Just as Planned
Big goals feel overwhelming—until I break them down into say, “50 small steps.” This goal of riding my bike in all 50 states seemed almost unreachable. Yet I knew that if I focused on one step, one ride at a time, I would eventually reach that goal. That said, riding in Washington and Oregon went just as planned. Our nephew Zach met my sister Sandi and me in Seattle at the end of our cruise where my rides in Alaska also went just as planned. We ate lunch at an outside diner, walked along Puget Sound, and savored Indian food for dinner.
The next day Sandi hopped a shuttle to the airport and Zach drove me to Everybody’s Bike Rentals, in Portland. The owner Ryan set me up on a hybrid. After signing my life away and authorizing him to charge my card for the full amount of the bike if I didn’t return it, the bike was mine for 48 hours.
Zach and I rode a greenway in Vancouver . . . Washington not British Columbia. The paved trail meandered along a creek, wooded areas, and open meadows. Had I been alone, I may have gotten lost on the 16-mile out and back. Fortunately, Zach inherited his sense of direction from his dad, not his Aunt Joy. I followed his lead.
The next day we rode from Zach’s house in Portland. I had never ridden in a city where bike commuters and joggers have as much right of way as motorists. Riding along the Willamette River through town with hundreds of cyclists, runners, and “Walkers” made me feel I belonged.
When I returned the bike to Ryan, I realized my trip went just as planned. I have officially found joy in 48 states. Utah and Hawaii will need to wait.
For now, I’m home, shifting gears from riding to writing as I focus on book two: Finding Joy in the East.
Reaching a big goal doesn’t just happen without planning and perseverance. But if I stay focused, I might find that I reached my dream just as planned.
Thanks for being a part of this journey!
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Joy M. Walker
