Riding and Relationships

This kind of a trip takes some planning. It's amazing how many things we use on a daily basis that we don't give any thought to. The purpose of this trip, among other things, is to clear away distractions. To simplify. To Focus on what matters most. And to not focus on what doesn't matter. But, it is also about getting back to me. To the man I set out to be all those years ago. A man who liked people more. Who embraced every chance to meet new friends. Who thrived on seeing someone grow emotionally. Who loved helping people, just cuz it was the right thing to do. Who lit up a room with his presence and posture. Who didn't really care what most people thought of him, who didn't try to impress people, but still left an impression. And the guy who was always welcomed back. I was a different person 20 years ago. If I could have the charm, the confidence, the posture, the strength, the humility, the kindness I had then, and the life experience I have now, with a healthy dose of wisdom, I'd be pretty stable, focused, successful, and complete. I'd be the man that some of the most important people in my life do or will need me to be. So thats where I expect this trip to begin to take me.

Along the way to Florida, I will be meeting lots of new people. I will be blogging about them too. But I have a few friendships right now, and some that I want to grow and develop further. For any relationship to mature and deepen, there has to be communication. On a trip like this, with todays technology, that means a cell phone. And as I said, I will be blogging all the while I am on this trip. That requires a smart phone at the minimum, and preferably an internet connection for the laptop.

During my trip, I will have both, and they will both be handled by Lightyear Wireless. I will have my Windows Mobile smartphone for talk, text and web, and for the laptop that I will use for most blogging and picture uploading, I will be using a MiFi device to give me a 3G or 4G internet connection, depending on where I am along the way.

I'll have lots of time as I ride and explore, so I will test the boundaries of "unlimited talk" for sure lol! Texting will be reserved for times that I am not in the saddle riding. As dangerous as texting while driving is, I bet texting while riding is more dangerous! So if u text me and it takes a while to answer, you know why!

I hope to take lots of pictures and have a picture journal to reflect back on after this trip is finished. I expect to upload them pretty much every day, but I wont tag or comment on them until one of my resting days. So I'll be pushing the boundaries of my unlimited data plan as well :)

So my goal is to be connected to the relationships in my life while disconnecting from the influences that distract and distort me. A much taller order than it sounds for sure, but I will see.