Here I Go Again On My Own

Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time

Whitesnake

(Fun fact: Vivian Campbell, who recorded this song with Whitesnake before joining Def Leppard, competed at the New England Forest Rally. At first, I wondered who the guy was at the after-party dressed like a rock star. Oh, it’s LITERALLY A ROCK STAR. Cool.)

I could’ve easily arranged to driveway surf all the way up to Climb to the Clouds this Thursday. But I decided to look for a campground instead. I haven’t stayed at one since that horrible July 4 weekend, and I realized I’m seriously out of practice doing the van thing on my own. Also, my friends are wonderful, but I was feeling a need to go do my own thing, at least for a few days before I’m surrounded by people again at Mt. Washington. It’s probably a good sign that I’m finally at a point where I feel I can do that. Plus, I’m going to have to once I head west where I don’t have the extensive support network I have in New England.

Some might wonder why I don’t go farther, visit Acadia, visit Moosehead Lake, visit the vast swaths of unnamed townships up toward the Canadian border. The truth is, I’ve been there, done that. I lived in Maine for seven years. During much of that time, I was a delivery driver, making my living by driving all over Maine. If you can stand the winters, Maine is a beautiful place to live. I just couldn’t make a decent living here, which is why I moved back to Massachusetts and re-entered the tech field. Anyway, all of my driving around Maine for the past week plus has been places I’ve already visited. Just last year, in the Black Pearl, I’m already visiting my past plenty as I see old friends in old places I used to spend time. What I’m really itching for is something new.

A strange series of events will further delay my departure west, though. Despite being something like 14th on the waitlist, I got into the August 24 non-sportbike track day with Riding In The Zone. It’s just over a week after Climb to the Clouds, so the timing is perfect, well worth delaying my trip west for. Also, the guy installing my bike’s new tires forgot he’s on vacation next week. This means I can do the track day on my old, still good, pavement-oriented tires, then switch to new big-block knobby tires immediately afterward. I don’t like believing in fate, but there are times when things happen, the universe decides you will be HERE, and there’s nothing you can do about it. This strange combination of events is one of those times. My life is strange.

So now, late August is my timetable for heading west. I’ll do the track day, get my tires swapped, then start meandering toward the Pacific Ocean. I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon.