8/20/22
The final 250 miles.
https://goo.gl/maps/ZpB7FB5rgWj5vKzr8
I leave Johnson City around noon and head east on 321. 321 is a pretty fun twisty road as it winds through the Watauga region into Boone. Ease of Boone, I switch to 421 into Winston-Salem where I will take the I-40 interstate east all the way into Raleigh. At this point, I am ready to get home in the most direct way.
As I head eastward, the traffic grows heavier and heavier. Once I'm into Greensboro, I am in full interstate traffic and have to remind myself to keep my attention and focus on full alert. It is often said that accidents occur at a higher rate the close one is to home. I am fully aware of this and keep my head on a swivel as I navigate the 75+ mph traffic.
The visuals get more and more familiar as I make my way towards Raleigh. An hour away and I am eager to be home. The last few miles and my attention is even more heightened. Finally, I turn onto the main road in my area. then the side road into my neighborhood, and then my drive way.
78 Days, 18,000 miles, two countries and one continent. I have countless stories and memories from this amazing trip. I have met so many kind strangers that have become friends - people who have shared their time, their homes, their goodwill, their kindness, their wisdom and knowledge with me. It is hard to put into words just what all this has meant. I feel a bit numb at the moment mostly because I am so incredibly tired. But overall, I have learn so much about the current culture of Canada and the thoughts of everyday Canadians from my numerous conversations with Canadians from all walks of life.. I have gained new riding skills and new confidences in my riding abilities. Despite going on two previous long cross country trips, there was still more to learn about planning and conducting a trip of this magnitude. I can only hope that months and years from now I will think back to these 78 days and still glean new meanings and insights beyond what I had just described.
It has certainly been an ambitious, surreal journey. So ambitious that many times, I could only think about the next day or two. The notion of thinking a week or two in advance where I could cover 2000 to 4000 miles was just too daunting. The extremely useful principle of breaking down a huge task into small bite size chunks was invaluable during this trip. Without this mentality, this trip would have been much too large of a mountain to climb.
I might have other observations as the days and weeks go by so check back every now and then. But in the mean time, I want to thank my family, friends, all the bunk-a-biker hosts in Canada and the US, and all the various strangers and now friends that I met along the this long road for helping me, giving me encouragements, having a meal and a conversation with me, and just spiritually pushing me along the way. It all meant the world to me.
Until next time,
Chi-Ho