I. The Great Plains

Most of America looks its best in the spring time. The flowers are out, the coats are modest, there’s birds. The trees are nicer to look at. People are generally in a better mood. The only serious planning I have done was about where I’m driving to in the spring. The Vehicle would change, but I’d usually make the rounds all the same.

One Spring, I made a pretty radical vehicle choice. In a car, I had developed the ability to drive long distances, I could sit and smoke for what seemed like an eternity. Even taking the back roads wouldn’t stop me. I enjoyed the challenge. The only fears I had involved gas money and strange noises from the engine. I wanted to really see as much as I could, I wanted more roads to drive down. I longed for the highway more than any destination I was driving too.

I needed to slow down to see more of it, I wanted to take my time on the back roads. Looking back, I should have made a good choice and became some kind of commercial driver. Instead, I decided what I was going to do was drive a Honda Motor Scooter to Vancouver, British Columbia.

It was a dream road trip, and perhaps I was a little too ambitious after a long winter. I loved my little bike, It was time to really put it to use. Though, I had never met anyone who had ridden a tiny motorcycle around, and only some who had ridden bicycles across a state line. The part of this road trip having an unknown outcome was probably the most exciting thing to me. I knew it would be miserable if I screwed up, but it would be really fun if it all worked out. The reward outweighed the risk in my head. I think some people doubted my capacity for fun, and didn’t believe that I would do it.

I planned the trip for the spring time, I spent the months gathering equipment I thought I might need. Tiny versions of normal backpacking things. A tiny stove, a tiny tent, a tiny fork. It was haphazard, I over packed. It seemed easy though, It wasn’t stressful, planning and preparing for a silly road trip was something that made me feel calm. I hadn’t felt that Easy feeling in a long time. I took a lot of time to see and visit with the friends I had in Colorado. Though, there was a point when I realized I wouldn’t have a lot of money If I wanted to leave in the spring like I wanted.

I wasn’t skilled enough in anything to offer some kind of service or craft. My work experience at that point had been tedious manual labor, and teaching English abroad. Somehow those things combined Landed me on seasonal work at recreational facilities. I applied to many leisure focused places. Ski resorts, Summer camps, Ranches, all kinds of things that would land me a place to live, park my bike, and make a little gas money. I had a couple interviews. The Ski resorts never offer housing and the ranches could probably tell I’m dainty on the phone. In the late spring I made a cold call to the summer camp we talked shit about when I was young. They hired me the next day. My first destination had been set, I’d be heading towards a place that used to be home to me. It was About 1000 Miles away from where I was living in Colorado Springs.

In Early May I left Colorado on my motor scooter. I gave myself two weeks to get the job at the start date. I was being cautious. Thinking the weather would get at me, or I’d be miserable and only want to do a few miles a day, I really didn’t know. My time on the bike at that point had been driving around Colorado Springs, and a mild trip up to the mountains. My lack of experience is why that first day was such a shock to me.

Three thirty in the mourning, I never wake up that early. It was even earlier than I wanted but I was too excited to hit the road to sleep. I was leaving an empty house, the other residence,my family, would return in a few days. I left without anyone to stop me, not that they could’ve.

The air was cold, and wet. Its not every night it rains in Colorado, in fact it rarely rains at all. It was drizzling, wet on the roads, and still in the air enough i needed a rain coat. Luckily! I had prepared for this, feeling so ready I pulled my rain coat out, Tied into my helmet, put my gloves on, and i started the bike up. The soft hum of the engine purred over the rain. After a minute, the steam on the exhaust let me know the rain wouldn’ stop.

I rolled out of the driveway slowly, Thinking that I should wait until It’s dry. I didn’t stop myself, by the time I had made two turns leaving my house I was already set in my choice. I had to climb a hill to leave Colorado springs, then drive east to meet with the first major Highway I would encounter, Highway 24. I had driven this hill a lot in my day but I will never forgive it for this. The trees lining the road, and the steep incline provided me with wind shelter. I was going maybe 15mph, and the trees blocked all that the weather had to offer. It was quite nice, a casual clear night that smelled like a spring rainstorm.

When the tree cover had vanished from the sides of the road I was greeted with a harsh breeze. Very cold, and as soon as the hill turned flat, the bike picked up speed. It was freezing. My scooter had no wind screen, and the gloves I had unwisely picked for myself were not good for this. I was stubborn though, I wouldn’t turn back, It was clear I hadn’t made a good choice, but I went on. There’s a Few towns in eastern Colorado that act as a gateway to The Springs. I always thought they were kinda cute small towns: Peyton, Calhan, and Matheson dot the highway pretty evenly until you reach Limon.

I had never been that cold up until that point, I actually couldn’t believe how dumb I was to drive a scooter so far away from home. After long enough though, you just kinda go Numb and you can take a lot more than you think. There were no cars for the several hours I was on Highway 24 that day, Something I would never be graced with again. The sky started clear up about two thirds of the way. Everything I had was soaked, and I was an icicle, but I eventually Made it Limon.

It was still early in the morning, Just after Six or Seven. I called a friend of mine to tell him how cold I was. It was really a call of uncertainty, Premature Homesickness maybe. He listened, He always would. This friend didn’t doubt me, Just wished me the best of luck. I got a coffee at the Truck stop, and shivered the whole 24 ounces. The Sun was starting to come up and I was desperate to be in the rays, I talked myself to getting on the bike and to stop loathing about being so cold. I drove through Limon and got on the 71 north.

Its mostly windmills and grasses out there. Its beautiful. The endless sea of golden strands as far as you can see, lined with green shrubs that have flowers at the foot of them. Song birds of all kinds around, with the occasional butterfly about. Run down houses from a century ago marking the horizon, inviting the general public to write obscenity with spray paint. This was an empty country road, the first of many I’d see.

The Sun was fully out and I was loving it. I had gone from shivering to down right comfortable. The breeze was still brisk on my face, but I hadn’t stopped to notice. I knew I had to make a Right turn Soon, in a place called Last Chance, Colorado.