Rolling into the city was a rude awakening. As much as I wanted to be home, the city itself felt inhospitable. It was hot and crowded with traffic. It was a far cry from the remoteness and beauty of Colorado. I climbed and descended beautiful, twisting mountain roads for hours at a time without a single car or traffic light. Now it was nothing but rows and rows of cars from one stop light to the next.
I still had no idea where Andy was, until we'd both been home for about 24 hrs. We shared stories and realized that at some point fairly early on he had stopped for gas and I passed him. I knew he was ahead of me because a retired couple in an RV said they saw him heading the opposite direction only minutes before stopping for gas. This meant he was just ahead of me. I could have caught him easily if he had not stopped for another 30 miles. Of course, at the time he had no idea I was behind him. All that matters is we both got home safe, and had a fantastic experience.
I learned a lot from this trip, but perhaps the one thing worth mentioning is the reward one receives from getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks. Its about a willingness to suffer in pursuit of a dream. Its about choosing to face potential obstacles, fears and challenges rather than trying to avoid them altogether. As a result, you feel incredibly alive by living in the moment. This is true freedom.
