Month: June 2012

Today is wedding day, and I wake up to a different Lake Tahoe than the one I have experienced these last days.

The weather has changed completely. It’s snowing!

I look through the window and observe the snow flakes dancing with the wind. Everything is so beautiful! This planet of ours really knows how to wow us.

I am happy that I am having a different experience. This snowy day is making my journey richer and more complete. This is a day I will surely remember.

We took some funny pictures to send to Mateus.

It is beautiful outside. We are ready for a memorable White Wedding. Let’s go!

Life is good!

As Barbara once taught me, “Best day ever!”

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I am writing this on 02/12/2016. I am throwing papers away and found a 2012 calendar with the itinerary of my bike journey. I decided to write it down, so my son, if he so wants, can retrace my journey as he said he would someday.

5/01/2012 – Miami – Portland – Astoria

5/2/2012 – Astoria – Cannon Beach

5/3/2012 – Cannon Beach – Manzanita

5/4/2012 – Manzanita – Tillamook

5/5/2012 – Tillamoook – Cape Lookout Campground

5/6/2012 – Cape Lookout – Lincoln City

5/7/2012 – Lincoln City – South Beach

5/8/2012 – South Beach – Florence

5/9/2012 – Florence – Umpqua Lighthouse

5/10/2012 – Umpqua Lighthouse – Coos Bay

5/11/2012 – Coos Bay – Denmark

5/12/2012 – Denmark – Gold Beach

5/13/2012 – Gold Beach – Smith River

5/14/2012 – Smith River – Klamath River Campground

5/15/2012 – Klamath River Campground – Trinidad

5/16/2012 – Trinidad – Arcata

5/17 2012 – Arcata – Eureka

5/18/2012 – Eureka – Burlington Campground

5/19/2012 – Burlington Campground – Myers Flat (end of bike ride – broken spokes)

Journey continues by car

5/19/2012 – Myers Flat – San Francisco – Cameron Park

5/20/2012 – Cameron Park

5/21/2012 – Cameron Park – Sacramento – South Lake Tahoe

5/22/2012 – South Lake Tahoe

5/23/2012 – South Lake Tahoe

5/24/2012 – South Lake Tahoe – Incline Village (Meghann and Aaron wedding)

5/25/2012 – Incline Village

5/26/2012 – Incline Village

5/27/2012 – Incline Village – Muir Woods – Big Sur – San Luis Obispo

5/28/2012 – San Luis Obispo – Los Angeles / Santa Monica

5/29/2012 – Santa Monica – Redondo Beach (bike ride) – Los Angeles

5/30 2012 – Fort Lauderdale

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Weddings are memorable events, and this is one that I will not forget.

For those of you who haven’t attended many weddings, here’s a quick lesson about rehearsal dinners, taken directly from the pages of Wikipedia… “A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding ceremony in North American tradition, usually held after the wedding rehearsal and the night before the wedding ceremony. The guests generally include the couple to be married and others who form the wedding party, but may also include extended family and out-of-town guests. The purpose of the rehearsal dinner is for the relatives and friends of the bride and groom to meet and have a good time.”

And a good time we had, with Meghann and Aaron, and everyone else who was there.

We were surrounded by nice people.

We had lots of fun.

We were very grateful that we were invited to partake. Meals are definitely better when shared with people you like.

Life is good.

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Nothing brings me more joy than my family. Today is a joyful day. Maria and Pedro left Los Angeles last night, drove all the way, and woke me up this morning with a knock on the door of my motel room in South Lake Tahoe.

I am together with my wife and son!

We hold each other in long ‘I-am-not-going-to-be-the-one-to-release-first’ hugs.

I am so happy to be with them!

Life is good.

We drove to Incline Village and checked in the hotel where the wedding will take place. It is a gorgeous resort, right on the lake.

Life is good.

We meet our friends and — no time to waste — the fun begins…

Maria, Pedro, Aaron, Steve, Steve Jr., Tim, and Jeff go kayaking.

 

 

Later we went to the heated spa.

 

Life is good.

Life is good.

Life is good.

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This solo biking journey is giving me many opportunities to be here-now, to pay attention to the world around me. I guess that traveling does this to everyone; it awakens our senses and enhances our attention.

A little pause for reflection along the road…

I believe that our mission in this life is to develop our attentiveness, in order to be able to feel the Divine Presence, and realize that this Presence is everywhere.

If Heaven is where God is, then wherever we experience the bliss of being with God we are in Heaven, right?

It is by paying attention that we realize the beauty that is around us, the miracles that surround us.

It is our diligent observation that will make us realize that God is in each of us, and we all are in God.

And this realization will, from that moment on, inspire what we think, say, and do; it will guide us to create Heaven, and will lead us to experience a Heaven of beauty and abundance, right here on this Earth.

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Pay Attention! Be Alert!

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Some people come into our lives for a reason…

Those of you who have been following my journey through this blog have already heard about Steve, my mentor, and, by now, you know how fundamentally important he has been for my journey. He not only inspired me, but also made it possible for me to undertake this adventure.

1 – He was the one who broke ground, by going on a solo bike ride through the mountains of Colorado in August of 2011. When he came back he showed pictures, told stories, and allowed me to read his journal. He inspired me.

2 – He was the one who invited me to watch The Way, a movie I knew nothing about, but that was the tipping point for me; after watching it I decided that I would not wait any longer, and that it was time to start doing the things that I want to do before I die.

3 – He was the one who generously lent me all the equipment for the journey: bicycle, panniers, tent, sleeping bag, air mattress…

4 – He was the one who patiently acted as my coach and instructor. He taught me the ins and outs of bike riding and bike touring. He was the one who suggested the Pacific Coast bike route, gave me maps and books to read.

5 – Finally, he is the one whose daughter is getting married in Lake Tahoe tomorrow, and the reason why I scheduled the end of my bike trip to coincide with the wedding.

Steve was an integral element of this entire adventure.

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This morning, I met Steve in Incline Village, where the wedding will take place.

 

Steve is an avid cyclist and runner. Everyday he is either cycling or running. Other days, he does both in the same day.

We were happy to see each other.

The disciple was happy to see the master.

The master was happy to see the disciple.

The disciple approached the master with a heart full of gratitude.

The master was proud with the disciple’s accomplishment.

The Monster and the Mentor of Monsters

Some people come into our lives for a reason…

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It’s so beautiful!

And it is so clean!

We can actually drink it.

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I am thinking about my young friends in Florida… Robbie and Luke.

Hello Robbie!

Hello Luke!

A big hug from Piero!

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Another beautiful day, and today I am going for a boat ride on the Tahoe Queen!

This boat takes us from South Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay and back, and the ride lasts close to four hours.

Blue skies, snow covered mountains, green vegetation, and transparent water undoubtedly make Lake Tahoe one of the most beautiful places on this planet.

The gentle movement of the boat… the warmth of the sun…  ZZZ

I wake up… “Oops! I have been sleeping. I dozed off.”

Yes… for the record… on my way back I did take a nap on the upper deck.

Life is good!

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If you have been following my journey, you know the many interesting people that I have met along the way.

You also know that I have used my superb investigative skills to reveal where Ringo, Bono, and Clak Kent are living.

Now I will reveal where “Joilet” Jake Blues and and Elwood Blues are…

… South Lake Tahoe, California!!!

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It is another perfect day for a walk in the woods.

I am taking the day for hiking in Nevada. I am going up Kingsbury Grade, through the woods, and then down to Nevada Beach.

It is so serene… the smell is so refreshing… silence and solitude… and then, suddenly, I am transported to a different dimension. There is no distance… no near or far… space is an illusion. Time slows down, and I realize that I am not separated, but that I am one with everything else.

I know what you are thinking. 🙂

Yes, I am in California, and… No, I am not smoking anything.

Back in 1997 I traveled to Utah to attend a week-long experience on principle-centered living with Stephen R. Covey. Back then I wrote a letter to my sons the day I arrived in Sundance, after a walk in the woods of Mount Timpanogas in the Wasatch Mountains.

Sometimes it is necessary to be alone in silence, and think. Today I have done just that. Today I took the trail to the waterfall. The one who arrives first does not win. The one who wins is he who enjoys the stroll the most.

We must walk slowly, in silence, and look at everything… the flowers, the sprouts, the tree trunks, the stones, the shadows, the sun through the leaves, the little insects and the huge sky.

We must look at the smallest and the biggest things. We must look at what is near and what is far.

Listen to all sounds: the river, the wind, the dogs barking in the distance and the grasshopper. Touch, feel, and understand that the little pebble contains the whole world. Feel the sun’s warmth, the breeze, and the cold in the shade. See the reflections of the sunlight on the water. Breathe in. Smell.

Look at the trees, humble yourself, and become one with nature.

Sometimes we need to be alone, in silence, without distractions, and just be.

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I woke up this morning with a phone call. It was Mateus, my son. We had an enjoyable conversation and talked for quite a while. Apparently my little adventure reignited my son’s interest in me.

“You are a very interesting man, dad,” he told me, with the excitement of someone who has made a recent discover. “I was thinking about you and the many roles you have had in your life. How many different jobs have you had?”

We began listing and got up to almost thirty different occupations, from the powerful high-paying jobs to the humblest ones. “You know something, dad? Someday I will do a documentary about you and your trip… It will be a son retracing the steps of his father.”

“I know it will be good, Mateus,” I told him.

He wished me good luck with the rest of my journey and we exchanged goodbyes.

After our conversation, I went out for a walk in the woods, and I kept thinking how this journey is inspiring my sons.

Witnessing their father doing something unexpected for his age is making them realize that age is relative. It is guiding them to take a second look at their own lives. It is instilling in them courage to pursue their grandest dreams, and self-confidence to ignore the nay-sayers they will meet along the way.

This trip is also making me take another look at my role as a father. I am here to inspire and support them.

Life is a mystery and I know that I have been blessed… two exceptional human beings came into my life, and made me a better man.

Nothing brings me more joy than my sons.

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