Rewind to the Beginning

During my time of rest,

I’d like to share some things from the past that I haven’t shared, starting from the beginning. The decision to live on the Road became real to me in January. It was an idea I first remember thinking six months earlier, an idea that I shoved into the crazy ideas box… the ideas that lightened my heart, but could never happen… the ones that were too radical for this Midwestern boy with an expensive education. Instead of listening, I kept searching,searching for a change from San Francisco and quickly finding a lil’ cabin in Lake Tahoe. I loved that tiny cabin, but something else was at work. The Land was calling and it said, “You are not ready to stay… not yet, your studies await.” I had no reasons and I had no ability to fight it, so I surrendered. By February I was rolling slowly and creakily down the highway in a van nearly my age. I was incredibly uncomfortable… I sat upright, anxious, tense, flooded in thought – what about relationships? what about career? what about money? what about…? I looked down at the people whizzing by and at the speedometer. With the pedal to the floor, we could only muster 63mph. I laughed. The fear and the expectations slid away with that laughter; a different feeling crept in… it felt like joy but I didn’t know for sure. My subconscious had spoken, and I had truly heard it for the first time in my life. I decided I would share some things from my travels, in case anyone, even one person, could learn with me. 63mph was it. It was the name, it was the journey, it was everything. It was going to be an exploration of life that couldn’t be lived at the speed of the society… my instincts were my new compass, and I would need them on the Road.