As I write this I’m sitting on my couch, cold beer on the table, comfortable bed upstairs, and still wishing I was traveling. Acclimatizing after a trip can be hard and I don’t think I can make the adjustment after this one. Fortunately I don’t have to, the words “I resign as of the end of August” have been spoken. Those words were not easy to say, but in order for new doors to open sometimes old doors need to be closed. I have devoted so much of my energy over the past three and a half years helping to grow the company I work for, but I have devoted my entire life to being free, no kids, no pets, and no debt. I knew this day was coming, I just didn’t know when.

When I spoke those words I didn’t know what to expect. I hold a high position within the company and I am leaving at a time when I am needed most. Fortunately the person I work for couldn’t have been more understanding. New doors have opened, doors that I am grateful for. The next month is going to be a busy one. I have my responsibilities at work along with packing up, selling, or giving away most everything I own, but when it is over, I am free.

Now to finish this post about the bike trip I was just on:

Marine Atlantic’s Atlantic Vision ferry has more in common with a cruise ship than you average car hauling ferry,

but boarding at 1:00am all I wanted to do was find a spot to sleep. The best spot I could find was in the Colours Lounge

and yes, it really is that bright. The next day was pretty bright as well

and a good day to put on some miles. I’ll admit, at this point I shifted into get home mode and just put my head down and pedaled. The day was hot and there was a headwind, but I just climbed into my shell and rode as far as I could. By evening I was pretty spent and after stopping at a house to fill my water bottles, I was given directions to a pretty good camping spot right on the shore of Bras d’Or Lake.

My goal was to cross the Canso Causeway and head for Truro to catch the soonest train to Montreal. I wasn’t looking forward to this trip ending, but was looking forward to beginning my next trip and for this I needed to get home. After riding for around an hour haste got the best of me and I stopped into a store for a piece of cardboard and to borrow a Sharpie. It was a long way to Truro, so I made a sign with a few different destinations and folded it to display the one I was most interested in going to. After riding out to the TCH I flipped the sign so it read Canso Causeway and it wasn’t long before a car stopped to offered a ride. I wasn’t expecting a car to stop and really had no idea how my bike was going to fit inside, but this generous driver was determined to make it work. After flipping the seats, a bit of rearranging, a little disassembly, and a bungee cord, we were on our way.

Before crossing the causeway I stopped by the visitors center in Port Hawkesbury to use the Wi-Fi and check on the train schedule. While I was able to go from Montreal to Truro with one days notice, getting back wasn’t so easy. The day was Tuesday and the earliest train I could get on was on Sunday afternoon. Well, not much I could do about that, so I made my reservation, then made plans to go to Prince Edward Island for a few days.

With my new plan in place, but the weather pattern changing to rain, I decided cross the causeway and use my sign again. I folded it to read New Glasgow and within a few minutes my bike was in the back of a pickup and I was on my way again. After being dropped off at a strip mall and restocking on food, I rode north, through the poring rain to the ferry terminal north of Pictou. Camping spots that weren’t water or mud were pretty scarce, so I had considered taking the ferry that evening, but after finding a nice gravel spot under a cell phone tower I decided to wait until morning to cross.

The rain ended overnight and after rushing to pack up and a race to the ferry, I was on my way to PEI.