LOOSE ENDS
Well, tomorrow is the day I leave for the West Coast, and I am pretty much as ready as I’ll ever be. I am still in a near-constant state of freaking out, but I’m sure that once I’m on my way, that will recede. I’ve got my panniers packed and all the gear is weighing in at 47 pounds and holding. I’ve cut everything I can possibly cut---I removed a pair of socks and an ink pen and added a troll, a tiny vial to use to capture Pacific water, and a miniscule string of 95 beads. People who’ve ridden with me have met the troll, Latrelle. He’s got blue hair (and lots of it) and has always been on my handlebars or stem. He was with me on Jackson Pass, and also across Oklahoma---he’s one of my good luck charms. You can’t cut a good luck charm. The Pacific Water vial is part of a “coast to coast” ritual, one that I’m not too crazy about but will participate in nonetheless. Cross country cyclists often take a little bit of water with them from ocean to ocean. I would prefer to collect the water and mail it ahead to our friends in Maine, but that circumvents the concept, I guess. The miniscule beads are from my friend Deb, who brought them over today along with her special energy bars. The beads each represent a day on the trip, with full moon beads marking the moons, and each bead carrying a blessing for strength and safety, protection and courage to get me through that day. I’ll string them around my stem and be happy to know that those good wishes travel with me. We’ve been so blessed with love and support from all corners. I am humbled, and thankful.
Kami and I each will be carrying our own gear (clothing/sleeping bags, etc.) and then we divided the “group gear” into halves. This was a tense and adversarial process! First, we collected the items that were proposed to be useful to both of us. Some were undisputed: the tent, the cooking equipment, the bike repair tools, the sunscreen and bug stuff. A few things we both wanted, but admitted weren’t strictly necessary, like the Scrabble game which I took in my gear. Then, there were things that one of us thought we both needed, and the other thought no one in their right mind needed: the 50 foot piece of rope, the 5 boxes of waterproof matches, the pepper spray. She made an impassioned defense of the rope, but I still don’t understand the utility. Ditto the overkill on the matches, and also the pepper spray which I fear will be used against me. I’m not carrying any of that. Yet.
My friend Bryon, a cyclist, came by to say farewell. I showed him the elevation map of the first week in the Cascades, and he didn’t blink. I appreciate that! We rode together some last summer when I joined our local bike shop’s Thursday night rides. I was often the only girl on those rides, and Bryon always stayed beside me, or ahead of me blocking the wind---these small favors got me where I am today. Freaking out!
My friend Layne tossed me this Chinese bit of wisdom this week: LEAVE ONE THING UNDONE. I am pondering that one over---I asked her if it had to be intentional, and she said “yup” (more or less). As far as I know, I’ve paid the bills, squared the house away, made the necessary calls, cancelled the appointments and papers, hired a lawn fellow, weeded the garden, notified everyone who might need to know. I’ve been to the bank, put stuff in a safe deposit box, balanced accounts… What will be the one thing I don’t do? It’s a leap for me to intentionally not do something---but it sounds like a good idea. Oh!!! I don’t have a way to get back home from Maine---that might be my one thing left undone!
Kami and I each will be carrying our own gear (clothing/sleeping bags, etc.) and then we divided the “group gear” into halves. This was a tense and adversarial process! First, we collected the items that were proposed to be useful to both of us. Some were undisputed: the tent, the cooking equipment, the bike repair tools, the sunscreen and bug stuff. A few things we both wanted, but admitted weren’t strictly necessary, like the Scrabble game which I took in my gear. Then, there were things that one of us thought we both needed, and the other thought no one in their right mind needed: the 50 foot piece of rope, the 5 boxes of waterproof matches, the pepper spray. She made an impassioned defense of the rope, but I still don’t understand the utility. Ditto the overkill on the matches, and also the pepper spray which I fear will be used against me. I’m not carrying any of that. Yet.
My friend Bryon, a cyclist, came by to say farewell. I showed him the elevation map of the first week in the Cascades, and he didn’t blink. I appreciate that! We rode together some last summer when I joined our local bike shop’s Thursday night rides. I was often the only girl on those rides, and Bryon always stayed beside me, or ahead of me blocking the wind---these small favors got me where I am today. Freaking out!
My friend Layne tossed me this Chinese bit of wisdom this week: LEAVE ONE THING UNDONE. I am pondering that one over---I asked her if it had to be intentional, and she said “yup” (more or less). As far as I know, I’ve paid the bills, squared the house away, made the necessary calls, cancelled the appointments and papers, hired a lawn fellow, weeded the garden, notified everyone who might need to know. I’ve been to the bank, put stuff in a safe deposit box, balanced accounts… What will be the one thing I don’t do? It’s a leap for me to intentionally not do something---but it sounds like a good idea. Oh!!! I don’t have a way to get back home from Maine---that might be my one thing left undone!
posted by Laurel @ 7:24 PM
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