The week before my March 8th departure was the “storm before the calm”. I had just returned from a relaxing weeklong visit with my family in the Midwest, and hit the ground running once back in Seattle with last minute preparations and scheduled good-byes. During the day, I was running around finalizing paperwork, insurances, and buying things that I was sure I wouldn’t be able to live without (but in reality will probably be sending back within two weeks), and in the evenings meeting with friends for dinner or drinks to say our “final” good-byes. I wasn’t sleeping well, and the week got quite emotional for me. For the past two years the days could not go by fast enough, now I was praying for them to please slow down. I have had a comfortable life in Seattle with wonderful people to call my friends, and I was walking away from it all - To be alone, or so it felt.
As short as the days were, I did find time to give a “talk” to a bunch a three and four year old lil’ buggers at the Baker Languages & Learning Center. Impressively, they were learning about maps and had gotten word of my trip, and our non-profit project Write Around the World. I accepted, and showed up promptly before nap time with the bike.
I don’t know what they got out of my talk, but I did get some quality advice during the Q and A session: Why put the bike on an airplane to get across the oceans? Why not use a submarine? And, the motorcycle is nice, but it would be way-cool if I would do the trip in a cement truck. Both excellent points.
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