none of us ever graduate from this thing. Thanks, Bigfork!

When I was leaving the meeting it was raining again, and I didn't want to get wet before getting into my tent for the night so I went and found a little cafe in town for a cup of coffee. I had another one of those moments where I was certain that things had worked the way they did for a reason. The place was cozy and wonderful, and when I asked for something dessert-like the woman told me that she could bake me a scone if I liked. Well, duh, of course I would love a fresh baked scone!

As I waited I was thinking about the day and just as I was thinking about Barbara and Billy they called. I was really glad that they did, because I wanted to thank them for being in Helena this morning and starting my day the way they did. They had made it a fair amount farther than I had, and we talked about the day a bit, and then Barbara and I talked for some time about how the people we meet and the experiences we have are a result of what we attract and what we think about. It was great to hear something like that coming from a non-program person, and it really touched me. Thanks again, Barbara and Billy, for being who you guys are!

When I got off the phone I had a nice time chatting with the cafe owners, and I even got to sample their french onion soup, and I have to say that it was pretty darn awesome. I ended up staying at the cafe until they were ready to go home, and when I asked what I owed them they said that it was on the house, that the conversation was payment enough. What an incredible day, and a wonderful reinforcement of my faith in people!

Doing The Next Thing

This morning after hanging out with Geoff for a bit to catch up I went to find breakfast downtown and ran into Bob, a guy I'd met at the 5:30 meeting the day before. We chatted for a bit and he mentioned that he would be at the noon meeting. I told him that I had some errands to run, but if I am still in town I will go.

The next thing on the list was the last oil change of the trip. I probably could push it to the end, but I decided that I would feel better if I just got it done. I ended up at the Bike Shack just outside of town and was pleased to be able to get it done within an hour. The guys at the shop were great, and I had a really nice time talking with them while I waited. Thanks, Nate!

When I got done at the shop it was a quarter to noon and I took that to mean that I was supposed to go over to the noon meeting, so I did.

The discussion was about how we all deal with people not getting it, and how much we help. It was a good reminder to me that we all have to do what we have to do to get here, and that no amount of extra help can help someone who's not ready. Thanks, Bozeman!

On top of a great meeting I also got to catch up a little bit with Scott, a guy who was instrumental in keeping me around while I was in Bozeman. We lost touch over the years, and I think about him often. It turns out that he is a successful businessman, and happy family man - all as a result of this program! Thanks for coming to a meeting that you usually don't, Scott, and it is great to see that things are going well!

By the time the meeting was over I had settled on the idea of just getting to Helena and calling it a day to have a relaxing evening. So off I went north, but not without seeing Bob not one, but two more times before getting out of town. I think he was following me...

I stopped along the way at a little gas station call Mountain Supply in Townsend. The world really needs more places like this! As I walked through the store I found that not only could I get gas, but also new boots, horse feed, fishing tackle, a hammer and nails, a pack of smokes, ammunition, AND a bottled Frappuccino! Amazing! And I could also catch up with the local news through the people coming through. I overheard what people were harvesting, the problems with Billy's horse, and about a new baby somewhere in town. It's really too bad that most of the country has done away with the General Store. (P.S. Walmart doesn't count!)

I made the last little stretch of the ride to Helena with my rain gear on because it was thunderstorm time again. Luckily, I made it through dry once again!

I got into Helena and got a room for the night and settled in for a realizing evening to recuperate for the final push to get home! And get to Mandy!!

Home again...again...(sort of)

This morning I had the pleasure of having the first really good cup of coffee I have had in a long time - proof that I am getting closer to home. Thank Dude for Crabtree Coffee in Lewistown!

I left Lewistown headed toward Harlowton and ultimately Bozeman. I was riding along and came upon another collection of wind turbines. I am not sure what it is about these things that attracts me. Maybe it's the fact that they have incredible potential to help the environment, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they are incredible machines.

These were even placed in active farms and create more income for the farmers. The road was open into the farm so I took a little walk to get a closer look, and holy crap are these big!

I was surprised at the noise they make, too. It sounds a bit like an airplane without the engine, and when there is almost no other noise around they are pretty loud.

After my stop at the wind farm I continued south and made my way into the Gallatin National Forest and the Bridger Mountains. This is the Montana that I know and love. I remember living here in college and having this great sense of being very small in all this space, and it still feels that way. I stopped in the middle of nowhere to listen to the wind and the quiet of the openness, and it felt just the same as it did years ago - peaceful.

It was cold in the mountains and that was wonderful. I geared up heavy and got ready to ride again, and then noticed a giant storm right where I was going…again. This time I held out no hope of missing it, and persisted with the wind at my side and the clouds building. As I got closer to Bozeman it started to look a little less like I would get wet, and by some miracle I managed to make it around the edge of the storm and stay dry! Whew, I must have done something right somewhere.

I was in Bozeman early today so I decided to try to make up a meeting that was missed in Plentywood. I went to the Rebellion Dogs at 5:30 and we talked about how we try to get rid of our selfishness and become useful to other people. It was a very pleasurable discussion and I was glad to be in the room. Thanks, Rebellion Dogs!

After the meeting I chatted with a few folks and asked around to see if anyone knew my friend Geoff from years back and people did! So I got his number and met him at the Farmers Market to catch up for a little bit. It was really great to see Geoff happy, and to meet his wife and little baby. I am glad to know that things are going well for Geoff!

After we chatted for a bit there was another big thunderstorm rolling in and I needed to get out of the rain somewhere so went to the Tuesday at 8 meeting. The meeting was about how we learn to have and use faith, and it was a good reminder to me that I have no idea what's good for me. Thanks, Tuesday at 8!

When the meeting ended I got a chance to talk with some folks that I knew a decade ago when I lived here. It was great to catch up a little bit and have a chat with some familiar people. Thanks, Kurt, Melinda, and Ferd! It was great to see you guys and I'm glad things are well for you all.

I also had the pleasure of talking to Nate after the meeting. Nate is pretty new to our fellowship, and struggling with some of the things that I had a hard time with when I was new (and older). It was great, as always, to talk with someone with the same story and be able to share in the solution. Thanks for being there, Nate, and hang in there!

Geoff and his wife Grace were nice enough to leave the front door open for me and have a futon set up in the front room. They had gone to bed a while before, but still opened their home to me. In the morning Geoff and I got some more time to catch up and chat, and I am grateful that the bonds we make in this fellowship can last through years of not communicating. Thanks, so much Grace, Geoff, Josephine, and Henry (for coming in and licking me in the middle of the night), it was a pleasure to be able to see you guys and a real treat to have a place to stay!

Stormin' the West

I left Plentywood headed west and I was pleasantly surprised by the weather. It was warm when I left and I was already thinking that it was going to be so hot that I was uncomfortable - but it was perfect…for a little while.

I had a bit of a headache, and stopped in Scobey (I really wish it had been Scooby) for gas and to take some Advil, and shortly afterward I was feeling like myself again. The hills were getting bigger and more green, and the scenery was getting much better. But it was starting to get hot.

I stopped just south of US 2 at a little fishing access spot and took some photos of the river, and cool off. It was still too flat for the river to be really running, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I found out later that it was the Missouri River, and I was startled that it was here, but then remembered that the headwaters are near Bozeman, so it makes some sense.

I stopped again at the town of Jordan and I ran into three guys headed down to Sturgis from somewhere in Manitoba. They said they had already ridden 500 miles today, and that they were planning on 200 more to get where they were going. It made me grateful that for most of the trip I have managed to make my days short and not have many places to be.

Coming out of Jordan I was suddenly in a canyonland like place. As I looked around I could have sworn that I was in Utah somewhere. The hills had turned into sharp edged mesas, and the rock was white and red. It was incredible. Then, just as fast as the mesas came - they went, and something wonderful happened… Trees!

It wasn't much, but it did make it feel like I was getting into the Montana that I know.

It was also about this time that I saw a storm moving in from the south. I was hopeful that I could beat it, but I wasn't convinced. I was mostly headed west at this point, and if the storm was as big as it looked it stretched at least to Lewistown, if not farther. After a little more riding I decided that it was time to don the rain gear because I was looking at riding into this:

Right as I was putting my jacket back on the wind was suddenly blowing about 50mph and I was chasing gloves around and struggling to get myself together. I got back on the bike and rode about 10 miles with the wind in my side and the bike at a 45 degree angle just to go straight, and then found the Kozy Korner Cafe in Winnett.

Lo and behold the Canadians from earlier had held up there as well, and we got a chance to swap stories and talk bikes while we let the storm pass. As things started to clear we all went outside and met Buck, the owner of the Kozy Korner. Buck was a true Montanan if I've ever met one. He was friendly and jovial, and also a wealth of knowledge about the weather and the roads. He had been watching the weather move through this area for at least 60 years, and that makes him more valuable than any meteorologist in my book. He warned the Canadians that they were gonna get wet, and warned me about the chipseal work on my way to Lewistown. He was right on my account, and I hope he wasn't for the other guys, but experience tells me they had a wet afternoon.

I made it to Lewistown and a meeting with the Lewistown Group. We read out of our monthly magazine, and the discussion that followed was about learning form the old-timers, and the grace we receive if we are open to it. It reminded me about how excited I am to get back to the Old-Guy meeting, and how grateful I am to be open to that grace today. Thanks, Lewistown!

After the meeting I went for a bite to eat with Hal and Dennis. We had a great little chat about all kinds of things pertaining to our program, and I was thrilled again to hear little parts of my story in theirs. I had a wonderful time, and Dennis even offered me a spare bed in his house! Dennis and I chatted later into the evening and it was a pleasure to spent time with him. Thanks, Dennis and Hal, I appreciate your time!

The Wide Open West

I stopped for gas before leaving Devil's Lake and got to chat with a few other bikers while I was there. Sturgis was this weekend and that meant that there were a lot of people traveling back home from there; the first two guys were headed back to New York. We talked a bit about the places we'd been and the I caught myself doing something that I hate; I was telling them that they ought to go around Lake Superior. Shit, I'm that guy now! Then I did it with the next guy who came in. What's happened to me?!

I hung my head in shame and got back on US 2 headed west. My experience with North Dakota today can be pretty well summed up with one photo:

This is not to say that I didn't see anything interesting, but it was close. I was seeing brown fields for a long time and then I began to see occasional fields of North Dakota's most beautiful crop:

They were definitely a welcome sight amidst the brown barley stubble.

As I was riding along I began to think about the things that the Canadians had told me they enjoy about crossing the plains in the States. Number one was the higher speed limits, and I agree, that is helpful. Number two were the rest areas. I have mostly always taken rest areas for granted, and while I was in Canada they had these great little waysides that had wonderful views and usually had a bathroom of some kind. So I didn't really understand, then I got to thinking that most of our rest areas usually only have views of the parking lot and the restroom building, and just as I started to think that I stopped at a rest area with this view:

Figures that I would start thinking that we never have views at our rest areas and then stumble on that. That's what I get for thinking…

I stopped for lunch in Minot and when I got back on the road I soon turned north onto US 52 and was pleasantly surprised by the change of scenery. I found myself looking at rolling hills on either side of me and I was riding in a nice little valley. The stream winding through the valley made the crop fields fascinating to look at because it cut through the middle of the fields and left crooked edges on them. Here is a satellite photo to illustrate:


View Larger Map

A little farther up the road I went through an area where most graduating classes had used white rocks on the hillside to display their year. I saw years from 1959 all the way up to 2005 and a few of them said 'State Champs' underneath the year. I take this is an indication of how little there is to do in the area, especially because some of the older years have obviously been repainted recently.

US 52 turned into North Dakota 5 and ran a straight line into Montana. the hills got bigger and greener, and I could tell that I was getting closer to the west that I know.

Just a little way into Montana I came into the town of Plentywood where I was planning to go to a meeting. I found the meeting place and also found a sign on the door saying that meetings happen on Wednesday and Saturday - not Sunday. Damn. I was a little bummed out, and looked for another meeting nearby, but the closest one was still 2 hours away, and I would have gotten there in the middle of the meeting if I was lucky. I chalked up another missed meeting and went to find a place to stay. A meeting would have been nice, but a quiet night at the hotel will be nice, too.

To end the day I was walking back from the restaurant and I saw this:

Welcome back to the Big Sky Country.