On the Road, Finally

It was 4PM on Sunday when we finally got on the road. The past 24 hours had been a mad scramble to get the van in semi-functional condition for its maiden voyage to Colorado. The past two weeks, really, had been complete madness, as I finished up the myriad details necessary to get my house on the market and prepped for a three week trip in the van. On top of that, my good friend Mike – who helps me out with far more than a sane person should, and was going out to Colorado with me for a week of mountain biking – was taking on a kitchen remodel at his parents’ house at the same time.

Our plan had been to leave Saturday morning, because of course that was realistic.  By mid-day Saturday I had finally finished the marathon that is getting a house ready for sale, and was all packed up to head out to my dad’s house (where I’d been doing van work) to spend what I presumed would be a few fun hours getting the bed platform and bike storage fabricated. This had, unsurprisingly, fallen a ways down the priority list at this point, and I hadn’t given much thought to the actual amount of work involved. Suffice to say I’d underestimated a bit, and after at least 40 man-hours of work I was cursing myself for not knowing better by now.

It was quite the relief to actually get on the road, and finally have the madness of the past weeks behind us. A few hours pass before it sinks in that we are truly free to relax. We drive till evening then decide we neede a break to stretch our legs and get some much needed exercise. We find a random state park on the map that happens to be next to Grinnell Iowa – a place that will always be significant for me after our family motor home finally gave up the ghost there at the conclusion of a very eventful six week cross country road trip when I was young. It seems an appropriate pit stop as I embarked on the first of many adventures in what will soon be my new home.

We pull into the scantly used park at sunset and don our running gear, eager to get back to the productive pastime we both love. A short distance down the country roads we quickly establish it’s far more enjoyable to run without headlamps and fully take in the cool, quiet evening. By the time we make it out a few miles we’ve seen maybe two cars and the dim remnants of the sunset have given way to black night stretching over endless miles of farmland. The moon slowly emerging over the horizon, a deer scattering off into the field as we approach, fireflies punctuating the roadside grasses, and the steady cadence of two sets of shoes simultaneously tapping the asphalt. Few words necessary between friends consumed by the moment, fully appreciating the juxtaposition between the peaceful bliss of the present and the chaos of the all so recent past. Exactly what the soul needs.

Back at the van we stretch and enjoy a moonlit dip in the lake in hope of mitigating the imminent smell of sweaty tech clothing that is sure to come. We take our time, no schedule, no rush. Eventually we get back on the road and drive through the night to rendezvous with another friend at our destination in the mountains of Colorado. A week of adventure, exercise, and relaxation awaits, and we could not be more ready to appreciate it.