Love, Life and a Tortoise Shell Cat

Wow, as has almost become the norm, I have once again been away for quit a while, only turning up when something of significance has occurred in my life. . .

See how I cast that hook there?

Actually – a few significant things have happened since I last sat at these keys.

. . . a little more bait. . .

Ok, ok – I don’t want you to leave and go watch cute kitty videos, or run off to grab a unicorn-something-or-other-latte at Starbucks, so let’s get to it.

I have been in recovery from years of drug and alcohol abuse since 2006.

I have been working within the ‘helping’ sector since 2009, first with the John Howard Society, and then with the Shepherds of Good Hope.

But you know this already.

Since 2011, I have been immersing myself in the world of motorcycles.

You know this too, however, this is germane to the story at hand, so bear with me.

I am, after all, writing a post about life, and love.

This part is about my love of motorcycle riding. Which is a huge part of my life.

From the big, low-slung cruiser that I started out on, to Big Ethel, the bike that I purchased after my wreck, and then with the addition of Betty, my more dirt-and-off-road oriented DR650, my life has become very moto-centric.

I cover an average of 30,000 kilometers per season on my bikes, and I love long-distance motorcycle travel, solo or as a part of a small group.

In 2012 I took off alone from Ottawa and headed out to the Rockies and Vancouver, a journey of self discovery and personal fulfillment.

In 2013 and 2014 I crossed most of Ontario several times, never tiring of the beauty and the roads right here in my back yard.

2014 was a season cut short with 2 broken ankles, but a season of re-connection as well. I got to spend 90 days living with my mom, after all.

                                                   Photo Credit: Don Barrett            

In 2015, I joined 2 buddies for the Epic East Coast and Trans Lab Adventure, where I finally visited my mom’s home of Corner Brook, NFLD and I absolutely fell in love with Canada’s eastern coast. Later that same year I purchased the DR650 and entered the Fundy Adventure Rally for the first time – an awesome experience that really highlights the camaraderie that exists anytime you bring together a large group of like-minded people.

In 2016 I flew to Ecuador with 5 other riders and took part in a 6 day adventure tour through the Andes mountains with Ecuador Freedom Bike Rentals. I managed to break 2 ribs in an ‘off’ and it was still the most incredible adventure I had been on to date.

Then in mid-2016 the Trans-Taiga, a very remote hydro road in far north-eastern Quebec beckoned to my friend and fellow rider, Ryan and off we went.

Later that same year I once again took part in the Fundy Adventure Rally, breaking yet another rib and having the time of my life.

I have delved into the world of planning themed group rides, organizing the inaugural Abandoned Ontario Ride on 2015, and the much better attended and highly successful follow-up ride in 2016.

And of course I have joined Horizons Unlimited and attended two of their Travellers Meetings in Ontario – 2015 and 2016.

For the uninitiated, Horizons Unlimited is a website started years ago by a couple of Canadian motorcycle travelers, Grant and Susan Johnson.

This adventurous couple rode a BMW motorcycle around the world way back in 1987 – before ‘adventure motorcycle riding’ was even a ‘thing’.

They wanted to share their travels, their experiences and their passion for discovering the world upon a motorcycle and now, many years later, what Grant and Susan built has become the go-to resource for adventure travelers of every sort from across the planet.

The Horizons Unlimited Travelers Meetings are held all over the world, in Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. Hundreds of adventure travelers come together and share their own experiences with each other, telling colourful tales about all that they have seen and what they hope to see yet.

You go to a Horizons Unlimited meeting once, out of curiosity.

You go twice because you have been bitten. Bitten by a bug that can only be satiated in one manner.

You just have to get out there and do it. And what I mean by that is, you find a way to face your fears, move past your reservations and take the plunge – heading out there into the world to travel to areas outside of your comfort zone with a sense of confidence that belies your inner insecurities.

Are you sensing a theme here?

Yes, I have taken the plunge – I quit my job in order to ride my motorcycle more, and farther.

The rest of 2017 will see me visiting the 3 Canadian coasts: The Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk in June, followed by the Pacific in British Columbia in July and the Atlantic when I revisit Newfoundland and Labrador in August.

I cannot begin to describe the myriad of feelings and emotions that I have been experiencing since coming to the decision to take an early retirement. Suffice to say that I have been virtually bubbling over with excitement. I am breathing so easily, and I am so excited by what is to come that I feel like a teenager all over again.

I have quit my job – a job that, for the most part, I have really enjoyed over the last almost 8 years.

Shepherds of Good Hope is Ottawa’s largest homeless shelter for men and women and some really amazing things happen there. I feel quite privileged to have been a part of the organization for most of my life-in-recovery.

I have learned a great deal, and I have had many opportunities to teach and share some of my experiences as well.

In many ways, Shepherds has been much more than a job for me. It has come to be a very large extended family.

And I am going to miss that.

I have quit my job. And am about to join the ranks of the unemployed once again. Only this time, it is with a plan.

A plan to enrich my bank account of life and life experiences. Of places traveled and people met. Challenges faced and joys expressed.

And tears shed too...

Yes, we have gotten to the cat part.

Aya came into my live 18 months ago. She is an amazing little furball companion, and I love her dearly. Yet that will not keep her happy, nor cared for while I am traveling. And I plan on traveling quite a lot. To the tune of up to 24 months abroad starting in 2018.

So I have had to accept the painful reality that Aya will need a new home. And I am not ashamed to say that this thought breaks my heart a little.

My sister has offered to adopt Aya and we are hopeful that this arrangement will work. Kim already has a cat – Scooter – and we are hopeful that the two will get along.

 And that I can have visitation. . .

There is so much more to say. But your eyes are sore, and there are things to do.

Lets chat again soon...Monday is a day off for me, after all.

Joe