The ride of my life

     I have landed in possibly the most comfortable destination in my tour. After only sleeping indoors for a handful of nights throughout my last four months I find myself on top a mountain at my grandparents' house in Hayesville, NC.  I have a roof over my head, comfortable bed, hot showers, work enough to keep busy, home cooked meals, and loving family to keep me company.
     The weekend before I arrived at the Little Big Horse Ranch, I spent volunteering at the Overland East Expo. The first annual eastern gathering of nearly 3,500 off road travel enthusiasts. The three days consisted of classes and exhibits showcasing the newest trends and technology for "overlanders." A growing group of people who are coming to terms with their nomadic selves and dropping the usual for a life on the road. I was solely representing the bike tourists as I pedaled up the hill to Taylor Ranch in the rain while everyone else drove the most well equipped machines for any adventure. I was said by some to be an inspiration because I was actually on a journey, many looked at me like I was crazy. There were many others as well, but these were people that didn't listen to the ones that called them insane. Professionals who had been on the road for years writing, blogging, producing movies, and doing anything else to support their expeditions. My motive was socializing and collecting connections from these world adventurers. 
      I met several amazing people who had achieved a life that I have only ever wished for.  With such an intimate gathering I got to meet some of the people who offered their inspiration to the whole overland scene. Ted Simon who has ridden around the world twice on a motorcycle, wrote a book about his 1973 journey and gathered a cult following that he didn't  know about for years. After the realization of his adventure biker status he retraced his path years later in 2001.   Roseanne and Johnathon Hanson put the whole expo together for the first time in Fletcher, NC beginning only a year ago in Flagstaff, Az.  In the theater Friday night I watched a great video by Neale Bayly about his motorcycle adventures through the Peruvian Andes to an orphanage he wishes to rebuild. On Sunday at the BBQ social I sat next to Catherine and Les who are on the No Agenda World Tour. Another movie I watched featured Brad Barker and Raw Hyde adventures, Brad has a youtube channel about the ride of his life on his BMW R 1200 GS. I am incredibly grateful to him and his crew of  for the ride from Fletcher to Hayesville and the offer to join them across country to San Diego and on future journeys.
    There were many more people who deserve thanks for their gracious  knowledge, inspiration, talents, and products they shared. Adam the 21 year old who rode his enduro from Ontario. Cory and Matt my neighbors on the other side of the pine tree who sponsored the showers and gave me bear bags. Amanda, the volunteer coordinator who worked the entire weekend with a smile on her face. I cannot mention all the kind people who I will only be able to see again on the road, to nowhere.
     On Sunday I took an early volunteer shift, stationed at the information booth near the motorcycle corral. It was my personal duty to say hello and good morning to everyone passing by. I was hard at work warming myself in the sun standing on the first frost I have experienced in years when Brad Barker stopped to talk. After explaining my situation I was offered a ride in the Rv to as far as San Diego. The rest of the day was spent wandering the grounds and eating doughnuts from the guys representing a school that teaches how to access far away places and record their language in an alphabet so that the Bible can be translated. I nearly signed up for the opportunity to explore, but realized I would have to live in Houston. I decided I would rather continue west than face the impending zombie apocalypse in Texas.
      Lather that evening I found The Ride of My Life printed clearly on one side of Brad's Rv. He had dubbed it The Vortex and it was equipped with only the bare essentials, sophisticated video recording equipment, 4 piece solar array, a back bay for the two bikes, and a lift to make access nearly effortless. I met Chris and Jarrod, the rest of the crew before everyone left for the complementary bbq. As I walked away Brad talked to a man about going to Alabama for a motorcycle rally. I gratefully wondered what I got myself into.
     I slept much better that night. With a full belly from the yards of catered food tables I was comfortable in the above freezing temperatures.  Knowing that I wouldn't be pedaling through the mountains for what could have been a week put me at ease. I was ready for the next chapter of my travels.
  The next morning I packed up and made my way to the Rv. There was no rush leaving the scene of what had already transformed back into a beautiful ranch. We loaded up around ten and made a last lap around the grounds in search of the exit. Siri was confusing us as much as our hunger and we made multiple wrong turns before we found an Applebees and the road through the mountains. It seemed like time travel passing through the forested remains of summer. The cold from the day before sparked an ember in the leaves that was just beginning to glow. Before long I was passing old memories and used a phone to call Grandpa and tell him the news. The service cut out before we passed the Nantahala river and the valley where his cabin sits.   We arrived at the Little Big Horse Ranch soon after, with no sigh from Chris who was tailing behind somewhere on his motorcycle. Brad flew his quadcopter around while we waited, capturing amazing views of the surroundings, and in a final shot crashed into a tulip popular. The drone's guts were all over the ground and the camera had a direct hit, but the pieces were all there. The gopro captured the whole thing including the awful noise of the tree vs robot fight to the death. Brad laughed off the crash as if he had mercilessly destroyed fifteen drones before. He loaded the footage on to this laptop as Chris arrived, and after grateful farewells they left for the next adventure into the threatening storm.
    Welcomed inside I was given a telephone to call my mother, a hot shower, and a load of laundry. Everything is provided with warm southern hospitality that can't be matched anywhere. I love you Grandpa and Nana, thank you for sharing your house with Makai and I.
    I am still enjoying the feeling of comfort a week later as storms roll over the mountains on a daily basis. The leaves are changing quickly as I watch  from the front porch, wearing board shorts in the warm southern air. Autumn with Aloha.