Dragons Day 6: Homecoming

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My mind strips away the love I have for this burning desire, but it must end just like it began with a journeys inspire.

It moved to fast and I don’t understand why? My life can’t be on hold but I don’t want it to fly.

The mountains we climbed just weren’t big enough but I can’t imagine them being any more tough.

I loved this trip but it has just begun, we cannot be finished its just all a sham. I want to enjoy the last bit of our trip and to be able to know that we will all fit. 

So lets look to the sun and pray, for I want no more than a great day. Is this my last hour with my friends and my power? It’s so much to except. All we do is sit back and carpe, for this is our time to be them. More like this is our time to “Carpe Diem”! 

Dragons Day 5: Los Alamos...Drum Canyon...Santa Rosa Road...Buellton

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While I thought about the trip, my memory flashed back to the first day. I have gone so far yet it has felt like nothing. Even though it finally clicks. The trip is almost over and it feels like it has just started. Why? I have no idea. Everything I have gone through has been hard; it has made me stronger and more responsible. But I feel like I need another week maybe even another 2! Why did time go by so fast? It just dose not make any sense! 

My thighs caked with pain and I felt like I had taken a shower in my own sweat. There was no turning back now. I was half way up, looking at the top of the mountain praying that I would be up there soon. I walked sluggishly; John took my bike for me. I was not equipped for this ride. My head pounded, my ankles burned. That was just the beginning.

Once I got up to the top it was downhill from then on but I still wasn’t happy! I was nauseous, if any one talked to me I felt like I would throw up on their face. Why today of all days? I ask my self! Why today the greatest ride with no boundaries, no limits I must get sick. 

I finally finished the ride with my dignity. The biggest mistake because of my condition! I tried everything to make my headackes go away between the time of dinner and campfire, I ate and laid down but nothing helped. I thought about the philosophy of never giving up and trying your best every day! ...It sunk in. Realizing that I didn’t give my 100 percent today. Sure I was sick but I refused to seize the day. Knowing that my time on this trip is limited, I need to own it. I need to live life to the fullest, to be free. “A Wild One”! That’s what I will do from now on no matter how bad I feel or how hard it is to complete my odyssey.

Dragons Day 4: Dunn...Ballard Canyon...Buellton

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On a middle school trip, sometimes your journey is limited. You wake up one day and you are sick, nauseous, and weak. My philosophy is never skipping a day; I want to take in every moment of the trip not sit in a car all day watching everyone enjoy the sun and the breeze. You feel trapped; it’s not a good feeling. The sag is the opposite of “Carpe Diem”; you can’t seize the day inside a car. 

Warm potatoes and eggs fell into my plate. The morning dew wet my socks while my head aced just trying to find the right table to sit at. Everyone was screaming my head was spinning, I felt confused, I felt a pain shoot out my stomach. It was not a good day! 

Speeding down the hill pretending I could feel the breeze of fresh air, when I could only feel the sticky air conditioning hit my face. I got sagged my “enthusiastic mood” got me nowhere. Every one was sweating, face red, and me sitting there watching people loving life slowly roll by. Resentment swiped through my mind. Everyone was coughing and I held my stomach forcefully hoping the pain would go away, but it didn’t. 

The sun stated to set and my stomach had gone from bad to worse. I lay in my tent ready to die. The only thing that really got me going where my great friends helping me. So I made it to the campfire, a relief. The only thing I could think of was getting to bed and maybe a little too much because after thirty minutes I was completely asleep, not the best day but it could have been worse. I suppose I could of made something of it but I chose not to.

Dragons Day 3: Nojoqui...Solvang...Los Olivos...Dunn

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Today we slay the dragon I thought to my self. Today we shall slay the biggest dragon of all. My mind tried to wrap around the whole idea of our next feat. I didn’t know what to expect. Except the fact that our dragon would be made out of crunchy dough Filled with creamy custard and maybe even sugar coated! The next step into our trip was going to be amazing. Wasn’t it?

My gloves grip the slick handlebars while a black paved hill emerged in front of us and blocked our view of the “dragon”. This motivated me even more. I hopped on my bike and I sped off leaving John in the distance, taking his time. My inducement grew bigger and just like that my face was red, but I had made it up that hill and there it was. My mouth watered and my lip was numb, the dragon I was waiting for all day had finally arrived and definitely bearing snacks.

My stomach felt like it was going to explode. My heart was beating a hundred times per second and my shared dessert with everyone at the table was not even half way eaten. I take one look at the napoleon and my taste buds start to tremble, I must have more I complained. How is this conquering the dragon? How is this my way of succeeding? I think about it for another minute and realize, it isn’t. My way is defeating the enemy. I wasn’t looking too good, I scrambled to find my knife and fork, this is no day to lose I said in a competitive tone. I will finish this!

My stomach took on a big challenge but settled down once we started slowly rolling into camp. Our shortest ride by far took the longest to complete, defeat, and finish. I was very happy with our results because tonight I would sit down at the fire and get a lecture about our slow pace and how we could have made a faster arrival. I will be laughing at their judgment. Because why should I care? Stories where told and relationships where started. That’s our main idea of a middle school trip.

Dragons Day 2: Refugio...El Capitan

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 Spinning round and round my mind came to a stop. The wind hurtled over my face, my bike stopped and I took in a breath. I was looking for something bigger, something I could take back from this journey and I knew at that moment I had accomplished my goal. 

 The Salty fresh ocean splashed onto the big rocks. My mind immediately reversed, all I could think about was jumping into the cold ocean. During my down time I thought about my day, I reflected and until this moment I didn’t realize how lucky I was to be here in this place. Ready for the rest of my bridge to be built.

 The fire crackled, my eyes burn from the intimidating light. Words of wisdom are spoken and tears are unleashed. Our fire is a place for feelings. Our fire is a place for us. That’s all we will ever know. Once our fire is over we climb into our sleeping bags and drift off into our world… 

My main expectation is to have fun and to live life to the fullest each day of our journey. Except, how do we tell that we are taking everything out of our day? That we are creating memories? Is it really that hard? I don’t think we will ever know. All that we can do is create our life the way we choose, not the way other people expect.

Larger Voices Calling: Dragons, Dreamers, & Doers Day 1: The Dragon Spine

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Our circle connected. We came together. Ready? No one really was. That’s our idea of living, to carpe diem, more like seize the day! Was that really our goal? Maybe we could accomplish it, maybe we couldn't.

As the creamy white clouds shifted, the sun beamed on my sweaty face. Was this the idea? Or was this my imagination of purity, hope and beauty? A life without a sunset is like a life without color, or a mind without imagination.

My tire reached the top of the hill, just enough for my heart to stop beating. Enjoyment rushed through my body, goose bumps and chills. The rest of my journey consisted of the wind in my face, a downhill paved heaven.

I glide down the hill. Smooth slick gravel is all my tire hits. Life on a bicycle, it’s overwhelming, the breeze, the fresh air, the amazing sight of light crawling under the mountains. This is the life. Somehow it completes who I am. 

Our ride is over and again we are connected in a circle. Done, more like tired. We have seized the day. That was our goal.