Two Years Living On Two Wheels...And Counting

[Judoka]

What had started out as a plan to run up to Indy for an overnighter to get a GPS turned into a total mess which was now going to leave me stranded in Indianapolis, when I was supposed to meet my kids the next day in Maysville KY. I was not going to miss my weekend with them come Hell or high water!
I called for rental cars and found nothing! I knew the closest I could get on a bus was about an hour away from where I was meeting them so that was not the best option as I would need to rely on some form of ground transportation from there. Things were not looking good! I could not help but get a little sideways when I realized that this motorcycle was about to ruin my Christmas! Honestly I was more than a little sideways! Money I can make. Time I cannot ever get back!

 

[Judoka]

Then it hit me.

Amtrak! Amtrak has a station in Indianapolis... AND one right in Maysville KY!!!!

Christmas was saved!

I booked a ticket on the next schedule and got a cab to bring me all the way back downtown so I could wait for my train. This was one of those moments when you take a deep sigh of relief and just savor to victory! Right then, as I was realizing that I was going to make it and I even had a good 6 hours to kill before boarding, dread came over me! Yes. Dread!



Why was I acting like this? Why was I freaking out and being so negative towards my bike , which had just carried me more than 4000 miles without so much as a hiccup? Why was I acting like I was in control of anything EXCEPT FOR MY OWN THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS?!!! This was not who I am. Where was my gratitude? Standing there in front of that Amtrak station I came to a serious realization. I was ashamed. I was unhappy and stressed and borderline irrational when I refused to just let go and let life! Once again, Life was blessing me with another adventure which was grater than what I had planned! Life knew that I would be riding warm and relaxing as I made the journey to see my family and I would arrive well rested and pleasant.



This is why I am writing this. This is the message I hope to share with whomever may benefit from it. There is nothing wrong with a well planned and perfectly executed expedition! In fact I have come to understand that planning out every detail and contingency may in fact be the real adventure for some. When I share the details of my travels I am hoping to inspire others to just go and let the journey lead them. I am hoping to show others that there may never really be a perfect time to go but if you just, GO, it is always perfect! For me at least, the true Adventure is in overcoming challenges and being open to deviations to the plan because it has always lead to a better experience than I had planned.

 

[Judoka]

Gathering myself up I figured I would go find something interesting to do closely. I found this pub about a block away and stopped in. I love places with stories and history and interesting people. Sitting somewhere and listening to people's stories all afternoon is not a waste of time to me. I believe my life has been greatly enriched by those encounters.

This told me all about the local music scene; and how the Chicago Blues had been so huge in downtown Indianapolis. a good beer and great conversation. What a way to pass the time waiting on a train!

Sorry. I can't load the picture for some reason.

 

[Judoka]

Before I knew it a couple of hours had gone by and a band fired up in the next room.

 

[Judoka]

I watched them do their entire set. Life had already made good on providing me with a better adventure than I had planned! I even had a woman walk up to me while watching the music and ask me if I was Homeless because I was carrying a backpack and my riding jacket. Truth is, I guess I really was "Homeless"!


Once again it was all too soon I would need to rush out to catch an Amtrak.

 

[Judoka]

A few hours on the rail, an uncomfortable nap and I was there About 7 hours before check in. Maysville Ky is a very pretty town! Not so much geographically, but Architecturally it is a gem.


I cannot figure out why I cannot get these pictures to post and it is getting quite frustrating.

 

[Judoka]

Since my pictures dont seem to be able to post on this forum at this point in the story I will just skip this part ands move on.

 

[Judoka]

I spent a wonderful couple of days with my kids and left Maysville in the wee hours of the morning on my way back to Indianapolis, and hopefully my finished bike!

Empty train so I could sleep

 

[Judoka]

By the time I reached my hotel in Indianapolis I was greeted with this.

UGH!!! it is beginning to become difficult to share without being able to post pictures up!

 

[Judoka]

I am sorry ExPo community. I am not finding enjoyment in sharing anymore since it is stressful to take thew time to write and have it all fall short because I cannot post up pictures . Pictures just bring a story alive! Therefore I will likely just end my posts on this site.

If anyone is interested in reading more and would like to know what happened with my motorcycle or the crash or the additional year and 20K miles that have passed since this point in the story you can feel free to follow over on ADV Rider as that forum allows me to post these pictures up. I have been cross posting so you can pick the story up right at this point.

Two Years Living On Two Wheels....And Counting

By the time I got to a hotel in Indy I was the coldest I could ever remember being! So cold that it was difficult to speaking to the night manager...

advrider.com

I don't get anything from ADV Rider or anything and I WOULD CONTINUE TO POST HERE but I am unable to solve the photo issue.

 

[94-RUNNER]

So. How did your bike come out after the rebuild ? Enquiring minds want to know ?

 

[Judoka]

So. How did your bike come out after the rebuild ? Enquiring minds want to know ?

This is what it looked like when I got back.

 

[Judoka]

So. How did your bike come out after the rebuild ? Enquiring minds want to know ?

Sorry 94- It frustrates me and totally removes the enjoyment of posting the story when I cannot post up pictures the way I like. If you would like to know how the bike turned out you can check out the thread on ADVRider.com with the link in post #295 up above.

I just wish I could fix the issue and figure out why my pictures will no longer insert on this forum. They post fine on ADV Rider. If anyone can help me get the pics to insert again, ( I am no longer seeing that option once the pic attaches) I will gladly post the rest of the story up to my current riding. PM me if you have any ideas.

 

[plumber mike]

Bummer, but I get it. I mostly just lurk here anymore having had the same photo issues.
I assume I’ll find you over on ride reports.
Safe travels and thanks for posting as much as you did!

 

[AbleGuy]

A few hours on the rail, an uncomfortable nap and I was there About 7 hours before check in. Maysville Ky is a very pretty town! Not so much geographically, but Architecturally it is a gem.


I cannot figure out why I cannot get these pictures to post and it is getting quite frustrating.

Here’s one of your pictures

What error message are you getting?

Maybe your cell signal is too weak to post pictures 🤔

Or your file size is too big

Resizing or compressing the photos might help