Be it Ever so Humble

As many of you may have gathered from photos posted to our Facebook page and Instagram account, Adam and I spent a large portion of our accommodations in a tent. We received our Seedhouse SL2 second hand from a neighbor not long before the trip started; One of many gifts we would receive on this adventure. Whether we were in freezing cold rain just a stone's throw from the base of Mt. Hood, in a Midwestern thunder storm, camped in parking lots, backyards, carnival grounds, or Noseeum infested campgrounds, this light weight backpackers tent somehow managed to keep us warm, dry, and comfortable in any location. We also loved that we could pack it into a small dry bag and tie it to the front of my handlebars. After all, mobility is everything. 

 After a few weeks on the road, we found that our tent was providing more to us than shelter from the elements at night. We quickly came to understand that the tent became a home base and, shortly after, our home. There were many times we felt overwhelmed or had a rough day of riding. It was always soothing as we pulled off and stacked our shoes in the tiny vestibule as we did the intricate dance of those sharing a two person backpackers tent do. Not only did our tent protect us from the elements, it gave us a safe haven where we could rest, collect our thoughts, and strategize for the next day of adventure. At one point we found ourselves with a massive rip in the rain fly (I have a theory that Sasquatch tried to walk through the tent in the middle of the night). Lucky for us we happened to be in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, which is the town Big Agnes is based out of. I called them up, told them our story, and before we knew it we were getting a tour of the coolest place chock full of adventure gear geniuses. We got the Sasquatch rip taken care of and even got to sit around with the sewing crew and talk gear for a while. The great times and incredible luck in Steamboat Springs are just one example of how things generally went for us and our tiny home. If we really needed a place to stay, we would always eventually find it. And when we needed a place to find peace and regroup, there was no better place to find it than at home, wherever home happened to be pitched for the night.

Like ripples in a pond...

When we first began planning this journey, we spent a lot of time gathering inspiration from sources around us. From documentaries, to blogs, to people out on the internet doing crazy adventures and amazing things. These people were what inspired us to keep trucking, put on a happy face about what we were trying to achieve, and keep moving forward. The thing of it is, while you're trying to pull something like this off, you become incredibly self centered. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mean self centered in an ego maniacal God complex kind of way. I mean the kind of self centered, self focused zone that puts you in a place where it doesn't even occur to you what the rest of the world may think. To be frank, we were under the assumption that nobody would care or even notice what we were doing. Imagine my shock in Florence Oregon, just a week into our journey when I was having a conversation with someone and they told me how inspiring this journey was. For months we were telling everyone that we were going to load up these tiny bikes and take off. The secret was that we weren't sure we were going to make it very far- we were excited to simply make it to Portland, Oregon and back again. But we carried on. All the while meeting more and more folks that were absolutely floored by the distance we've traveled and most of them telling us we were inspiring them in one way or another. This is the interesting thing about inspiration; the more people we meet that tell us it inspires them, the more we want to move forward. The really incredible thing to me lately, is the reaction we're getting from people that we were drawing inspiration from before we left home. Large motorcycle owners and small moped jockies alike are all absolutely thrilled to meet us and talk with us about our journey. These are names in the game that once upon a time I'd looked up and thought how cool it would be to meet them, and now here they are, asking us to stop by and meet them, or even answer a few questions for an article in a publication they work for. Like I said, when we took off from little Medford, Oregon, we didn't think anyone would care. But they do. And that gives the drive- the inspiration to carry on......

The Big Announcement

It's about time we explain ourselves

What are we all about? Why do we have a blog, Facebook, Instagram and cards? Because we mean business and it's time to start building a community of people who will travel with us either physically or vicariously. 

    On June 21st, 2014, we will be mounting up on our 6.0 horsepower Honda Trail 90's and taking off  into the wild yonder, making a 15,000 mile trip from the West Coast to the East Coast and back again. This journey could take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks- maybe more. We have started filming videos and clips for a documentary about this adventure. A cross country road trip is one thing but a road trip on bikes of this size is something else completely. As you could imagine, traveling the interstate is not an option, so that leaves us with the highways and byways of America. The estimated top speed on a loaded Trail 90 is approximately 40 mph, giving us ample opportunity to take in our surroundings and enjoy the ride.  
    
    We all have our different reasons for taking the trip; some of us are trying to figure ourselves out, some need one hell of an adventure to propel them in the direction they need to be going, some of us just need one serious change of scenery. Personally, I've got some really high hopes for this trip. As we all know, America has been through some very frightening times these past couple of years and there seems to be a culture of fear becoming popular in our country right now. With our trip and our documentary, my goal is to show America that we don't need to be afraid of each other. I believe if you approach any situation with kindness, a sense of humor, and a little whimsy, it could really turn into an awesome experience. It all comes down to the fact that you get what you give and you reap what you sew.