Finding Freedom Now

I've spent way too much of my life practicing delayed gratification.

Yes, restraint and consideration for the future are good habits to cultivate. But for too long I've delayed the enjoyment of life. I've waited on benchmarks where I imagined I would somehow feel that I finally earned the rewards. What I didn't realize, is that I could have been enjoying more of the journey all along. Even when I have stepped out and lived amazing experiences, they have usually been muffled through a blanket of guilt. I should have been working. Should have been available. Should have been paying off that debt instead of traveling...

If you've always wanted to go on that trip, buy that motorcycle, jump out of a perfectly good plane...why haven't you done it? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for the kids to grow up? What example is that to set for them? I want my kids to live all their lives, not wait for the right moment that never comes.

Are you waiting for the kids to grow up? What example is that to set for them? I want my kids to live all their lives, not wait for the right moment that never comes.

Are you waiting to be financially independent? Why can't you live and enjoy life while you work toward a better future? Where is the law that states you must live a boring life on the road to financial success?

Are you waiting for the job change? School to get out? The goal to be met?

Don't wait.

Look. There's nothing wrong with being responsible grown-ups. We have shit to do. We have to take care of important duties to those we love. But being responsible and taking some time here and there to live life, are not mutually exclusive activities.

Live now. It's the only time you really have.

 

Day 1: Detroit Lake, Oregon

Click on each image to see full size and some awesome details!

 

Riding through fields of grain, flowers, and hazelnut orchards, the sweet smells and warm sunlight were presented within the backdrop of my riding playlist and the growl of my exhaust pipes. We set out with a very loose plan. No reservations. No specific site. After trying 3 campsites around the lake, we finally found a place to set up our beds for the night.

Simple is good. It takes only a few minutes to offload the bikes, then it's time for a beer.

 

We head into "town" which consists of about two bars, a convenience store, a small market, a diner or two, and a neighborhood of vacation rentals punctuated by a few local residences.

The marina store offers a grand view, helpful shopkeepers, and a selection of cold microbrews.

This next one looks overexposed but it's actually a good representation of the air that day. Forrest fires in neighboring counties and states had socked-in most of Oregon with an orange haze.

The next morning greeted the hammock with a ray of sunshine beaming through the forest.

The local diner offers a comfortable meal and a chance to re-group. Chosen family and riding companions J.D. and Kim:

 

Detroit Lake offers some incredible vistas. It is essentially a dammed-up river, winding through the Cascade Mountains...

...with many day-use areas punctuating the natural landscape.

Detroit Lake is obviously a common attraction for bikers. This bar was so interesting I couldn't resist stopping for a few snapshots. These bike sculptures are huge - about 1.5 times life-size.

Day 2: Take Me To The River

We lucked out on the next campsite. Everything is better by the water. I fell asleep to the sounds of the rushing water and woke up to see a family of river otters making their way up the opposite bank.

 

This next photo is not edited aside from cropping. It is the result of light and shadow, playing on the surface of crystal clear rippling water.

The water is better. Fire? Even better!

Not nutritious. I know. But hilariously resourceful. The tin can was also our coffee maker.

If you take a minute to really see these next two, you'll notice a beautiful symmetry of nature.

 

Morning light playing on the river.

Savoring the morning, we pack to head out. The ride home was a dreamlike journey of the senses. We rode through a winding summit to find a herd of monarch butterflies taking off in the morning sun, steam drifting off the trees, winding rivers... and of course, horsepower.

And I'll finish with this because it makes me laugh. I caught J.D.'s vampire sneeze.

Haha!

I hope you enjoy the journey!