Life that takes your Breath Away, Off to Europe

August 26,2007

I never thought I would be ecstatic that my flight was delayed. Usually, once you hear the announcement you have an instantaneous overwhelming feeling of panic… Will I make my connection? Will I have to spend the night in the airport sleeping on the floor, eating a 15 dollar sandwich, and consuming 7 dollar beers at the bar with other stranded travelers. However, as I walked through the airport doors, back pack strapped full with the weight bearing heavy on my hips, mobile office strapped around one shoulder positioned in the front of me, and bicycle perfectly situated in Grandma and I’s home made bike bag… I saw him and so being delayed was the best thing that could happen.

Grin on his face… I did a triple take…… disbelief really. You see I am not really accustomed to surprises. I am the first one to surprise, but the last one to receive. Farmer, Jeff, or nick name Pita…(well one half of pita, our buddy Mark is the other half of pita and I am the hummus, they call me Chick Pea which originated on our trip to Ashville, North Carolina..a long story in its self ) had driven from his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, about 2 ½ hours away, to see me off on my trip.

A man, in some ways that has a spirit that is allot like mine. So when I found out that my flight was delayed even longer, I smiled because that meant more time to with him.

After a two-hour delay, I finally board the plane. I begin to reflect on why I am sad to leave but then happy to leave. I can tell you that I am happy, happy with my new life, happy with my new job, happy to be with my family, happy that I get to ride my bicycle almost every day, happy that the people that have been brought into my life are good, beautiful people. Beautiful people that take my breath away because of their sincere hearts. There was a time in my recent past when all this was shadowed. Shadowed by a feeling because of a bad time in my life that was brought on by actions of people or a person that was not beautiful. I felt that I could never trust, believe, live a happy life. Now this is fading.

Why leave this? But then I remember what Farmer told me, a quote that he felt I needed to hear. He said, “Life is not about the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away”. In this next month I go to have my breath taken away. I go to feel, see, and live things that most people will never get the opportunity to experience. I get to continue a dream of making my bicycle and traveling part of my life…and I will share it with you as best as I can.