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| Enjoy this photo of me riding in Kentucky. If I have my way, I will never be doing it again! |
Three years and no posts? Have I abandoned my blog?
No.
The simple answer is that it’s hard to blog about the west
when you aren’t in it. In September of 2016, a longer simmering request from my
wife that we return “home” to the lush, green environment of the east coast
came to a head. I had been putting this off for a few years, but honestly, I knew
that someday it would happen…
But that still didn’t prepare me. I remember the exact place
where the confirmation came, and I felt as though I had been punched in the
stomach. Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, about 6 hours from our original homes in North
Carolina, was the place. And so, at the end of September, we left my beloved
desert behind for what, as far as I could know, was the last time.
I thought many times about ending this blog, and what I would
say other than “it’s over”. But I could never bring myself to finally do it…as
though it were an admission of defeat. .
So life went by in Kentucky…and…for about 2 weeks, the novelty of a real fall season was cool.
And that’s where the good ended, for a variety of reasons. I
also ended up having to sell my Pioneer 700 due to financial issues, but that
wasn’t a big deal, since it now took a 1.5 hour drive to ride around on “over
100 miles of trails” at the closest off-road park. Life that you’ve seen me
document here, was over. But that was no surprise, since I knew I would be
miserable here. And I was.
In time, I was able to get another SxS (500 Pioneer), but even then, I questioned the purchase, as a street bike would have been much more useful…
In time, I was able to get another SxS (500 Pioneer), but even then, I questioned the purchase, as a street bike would have been much more useful…
But isn’t life a funny thing…
As I said, I knew I would be miserable. What I didn’t really
expect was that my wife would also be miserable. Life in the west can make you
soft, and upon returning to the east, it became clear that it wasn’t living up
to her expectations. And at one point, she totally surprised me be admitting
she missed Arizona.
So we started looking elsewhere, preferably in or near
eastern Tennessee and the riding trails it offered…BUT, we were open to the
west again, if the situation was right. The tide was turning for me it seems…
My wife and I are tough to rent to, as she has a dog habit
that most landlords don’t care for…especially in the tight, crowded east
landscape. We also had a buy-or-leave deadline for the house we were in that
was causing stress, as neither of us liked the house at all.
Then, at the 11th hour, it happened: Almost by divine
intervention it seemed, we received a reply for a house that worked well for us
and the landlord, and it took all of 4 days to get it squared away.
The best part? The location: A-R-I-Z-O-N-A!!!
So as I type this having now been back a few months, I am
happy to say that you may continue to look for more posts in the future, as I am
once again “Headed west”. Already went on several rides...
It’s so nice to be back…
