End of Season II: The Lessons we have learned from an unlikely teacher… “The Mother Road”
The Route 66 path. Seems so easy… right?
Santa Monica to Chicago
The Grand Shamrock Tour II
GS II - Leg Twelve
“The lessons we have learned from an unlikely teacher... The Mother Road”
First, thank you all for riding along with us on this journey. We appreciate your engagement. If you are looking for a recap of the events and locations we will encourage you to go back and read Leg 1 through 11 as this Chapter, Leg 12, will be different.
As John and I learned from a recent TED Talk (Lori Gottlieb), stories are how we make sense of our lives. It has been an honor to tell you our story these past few months. We had previously ridden a short section of Historic Route 66 five years ago outside of Barstow and we never gave consideration to travel it’s entirety until we changed our story. The adventure we chose of bikes in a fifth wheel, and hikes on trails comes with the loss of the familiar. Nothing looks like it did... which is good... since we wanted freedom and change.
The decision to travel this road was easy, completing it became more difficult. This road is a metaphor for life. At either end it is fresh, exciting, and hopeful, but the span between can get rough, both the physical (tarmac) and the mental.
C -“Should we continue?”
C -“We don’t have to do this.”
C -“Is it worth it?”
That freedom we spoke of comes with responsibility.
J - “We don’t NEED to.”
J - “We have never quit.”
J - “It will, quite possibly, be worth it…” 😅
Our undertaking of this “Mother Road Trip” during record inflation and historically high fuel prices helped shape our resource management skills. Extreme weather conditions from 23 degrees and frost to 104 degrees and 2% humidity made us keenly aware of our interaction with the environment, and events that happened outside of our control tested the extent of our patience. As we learned these past months, people have traveled this path for a century, either out of necessity, like the migrants during the “Dust Bowl” of 1930-1940’s, or for enjoyment to “Get your Kicks on Route 66” as the song points out. 🎼
One thing remained the same, including the big cities of Chicago and L.A... Human connection. What is it about neon, old gas stations, and GIANTS that brings people together? I can’t answer that... but it does!
Human connection starts with “Where are you from? Where are you going?” Then the stories begin.
Like we said, storytelling is how we make sense of our lives.
Along the way we have made dozens of new friends, from an English couple in L.A. to the bikers from D.C. at Portillo’s in Chicago. Their stories are now part of ours. We would love to hear your comments so they can become a part of this story....
“The lessons we have learned from an unlikely teacher... The Mother Road”
Travel safe and we will see you out on a different road! 🏍
Caroline and John 🍀
We made it! 😎
