Hard to believe, but I am almost a week on the road! Things have been nearly too exciting to keep up with mentally, much less to keep up with blogging. In fact, I've barely talked to my family, so don't feel left out. I'm composing this entry just south of Asheville, North Carolina! I know, I didn't expect to be this far already either, but I had some good opportunities, so I made a move, and I'm glad I did.
So this is what you've missed! I marked the beginning of the voyage in Montpelier, VT. With a warm send off from my sister and my niece, I continued through NH to bid farewell to some friends and family on my way to my first stop: Boston!
I arrived in Boston late Saturday afternoon to meet a long time partner in crime at his new apartment in Cambridge. He's only a few blocks from Harvard Square, and we spent a night out with a few of his friends and coworkers. Everywhere was a beautiful mix of ethnicities and languages that made me remember how trapped you can feel if you let your world get too small. Eventually we found ourselves at the Tavern on the Square ("in the Square"? I'm not sure) and I got a lesson on why Patron is so damned expensive from a Mexican guy. I forget every word. I spent the next day ripping around Boston on the Monster. About halfway through, I found myself making some genuine Masshole maneuvers, and decided I no longer blamed these people for the way they drive. That night I ate at pretty kickass korean place. Chilled noodle soup, which hit the spot on a hot night. We then rounded the corner for a few drinks at a bar where the waiters wore shirts that said "Will work for soju". Pretty awesome, but ironically I didn't drink any soju. The latest Korean pop videos played on huge flatscreens while we drank some kind of fermented rice wine served in a copper teapot. The drinks were great, the videos made me feel like all of the very worst influences from American popular culture are the ones that other cultures seem to pick up on. Just the same, I caught the green line back, the train driven by a man with the most gigantic gold Rolex I had ever seen. I could have spent weeks in Boston, and the new and old friends I spent time with would have made me feel welcome, but got word from some friends in Washington DC, and I couldn't pass up my chance for some time there! My last morning in Boston came too soon, but it was time to hit the road. I spit on John Harvard's statue, and was on my way.
As I pulled out onto Cambridge St from what's got to be the biggest loophole in the City of Boston's entire parking scheme (no, I'm not telling) I thought, "Okay, Boston to DC, I'll be leaving during rush hour and arriving during rush hour, rain in the forecast, and I'm riding a motorcycle with my entire life strapped to it... Am I out of my mind?" Turns out, they're right about the "desperate times, desperate measures" thing. That day, I broke a vow I made long ago; I went through Connecticut.
My return to the state where I spent the worst year of my life was rewarded with a slap in the face in the form of a rain storm. Pretty light at first, but by the time I hit Waterbury, I had switched over to my rain gear, and kissed my ass goodbye. Everything held up fine and I made it through in one soggy piece. Something occurred to me about riding a motorcycle in the rain. I kept thinking, "It could be worse, John. You could be stuck in a car." Maybe I had lost my mind, but I think some of you will understand what that means. The route I wanted to take kept me away from I95 and gave me a shot at some nice riding once I cleared NY. I went through Scranton and Gettysburg and who the hell knows where else. I was so determined to destroy my prior record for hours on a motorcycle in a single day that I didn't give a shit if I was riding through Somalia or Antarctica or the fucking Gobi Desert, I was going to make it. And make it, I did.
My neck was a ball of knots from the cold rain and the disregard for speed limits. My wrist was locked up like a rusty hinge. My legs were jello from clamping onto a rocket for 11 hours. I was spent, but let me tell you, the beltway into the city felt like a victory lap.
Lots more story to tell; Washington, Skyline Drive, Boone NC, and the torrential downpour of biblical proportions that was my ride from Boone to Asheville!! More to come soon, with pictures (I promise!) but I'm out of time for now.
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