Winging it Home
After taking time off in the south of Colombia, I did some reflection on my trip to date. I realized I was about halfway to the original goal of Ushuaia, Argentina and had crossed the 10,000 km mark of this trip. It’s funny to think back to the weeks before I started where the primary emotion was being scared utterly shitless. I remember lying awake wondering if I had gone completely mad. That feeling of terror feels foreign now compared to the 10,000 incredible km that are now behind me. It’s mad that my legs and silly little bike carried me this far.
I had an internal debate if I was really going to chicken out of the rest of the cycle. But I don’t think it was that. I realized that the bike wasn’t really calling me anymore. More than that, I felt the strange feeling of missing being productive and the tech/software development side of my old life. However, I also didn’t feel like I was quite ready to go home. So after some internal debates, I decided to go north to Bogota, meet a friend there that I haven’t seen in years and then fly back to Guadalajara (GDL) Mexico. I decided to take a couple of months there, scratch the tech itch and then I would re-evaluate.
In GDL, I fell into a nice rhythm. Tacos, hanging out in coffee shops, working on some mini projects, and playing Go at the local Go club became regular daily life during this time. It was nice to have some semblance of stability after so long. I knew that I should update this journal but still hadn’t fully decided if this was a side quest on the cycle south or if I would end the cycle trip. Maybe I could change the endpoint from Ushuaia to the south of Colombia, meaning I had completed it. But these were questions I didn’t want to address so I ignored them during this phase while enjoying my nice little daily rhythm.
One of these little projects was a personal website, because, well, I will need (and tbh want) a job soon so decided a little personal portfolio website would help scratch my tech itch and maybe help with the job hunt. I also decided to migrate this crazy guy journal over to my own website so I could host it myself.
I will post this final entry to CGOAB so anyone following along there has the natural end to this journal and I can have the satisfying moment of marking this tour as (in)complete. In a couple of weeks, I will delete this journal from CGOAB so www.kevhq.com/adventures/winging-it-on-wheels/ will be the final home for it.
So much has happened over the last year and I have so many memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. There are so many things that I have forgotten already so I am glad I kept this journal to look back on in the future. Even the stuff I didn’t write about here, these entries remind me of the context that brings back memories. This is so valuable to me.
Some of the standout memories and moments I find myself retelling regularly include the robbery at (butter) knife point while cycling up a volcano in Mexico, camping on a mountaintop during an insane thunderstorm with creepy music afterwards, or camping alone in the middle of nowhere in the Baja deserts, looking up and seeing the Milky Way spread out across the sky.
But while these make good stories, they don’t define the trip. It was the feeling of simple camp life, the endless road, the simple interactions with kind strangers and the friends I made on the road that define the trip for me.
I think I am supposed to write some big revelation that I had, how this journey changed me or my perspective on life to give a sense of closure. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think I can point to such a revelation. I do know that I will be processing this trip for quite some time. Maybe the revelation is supposed to come with reflection? Or maybe the revelations are down in Ushuaia? I will follow my fellow cyclists that are still on the road to find out.
So, what are my plans now? I am back in Ireland. I will take a couple of weeks to settle in, visit family and friends. I start back at work on 1st October and tbh I am looking forward to this.
In terms of adventure plans, there is nothing of this size or scale. I think maybe some smaller weekend-type adventures closer to home. I will probably do the 75 Hard fitness/mental challenge to fix my diet and try to get back the fitness I have lost in the last 2-3 months of not touring while eating like I am touring. Not sure if I will document this challenge or not.
Finally I want to say so many thank-yous. To everyone that helped me along the way. Cycled with me, hosted me. Shared the experience, food, and stories. Special thanks to the other bike tourers, ye were a huge part of my trip and I will miss cycling, camping and sharing the experience with ye. To my bike, who I have abused and put through torture but who always pulled through. Thanks to the countless people who have sent words of support and encouragement or followed along with my rambling writing.
Thank you.
Signing off
Kevin
