Where are you headed?
Maybe you don't need a detailed map. Maybe it's about trusting yourself enough to just go. To take the first step, even if you can't see the whole road. The open road doesn’t just stretch out before you, it holds a mirror to everything behind you. When you're in motion, it's easier to recognize what's been slowing you down and where the road can lead if you let go.
On May 13th, I left California on two wheels, not entirely sure what I was seeking; I just knew that I didn't want to miss whatever it was. I had a full tank of curiosity, a meticulously packed bag, and a head full of big ideas. 7,000 miles and 24 states later, I pulled back into Burbank with road-worn boots, a full heart, a deeper understanding of myself, and new opportunities awaiting me.
DAY 24:
I gave myself one last treat. As fate would have it, the ultimate Christmas shop was conveniently next to my hotel. It's tradition for Ben and I to collect an ornament from our trips. Every holiday season, I'm reminded of Katy's Big Adventure.
Instead of heading straight to Nashville, I took a scenic detour, because where's the fun in a straight shot? I looped south through Georgia and Alabama before finally rolling into Nashville that evening.
Day 24
Date: 6/7/16
Start Mileage: 40,310
End Mileage: 40,633
Total Miles: 323 mi
Start Location: Pigeon Forge, TN
End Location: Nashville, TN
DAY 25:
Though Nashville is charming, and I would have loved to spend time there, it was just a rest stop on this trip. I’d been there before and knew I’d be back again someday. This leg of the trip felt like my chance to explore new ground, and Memphis called to me as a place worth slowing down for. I spent the morning standing quietly at the Lorraine Motel, taking in the weight and power of the National Civil Rights Museum. It was a heavy visit, but I was grateful for the time to educate myself.
That same day, I checked off my 46th state: Arkansas. I also made an unlikely new friend, a little turtle trying to cross the highway. Naturally, I stepped in as an honorary crossing guard and helped him on his way to the nearest swim hole (he didn’t say thank you, but I could tell he was pleased). I pulled over again, down the road, to catch a small air show from a local airport, and I ended the day the best way I know how: with ice cream. My hotel happened to be next to a mall, and I made it just in time to score the last scoop. Ten out of ten.
Day 25
Date: 6/8/16
Start Mileage: 40,633
End Mileage: 41,001
Total Miles: 368 mi
Start Location: Nashville, TN
End Location: Pine Bluff, AK
DAY 26:
The road stretched endlessly through Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, giving me space to think and soak up the wide-open beauty...
Day 26
Date: 6/9/16
Start Mileage: 41,001
End Mileage: 41,278
Total Miles: 277 mi
Start Location: Pine Bluff, AK
End Location: McAlester, OK
DAY 27:
Mapping out my route, then on to more thinking on the open road...
Day 27
Date: 6/10/16
Start Mileage: 41,278
End Mileage: 41,535
Total Miles: 257 mi
Start Location: McAlester, OK
End Location: Elk City, OK
DAY 28:
Next, I found myself at a ranch to do some branding. The Cadillac Ranch provides a space for roadside creativity. I picked up bright green spray paint and left my "815" mark, before heading down the road to the most scenic rest stop with a prairie view that felt like a movie set.
The surprises kept coming on Day 28. New Mexico welcomed me with bright blue skies, then viciously had a change of heart and instantly turned black. I quickly responded and ducked into a rest stop, waiting out a storm that flooded out the parking lot. It reminded me just how vulnerable we humans are in this universe. I appreciated when the skies cleared, and rode twenty more minutes through the damp air to the nearest motel. Not glamorous or forgettable.
Day 28
Date: 6/11/16
Start Mileage: 41,535
End Mileage: 41,921
Total Miles: 386 mi
Start Location: Elk City, OK
End Location: Moriarty, NM
DAY 29:
After ringing out my clothes, I was ready to head to Arizona. I wasn't prepared for Arizona's contrasting realms. I entered through a portal of red rocks, which abruptly transitioned through a vortex of pine-covered mountains, and descended into cactus lined highways lit with wildfires flickering roadside. That landscape metamorphosis took me to my final hotel of the journey. I sat by the pool as the sun went down, and retreated for an early night.
Day 29
Date: 6/12/16
Start Mileage: 41,921
End Mileage: 42,398
Total Miles: 477 mi
Start Location: Moriarty, NM
End Location: Scottsdale, AZ
DAY 30:
I woke before the sun, at 4:20 not to ride, but to fly. I was already floating high from the fact that I was completing a lifetime goal of riding across the country. A hot air balloon ride was the perfect metaphor to end the trip. No windows, no restrictions, just me and the horizon.
Fueled by that moment, I set out on the last leg home. The California wind tried to knock me sideways, but I held firm. Then I heard it, that familiar roar of a motorcycle rolling up behind me. It was Ben!
He rode beside me the rest of the way home, and you can catch my excitement in the final seconds of the video. It was the best way to end this adventure.
I left California anxious and eager. I returned with clarity, gratitude, and more peace than I’ve ever known. I thought I knew myself before this trip, but the road introduced me to a version of myself, that I would be extremely lucky to know in the following months.
Day 30
Date: 6/13/16
Start Mileage: 42,398
End Mileage: 42,776
Total Miles: 378 mi
Start Location: Scottsdale, AZ
End Location: Burbank, CA
Without Ben's help, these memories would be hidden on a hard drive. Thank you for believing in this wild idea, spending countless hours editing video footage, for cheering me on from afar, not to mention, your "roadside assistance". We can do hard things apart, but we’re always better together.
To those reading, whatever road you’re staring down, I hope you take it. Remember the long, windy roads always have the best views. Enjoy the adventure!
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